Shipping Season Begins In Port of Thunder Bay
by Scott A. Sumner
The shipping season has begun in the Port of Thunder Bay. The MV Manitoulin arrived in Thunder Bay March 24th!
John Carlson, Captain of the Manitoulin ship.
“ It is nice to repeat the experience of getting the Top Hat for being thefirst ship to Thunder Bay. ”
“ We wintered in Sault Ste. Marie at the Essar Steel plant and for the last 35 years this was easily the best ice conditions, virtually ice free to Thunder Bay. ”
“ 95% of the cargo we haul is exported from Thunder Bay, mostly potash and grain. It took about 23 hours to get to Thunder Bay at about 13 knots with a crew of 17. Our ship will hold a cargo of 20,000
metric tones of wheat bound for Buffalo to a mill there for domestic use I believe flour.”
“ The season is looking much stronger this year. Our cargo book is pretty solid.We don't create demand we meet demand so this start is encouraging for the economy.”
Guy Jarvis, Director of Engineering and Harbourmaster
“This early start is tying a record of opening for us, a day before the locks. It is a good start for the port with a lot of ships lined up with grain, potash ,salt between this week in March and mid April.”
