First international ship of the year arrives at Port of Indiana

First international ship of the year arrives at Port of Indiana

BY JOYCE RUSSELL
April 19, 2008

PORTAGE | The marine vessel Isa wound its way into the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor on Friday morning heralding the start of the 2008 international shipping season.

The St. Lawrence Seaway-size vessel, built in Japan in 1999, brought 8,610 metric tons of steel coils that were loaded in Ijmuiden, Holland.

Crew members and seamen spent the late morning and afternoon unloading the coils to be received by Federal Marine Terminal. The ship was scheduled to depart Friday evening en route to Milwaukee to unload the remaining portion of its cargo, said Port Director Peter Laman.

Laman predicted a good shipping season this year due to strong steel production and tariffs being frozen on the St. Lawrence Seaway for the last three years. Last year, 98 vessels like the Isa docked at the port. That was a little lower than the two previous years, said Laman, which he said were record years for ships.

From April to December, the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway offers a direct route for ships from world markets into America's heartland, said Indiana Port Commission spokesman Jody Peacock.

"Known as 'Highway H2O,' the seaway provides companies in and around Indiana with the cheapest, most efficient and environmentally friendly mode of shipping products," said Peacock, adding that one seaway ship can haul the same amount of cargo as 870 trucks.

Laman said the port has already seen several arrivals of lake vessels with minerals from other Great Lakes ports. They began arriving earlier this month, he said.

Laman said its always exciting when the first international ship arrives as it marks the jobs created for the local shipping industry and economic development in the area.

"The port provides tremendous logistical advantages for area companies and our labor force is second to none. These are the primary reasons this port handles more ocean-going cargo than any other U.S. port on the Great Lakes," said Laman, adding the port has handled more than $1.7 billion in steel shipments in the last four years.

WEATHER NOTE

From Storm Reports

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MARITIME NOTE

Well the shipping season is underway for the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway The link below will guide you to the Great Lakes Vessel Locator's (click vessel passage on the referring page). I have added these three new links to my site (on left). If you click on any ship on the Lakes and the Seaway you will get the ships last weather report as well as the ships last known position. Included is the Worldwide Ship Locator, which will report on the ships last know position, tides, weather and even reported waves heights. I have also added to the site the Worldwide Vessel Casualty Locator so that you can also track ship casualties.

Have A Blast!

Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online Vessel Locator




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