Market Matters Blog

On Saturday, Dec. 28, at approximately 7 p.m. CST, the Marshall Islands-flagged Federal Biscay sailed from Duluth, Minnesota, as the Port of Duluth-Superior said goodbye to the final oceangoing ship (saltie) of the 2024 navigation season.

The Federal Biscay, a dry bulk handysize (smaller bulk carrier) built in 2015, measures 200 meters in length overall (LOA) and her width (beam) is 23 meters. Her summer deadweight capacity is 34,564 metric tons.

"Carrying durum wheat destined for North Africa, the vessel will now navigate below-average ice coverage across the Great Lakes, exiting the St. Lawrence Seaway System prior to the Montreal-Lake Ontario section's seasonal closure on Jan. 5, 2025," said Jayson Hron, director of communication and marketing for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, in an email to DTN.

"The shipment extended a fourth-quarter rally for agricultural commodities moving through North America's farthest-inland seaport, boosting grain tonnage toward its best total since 2020," Hron said. "Bookending the arrival of Barbro G on April 1, the Federal Biscay departure on Dec. 28 concluded a 272-day oceangoing navigation season for Duluth-Superior."

The Federal Biscay should have pretty smooth sailing, given ice coverage on the Great Lakes is not an issue right now. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Great Lakes ice coverage as of Dec. 29, 2024, combined is 2%. Lake Superior has 1% ice coverage, Lake Michigan has 2%, Lake Huron has 4%, Lake Erie has 0.1% and Lake Ontario has 2% ice coverage. View the maps here: https://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/…

"Interlake shipping to and from the Port of Duluth-Superior, which began with the laker John J. Boland departure on March 21, will continue through mid-January. The Soo Locks' seasonal maintenance closure is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2025," Hron said.

In a notice to all shippers on Oct. 15, 2024, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway noted that Montreal-Lake Ontario Section would close Jan. 5, 2025, and "all ships must be clear of the MLO Section by 12:00 on that day." Here is the notice, which also includes other closure dates on the Seaway: https://greatlakes-seaway.com/…

Follow the Federal Biscay as she leaves Duluth on Dec. 28 with her load of durum wheat: https://youtu.be/…

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

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