Season Opens: Mesabi Miner Freed From St. Marys Ice

The 2026 Great Lakes shipping season is roaring to life despite ice challenges that caught even experienced captains off guard. The *Mesabi Miner*, operated by Interlake Steamship Co., became beset in ice below the Rock Cut in the St. Marys River on Saturday afternoon while heading downbound. Canadian and U.S. icebreakers — including CCGS *Vincent Massey* — worked through the evening to free her, and by 9 p.m. Saturday she was headed toward Cleveland at 6.5 knots. Her troubles held up other downbound traffic, including the *Indiana Harbor*, which sat anchored in the Nine Mile Anchorage waiting for the river to clear. Upbound, the season opened with promise. The *MV Kathy McKeil* passed the breakwall at Thunder Bay on March 26 at 3:23 p.m., officially opening the Port of Thunder Bay for the year. At Duluth-Superior, two American Steamship Company 1,000-footers departed mid-week: the *MV Indiana Harbor* on March 25 bound for Two Harbors, and the *Burns Harbor* on March 26 headed for Silver Bay. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that despite losing two icebreakers to repairs, nine American and two Canadian icebreakers are positioned to support the challenging spring ahead. Water levels remain favorable across the system, with Lake Superior sitting 0.79 feet above Low Water Datum and Lake Erie notably healthy at 1.96 feet above datum. Superior's 3-foot wave forecast and Michigan's 4-foot seas will test new season crews, but they're manageable for well-operated freighters. The National Weather Service expects a cold front to sweep through Tuesday night into Wednesday, which could bring additional ice complications to the north. At Sturgeon Bay, the *Edgar B. Speer* is undergoing major repowering in BayShip's graving dock, with new MAN 6L48/60CR diesels replacing her vintage engine — a sign that the fleet is investing in efficiency as the season unfolds.