Rare! Tugs in the Canal! Heading out to Guide the Ocean Freighter Gwen into Port of Duluth!

See Pictures @ / duluthshipphotography
About this visit:
They arrived Duluth MN May 31, 2024 for their 1st visit of the season at 16:12, cruising into the Canal at a speed of 5.1 kts with rare tug assist in the lakes-Canal from the G-Tugs Missouri and North Carolina. Arriving with a cargo of Wind Turbine Blades for Port Terminal. They pulled into the Port dock at 16:44 and began discharging the cargo.They finished discharging June 06 at 05:04 and departed the Port Dock. Pulled out of Duluth at 05:36 , cruising out light at 7.7 kts heading to Montreal.
General information
Flag/home port Liberia
Type Multi Purpose Heavy Lift Dry Cargo
Vessel, strengthened for heavy cargo,
TD in all holds
IMO Fitted for all classes
Classification
100 A5 E3 Multi-purpose dry cargo ship BWM
Equipped for carriage of containers DBC
SOLAS-II-2,Reg.19 ERS G IW Strengthened for
heavy cargo
MC E3 Aut
Tonnage
DWAT 12,591 MT
GT/NT 9,616/4,260
Capacity (bale space)
Cubic meters 15,952 m³
Cubic feet 563,340 cbft
Dimensions
LOA 138.07 m
LPP 130.00 m
Beam 21.00 m
Depth 11.00 m
Draft 8.00 m
Engine
Main engine MAK 6M43,
MCR: 5,400 kW at 500 rpm
Aux. engine 3x 400/230 Volt at 50 Hz
Diesel generator 395 kW
Emerg. generator 99 kW
Shaft generator 750 kW
Bow thruster 500 kW
Tank capacity
Fuel IFO 848 m³
Fuel MDO 250 m³
Freshwater 129 m³
Ballast 5,000 m³
Hatches/holds
Hold 1 18.75 x 15.02 m aft to 10.06 m fwd
TD position (5.40 m)
2 hydraulic folding covers opening fwd
Hold 2 42.00 x 17.50 m
TD positions (3.25/6.00/7.40 m)
2 hydraulic folding covers opening fwd
4 hydraulic folding covers opening aft
(splittable hatchcovers)
Hold 3 25.50 x 17.50 m
TD position (5.59 m)
4 hydraulic multifolding covers opening aft
Gear
Crane type
2 NMF cranes of 180 MT SWL each, located
port side, combinable to 360 MT SWL
Outreach SWL
180 MT/13 m; 150 MT/16 m;
120 MT/19 m; 95 MT/24 m;
70 MT/33 m
Permissible loads
Tanktop 16 t/m²
Tweendeck hold 4 t/m²
Hatchcovers 1.75 t/m²
Containers
Total 665 TEU
On deck 331 TEU
Under deck 334 TEU
Basis 14 MT 534 TEU
Remarks
Great Lakes fitted, AMSA fitted,
all cargo holds CO2 fitted;
Hold 1: Sprinkler system
Hold 2 and 3: 12 air changes per hour

[@katherinespencer2633]

Beautiful ship!

[@louGriggs1944]

Good one Paul. Love seeing the tugs come out to play. Thanks.

[@PaulScinocca]

I do like to see them do their magic with the ships!

[@SteveMikre44]

Good thing Paul was able to capture this rare event. Special treat for us and the spectators watching...👍

[@PaulScinocca]

Not often at all they go out into the lake to assist a ship, never seen them do it for a "saltie". Thanks Steve!

[@gregmctevia5087]

Other than the recent return of the Mich I don’t recall anyone capturing tugs in the canal. You done it again. You scooped ‘em all. 👊👊

[@PaulScinocca]

LOL, There must have been others catching it, or maybe they only concentrated on the ship? Either way, Thanks Greg!!

[@joankralik6794]

Gwen is such a pretty ship! Welcome to North America! Our two tugs are real beauties! Never see enough of these two ole friends!

[@PaulScinocca]

I agree! Those tugs to add to the "view" when a ship is coming or going.

[@janicesullivan8942]

Cool to see a “salty” come into port, thank you.

[@PaulScinocca]

Any time! Thanks!

[@bettygilmore611]

Love the tugs. Love the stories of these boats and they are so well painted.❤

[@PaulScinocca]

They are well kept!

[@Betty-mq6mf]

Those G tugs are good looking boats. I bet you could live comfortably in one of those (with a safe harbor to hide from storms and high seas)!

[@PaulScinocca]

Surprisingly more room on those tugs that it looks! A wee bit on the noisy side in them though.

[@jaynorris3722]

Those tugs look like toys by her. Tiny but mighty. Thank you for sharing this video.

[@PaulScinocca]

Size comparison for sure! Little powerhouses!

[@assiebruins2545]

First time to see tugs fastening the incoming ship before the canal.

[@PaulScinocca]

I've seen it on "broken" vessels, never on a Saltie coming in seemingly in working order.

[@pamelatheado6484]

Cool 🚢⚓️

[@PaulScinocca]

Thanks!

[@peterpontinen9220]

The REAL "G" wagons!!!!!

[@PaulScinocca]

Indeed!

[@by-amrcn]

Not for beginners! Nice work by those guys

[@PaulScinocca]

Indeed, they do have the skills!

[@lynnsenger9950]

Tugging turbines. Nice.

[@PaulScinocca]

Oh yeah!

[@galewinds7696]

Does the port require a river pilot go out and bring ship in? Thanks.

[@PaulScinocca]

The Pilot on this ship was able to bring it to the Port, I have seen some Pilots bring a ship out to the lake, then swap to a different Pilot to take it down the lake.

[@mikeboyer2421]

we were in Duluth this week. a boat tour of the basin showed a big scrap yard where stuff is shredded and shipped out including many blades like these. are these scrap?

[@PaulScinocca]

Not scrap, new blades for a project in Canada.

[@blauer2551]

Wonder if they asked for tugs at the locks they passed through? Seems if they could do those unassisted this would be easy.

[@PaulScinocca]

They were asking for the Tugs out in the lake a few miles out, not sure why, maybe there was something on the ship not functioning well?

[@rickchapman9232]

Those are some long blades.

[@PaulScinocca]

They are!

[@SteveMikre44]

Should of named their fleet John, Paul, George, and Ringo...🎸⚓

[@PaulScinocca]

lol

[@infopelayaran3917]

Canal kapal yang sangat berguna. Bagi kapal2 internasional