Here is the articulated tug-and-barge combination of the Clyde S. VanEnkevort (tug) and Erie Trader seen arriving in Duluth, Minnesota on the afternoon of April 30, 2024. They were hauling in a load of limestone they picked up at Stoneport, Michigan and were to discharge it at the C. Reiss Terminal in West Duluth. After unloading, they moved over to the Burlington Northern 5 dock in Superior to load taconite (iron ore) pellets. They departed Superior on May 1, bound for Toledo, Ohio.
We got a rather odd captain's salute from the Clyde S. VanEnkevort as she made her way in through the Duluth shipping canal. Instead of using one horn to blow all three blasts, they switched to a different horn for the final blast. It sounded kind of strange... like a trumpet player hitting the wrong note at the end of a song. Having heard both horns in the same salute, I have to say my preference is for the second horn!
The arrival of the Clyde S. VanEnkevort and Erie Trader was actually the first half of a "two-fer," where two ships pass under the Aerial Lift Bridge for the same lift. The second ship was the classic laker John G. Munson, who you can glimpse at the beginning of the video. I was going to include both ships in the same video, but decided the Munson deserved her own video. This was especially so because I shot a lot more footage of the Munson, following her to the dock to watch her unload. It would have ended up being an abnormally long video... and KZread tells me that most viewers only have a 3-4 minutes attention span. (But since you're reading the video description, I know that probably doesn't describe you!)
The 740-foot barge Erie Trader began her life in April 2012 as the Lakes Contender, while the 135-foot tug Clyde S. VanEnkevort began her life as the Ken Booth Sr. in February 2011. Both were built at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair in Erie, Pennsylvania. They were specifically designed to work with each other and not mate with any other tugs or barges. Both are owned by VanEnkevort Tug and Barge of Escanaba, Michigan. They were leased by the American Steamship Company until 2017, when the lease ended and their operation went to VanEnkevort Tug and Barge. At the time the lease expired, they obtained their current names... though observant viewers will spot the old names of both the tug and barge in the metalwork. The Erie Trader can carry 38,500 tons of cargo and has a 1000-horsepower diesel-driven bow thruster that helps her maneuver in port. The Clyde S. VanEnkevort is powered by twin 5,400 HP MaK diesel engines driving two controllable pitch propellers.
The main advantage of the articulated tug-and-barge combos is that they can operate with smaller crews than traditional lake freighters. Tug crew sizes are typically 15-18 compared to the crews of 25-30 on traditional lakers. The tugs also have the flexibility to detach from the barge for maintenance, refueling, and even occasional ice breaking duties.
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