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The Canadian-flagged saltie (oceangoing vessel) Nordika Desgagnes sailed out of Duluth in the dark of night Dec. 29, 2023, and into the record book as the Port of Duluth-Superior's latest-departing oceangoing ship on record. Carrying beet pulp pellets destined for Ireland, she will eclipse the port's previous oceangoing late-departure record set Dec. 23, 1984, by the Federal Calumet, which carried durum wheat bound for France.

"Combined with the earliest oceangoing arrival in port history –- the Federal Dart arrived March 28, 2023, the Nordika Desgagnes departure on Dec. 29 will make this navigation season Duluth-Superior's longest ever for international traffic (277 days)," noted Jayson Hron, director of communication and marketing, Duluth Seaway Port Authority, in a press release.

In November, St. Lawrence Seaway management approved its latest seasonal closure ever, Jan. 5, 2024, which provided extra time for oceangoing vessels to move cargoes through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. The Nordika Desgagnes of the Quebec-based Transport Desgagnes fleet was among those vessels, making a late call at Duluth's Hansen-Mueller Elevator A, before sailing for Ireland, noted the press release.

"In combination with unseasonably warm conditions that slowed ice formation, this December -- with its late oceangoing departures -- definitely ranks among the more unusual for navigation on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System," said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. "It helped prolong a late-season grain-shipping rally that is a great gift indeed during this holiday season."

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Great Lakes ice coverage as of Dec. 31, 2023, combined is 0.2%. Lake Superior has 1% ice coverage, Lake Michigan has 0.1%, Lake Huron has 0%, Lake Erie has 0% and Lake Ontario has 0% ice coverage. (https://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/…)

What a difference a year makes. The last saltie to break a record was the Fednav's Federal Kushiro departing Duluth with a load of durum for Bari, Italy, on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, one day ahead of the record set for the last saltie in 1984. As a fierce winter storm covered the Great Lakes region at the time, concern mounted that the Federal Kushiro would barely make the cutoff at Montreal-Lake Ontario. Blizzard conditions and ice were slowing its progress as it traversed Lake Superior onto its destination.

Good news came from St. Lawrence Seaway on the afternoon of Dec. 27, 2022, saying, "As a result of severe environmental conditions impacting navigation, the closing date for the Montreal-Lake Ontario Section has been extended from 12 p.m. Dec. 31, 2022, to 12 p.m. Jan. 1, 2023." The Federal Kushiro was able to make it through with little time to spare.

Here is a video of the saltie Nordika Desgagnes getting some help leaving the harbor and heading towards Duluth Lift Bridge to start her journey towards Ireland, followed by the laker Paul R Tregurtha also heading out. https://youtu.be/…

Mary Kennedy can be reached at mary.kennedy@dtn.com.

Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @MaryCKenn.

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