Shipping traffic for Monday, Aug. 20

Visitors to Canal Park were treated to a rare sight on Sunday afternoon: a big freighter going in reverse under the Aerial Lift Bridge and out the Duluth ship canal.

It was the 730-foot Algolake, which had just unloaded a cargo of salt at the North American Salt Dock just beyond Bayfront Festival Park. According to officials at the Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center, the captain of the ship decided it was easier to back straight out of the inner harbor rather than try to swing the vessel around to go under the Lift Bridge bow-first. A crowd gathered along the walls of the canal to watch, as seen in the photo above by Robin Muench of Hermantown.

After clearing the canal, the Algolake swung itself around out in the lake and headed to Silver Bay to pick up a load of iron ore pellets.

The Algolake, which is owned by Algoma Central, is celebrating its 35th birthday this year.

After a busy day of boats coming and going under the Lift Bridge on Sunday, no freighters are scheduled to arrive or depart from Duluth or Superior today.

TWO HARBORS

Morning: Philip R. Clarke, departing with iron ore pellets

Evening/night: Arriving to load iron ore pellets

For updated information 24 hours a day, call the Boatwatcher’s Hotline at (218) 722-6489.

Source: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center in Canal Park. Arrival and departure times are not official and can vary widely.

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