Saginaw River Passages - June 26th

H. Lee White arrived on the Saginaw River, early Friday morning, calling on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City.  She was outbound during the late afternoon, after unloading.  Alpena was inbound early Friday evening, calling on the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville.  She was expected to be outbound on Saturday.

Alpena inbound just past the Saginaw River Front Range

Unloading at the Lafarge Cement dock

Saginaw River Passages - June 17th through 25th

I have just returned from a trip with the family to Walt Disney World in Florida.  Here is what took place on the Saginaw river while I was gone:

The H. Lee White called on the Wirt Stone dock in Bay City on June 19th to unload.  There were two vessels calling on Saginaw River docks on June 22nd.  The American Integrity called on the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville, while the tug Samuel de Champlain and cement barge Innovation, called on the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville.

That was all for the week.  Here is a passenger ferry photo I took at the Magic Kingdom while I was there.

Walt Disney Ferry - Richard F. Irvine

Saginaw River Passages - June 7th, 8th, & 9th

The tug Leonard M., pushing the barge Huron Spirit, called on the Bay Aggregates dock on Sunday to unload.  This was their second visit to Bay Aggregate this season.  The next day saw Algorail make a rare visit to the Bay Aggregates dock to unload.  She was outbound late Monday night. Early Tuesday morning saw the arrival of the tug Zeus and tank barge Robert F. Deegan.  The pair called on the Port Fisher Dock to unload for Dow/Oxy.  Zeus-Deegan were outbound Tuesday night.

Zeus at the Port Fisher Dock in Bay City

Saginaw River Passages - June 4th & 5th

The Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber called on the Saginaw River, Thursday, carrying a split cargo.  The pair dropped a partial cargo at the Wirt Stone dock in Bay City, before continuing upriver to finish unloading at the Wirt Stone dock in Saginaw.  The Moore-Kuber were outbound for the lake Friday morning.  Friday evening saw Algoway inbound on the Saginaw River, traveling up to the Buena Vista dock to unload.  She was expected to be back outbound sometime on Saturday.

Algoway inbound on the Saginaw River at Cheboyganing Creek

Making the turn at Cheboyganing Creek

Saginaw River Report for May

For the month of May, the Saginaw River saw 17 commercial vessel deliveries.  This number is up from 9 during the same time period in 2014.  For the year to date, there have been 25 commercial vessel passages.  That is more than twice as many as in 2014, when there were only 11 by June 1st.  If you look at the five year averages, May 2015 is above the average of 15, and for the year to date, 2015 is also above the five year average of 22 vessel passages,

While the extended ice season in 2014 is partly to blame for the low early season numbers last year, hopefully the demand for materials is on the rise, in turn accounting for a greater number of  vessel passages in 2015.

Saginaw River Passage - June 1st

The Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. called on the Saginaw River, Monday morning, stopping at the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville to unload coal.  The McCarthy, Jr. did not call on the Saginaw River during the 2014 season as coal to Consumers was delivered primarily by rail last year.