Coal to Essexville in 2014 by boat

[Stephen Hause]

I have logged only the American Integrity and Indian Harbor back in May. Nothing since by ship as far as I know.

[Brian Ferguson]

May 25th the Indy Harbor was in and that's the last I see in the log. It seems like there'd have to have been another coal ship in since then but traffic in general has been really, really, down. I'm not sure if the coal traffic is slow because of the fact that Consumers still has that plant scheduled to be closed (or gas/oil only) in 2015. I was on an Appledore cruise in August and they had a decent pile on the dock. Traffic in general has been very low since that extreme low water period in the early-mid 2000's. That was back when the Great Lakes Trader supposidly lost a rudder and everyone was getting stuck between the Vet's and Libery, and up at 6th street. The dock owners were lobbying for emergency funds. I remember going to Bay City and there'd be days when the river was dry almost all the way out to the end of the River Walk pier. Prior to that you could catch a ship in the river nearly every day. One day in 1999 the Earl W. Oglebay, Joseph H. Frantz, Walter J. McCarthy Jr, Paul H. Townsend, and Bramble were all in the river. I now live over on the west side of the State but before I left the Flint area I noticed a lot more coal by rail via CSX/LSRC then in previous years, of course this may be down due to crude oil trains but everytime I pass the McGrew yard in Flint on the way to see family there's usually a BNSF powered western coal train waiting to go up.

[Denny]

Does anyone know if they have gotten in any loads of coal by boat in 2014 at the Consumers Energy Plant in Essexville? I have not seen too many loads of coal being delivered by vessel up to that plant as I have in the past. There may have been some loads going there back in the Spring and possibly Summer however, not too many going there in the Fall season so far. I know in the past, the McCarthy along with the Indiana Harbor and American Century have taken a few loads there as well as the American Integrity.