Boatnerd Discussion Forum

I have made comments earlier about the escanaba dock and its effect on the block and Sykes, there is no stockpiling of ore there this winter, the dock workers are bumping into other jobs for the RR, the dock needs repairs to stay in operation as well, it is possible that the only Lake Michigan ore dock will be a memory very soon.

[quote="mn brett"]I am not an expert but have some pieces of information!, The Empire Mine shut down this summer!,They supplied pellets to the Escanaba docks!,The Sykes and the Block are owned buy Arcelor Mittal so they had priority to sail late after the Soo locks closed and Transfer Pellets from Escanaba to Burns Harbor and stay on lake Michigan longer and come back out earlier!,with Escanaba drying up They are limited on work,so the Block is sailing the Seaway and the Sykes is laying up early! mn brett[/quote]

For what it's worth, I'd read the Tilden Mine has decades of ore left. Don't know how much goes to Marquette or how much is/or will be shipped out of Escanaba.

I am not an expert but have some pieces of information!, The Empire Mine shut down this summer!,They supplied pellets to the Escanaba docks!,The Sykes and the Block are owned buy Arcelor Mittal so they had priority to sail late after the Soo locks closed and Transfer Pellets from Escanaba to Burns Harbor and stay on lake Michigan longer and come back out earlier!,with Escanaba drying up They are limited on work,so the Block is sailing the Seaway and the Sykes is laying up early! mn brett

I see on the News Channel that the Wilfred Sykes is heading into layup at Sturgeon Bay after unloading its current cargo. Is there major work planned for her, or just lack of demand? I ask because the Sykes and Joseph L. Block are usually among the last US lakers to layup.