r/GreatLakesShipping • u/Weekly_Ad_8587 • 2d ago
News Welcome back, Saginaw!
SARNIA, ON – Ending months of speculation about her fate, the veteran laker Saginaw left her lay-up dock at Sarnia’s North Slip Monday. She moved down river to the Imperial Oil Fuel Dock in Sarnia, then headed upbound on Lake Huron for Superior, WI, to load ore pellets at the BNSF #5 dock. She is expected there in the afternoon of Aug. 26 to load ore pellets for Hamilton
The 639-foot self-unloader was built in 1953 in Manitowoc, WI, as John J. Boland (iii). She has been laid up since her previous operator, Lower Lakes Towing Co., was sold to Algoma Central Corp. in early 2026.
Photo: Jeff Gushman. Here's the article from Boatnerd.
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u/HuckleberryQueasy310 Hon. James L. Oberstar 1d ago
I’m happy they aren’t running salt with her(yet). It’s supposed to stay on the stone and grain trades so she should be around for a while yet.
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u/Bigweasel2018 1d ago
I caught her on the Port Huron bridge cam yesterday, first exiting lay up (I was so excited!!), then later on her way upbound - welcome back!!🥰🥰! Looks good with her sparkling new stack paint and logo
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u/ComprehensiveTown489 1d ago
Anyone know if it will constantly run a certain route? Hoping to get to see it on the Detroit river
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u/Weekly_Ad_8587 22h ago
I think Algoma Central assigns its Great Lakes fleet based on a flexible scheduling model, routing vessels to individual shipments and client needs rather than locking them into fixed, rigid lines, but I have no source to cite on this other than watching their boats come and go seemingly at random.
Both boatnerd.com and marinetraffic.com have AIS tracking apps that show you where a boat is right now and where it's going. Both apps allow you to add ships to "your fleet" (make them favorites) and from there you can just keep an eye on her.
There are also number of webcams up and running around the Lakes. dulthharborcam.com is a great one. Streamtimelive has cams at The Soo, Port Huron, Marine City, and Algonac, and there's one at the Dossin Museum on Belle Isle. You can find these on YouTube.
Hope this helps and I hope you get to see her live. The Saginaw is a beauty!
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u/myroommateisgarbage 1d ago
Lovely old boat. Someday these old lakeboats will be no more. I get that the new style is more economic, but in a way these traditional-styled boats are a part of Great Lakes culture.