Lee A. Tregurtha Breaks Free of Spring Ice in Superior

The *Lee A. Tregurtha* learned quickly this week that spring navigation on Lake Superior is no gentle affair. After departing Duluth on Friday following engine work at Fraser Shipyards, the laker found herself beset in thick ice just offshore. The USCGC *Spar* (WLB-206), arriving from Superior, cut a path through the ice to free the vessel and escort her to open water. Following a brief sea trial, the *Tregurtha* returned to port—but not to her original plan. Instead of heading to Marquette as initially ordered, she diverted to CN in Duluth to load ore, a last-minute adjustment that speaks to the fluid nature of early-season scheduling. The week has been marked by steady icebreaking efforts from both U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard units. Up at Sault Ste. Marie, mild temperatures and diligent cutting have kept traffic flowing through the Soo Locks at a steady pace, with vessels moving both above and below the locks. The Neebish Island ferry is operating on a limited schedule, with the potential for total shutdown if ice conditions in the Rock Cut deteriorate. Meanwhile, the USCGC *Mackinaw* has steamed to Midland, Ontario—an unusual destination—to break ice for the CSL self-unloader *Thunder Bay*, which has been wintering there and is eager to resume operations. Lake Superior is running 0.76 feet above Low Water Datum at the Sault, while a gale warning remains in effect through this afternoon, with waves building to 8 feet. Elsewhere on the system, Lake Erie and Ontario show robust levels—2.31 and 2.38 feet above datum respectively—offering good draft conditions for downbound traffic. Closer to home, the rare visit of the *James R. Barker* to Conneaut, Ohio, on Friday underscores the variable nature of spring schedules as well. After anchoring Thursday due to weather, she docked early Friday morning to unload her iron ore cargo—a destination and timing that deviated from typical Great Lakes patterns.