Boatnerd Discussion Forum

It looks like now that the party has been mostly broken up as there are not as many tankers or vessels loading products from the refineries or fuel docks in Sarnia. Now I only show two of them at Imperial Oil the Sichem Mumbai and Algoma Hansa, while up in Lake Huron and still at anchor is the Fairchem Yuka. At one point I also thought I saw the Ebony Ray but, now I can't find her on the AIS map sites anywhere? I am sure she is up there somewhere as I know she has not ventured back out just yet.

My Grandfather sailed and he always called them the fuel dock or the gas station. So I guess that's why I still do, old school I guess. Denny I have to agree with you on the amount of tankers hanging around I've never seen any thing like it.

Gentleman, sorry to say that I am not in the basic stuff that they receive and also ship out. Okay so I admit I did not refer to the docks in Sarnia as refineries as they should have been mentioned. However, if you listen to the captains of various ships on the radio they do not say they are going to a refinery but to a fuel dock when they are arriving or departing. To me I say the fuel dock as it is simple for me to say and to understand. Sorry if I got things mixed up and confused on my previous post. You also never hear Sarnia Traffic tell laker captains, there is a check down at the local refineries in Sarnia. Yes, they mention them by name such as Shell, Imperial etc. but never say a refinery though. Again, it is just easier for me and a few others to just say it is a fuel dock.

Simply to add to the comments authoured by boatbuddy, Shell operates a fuel stand at their facility in Corunna,ON. while Imperial Oil is engaged in the same type of business in Sarnia. Apart from marine fueling and taking on various vessel necessary lubricants, the bulk of the activity for the Sarnia area refineries is the receiving and subsequent shipping of raw and finished chemical products. Gasoline, diesel oil of various grades for marine and street use, along with Jet fuel, heating oils, industrial and domestic lubricants are all part of the refinery capabilties from Sarnia's Chemical Valley.

Actually it is incorrect to refer to the refinery docks along the St. Clair river near Sarnia as fuel docks. Marine fueling is only one of the activities they do. Most of the tankers are loading refinery products, a lot of gasoline but also other chemicals. The Canadian flag vessels load mostly for domestic locations and the foreign vessels for export. A lot of the gasoline is going to U.S. east coast ports like Boston, NYC and Philadelphia.

A few more tankers decided to join the party and the group today as the Algoma Hansa and Thalassa Desgagnes are both now at anchor in Lake Huron joining the other tankers that I had earlier mentioned in my previous post. Sarah Desgagnes is at Sun Oil, while the Everlast/Norman McLeod decided to take up residence at the Shell Dock. A busy time at the fuel docks as again, I don't recall ever seeing the fuel docks this busy before with tanker type of traffic.

It looks like from the AIS maps that the Sarnia, Ontario Fuel Docks are having a "Full House of tanker traffic lately!" Currently at the Shell Dock is the Algoma Hansa, while there are two Desgagnes tankers at or near Sun Oil both the Sarah Desgagnes along with the Thalassa Desgagnes. Algoeast is at the Imperial Oil Fuel Dock in Sarnia. However, out in Lake Huron there are believe it or not "four tankers at anchor waiting for a berth at the fuel docks!" The ones that are anchored are the Ebony Ray, Fairchem Yuka, Maria Desgagnes and the Sichem Mumbai. Granted in the Spring we had lots of heavy ice that caused salty backups and many had to go and anchor due to the ice conditions and lack of pilots at that time as well. However, I don't ever recall seeing so many of the tankers up and around Sarnia and anchored in Lake Huron all at one time. This is really neat to see and watch and interesting. Anyone with any thoughts or comments on this one?