Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Guest wrote: September 1, 2026, 9:44 pm I recall that around 1992-1993 there was an upgrade to the facilities at the SMET dock to increase the amount of coal that could be reclaimed at the dock, and increase capacity to 20-25 million tons a year above what was originally built in 1976, though the facility had been planned for eventual enlargement.

Wasn't this around the same time when there was some potential of getting this coal into the Canadian power generation trade? I seem to recall a few ULS self-unloaders being loaded there for delivery to Ontario Hydro during the early 1990s.

Back on Aug 4 it was posted here that the remaining coal at SMET was going to be loaded on Salties - what changed?

As noted by another poster (Geest) - clean up loads tend to have a lot of water. Wonder how well this load is going to burn at the eventual destination.......or if some got a really good price on a literal boatload of waterlogged coal.

I recall that around 1992-1993 there was an upgrade to the facilities at the SMET dock to increase the amount of coal that could be reclaimed at the dock, and increase capacity to 20-25 million tons a year above what was originally built in 1976, though the facility had been planned for eventual enlargement.

Denny wrote: September 1, 2026, 8:41 am The American Spirit also made “A Very rare trip there if I recall in April 2011 as I saw and got pictures of her making the Dock at DTE in St. Clair.” At one point in time, smaller vessels unloaded there also. In the 1990s I saw the Sam Laud there once and I think Kaye E. Barker also unloaded there. In a ship video I have, it shows the Wolverine now Robert S. Pierson unloading there. The smaller ships, I believe they loaded “Eastern and NOT Western Coal for DTE in St. Clair!” Those loads were coming from Toledo I think it may have been back then.

The smaller ships also used the shorter hopper at the DTE dock in St. Clair while the 1,000 footers (and I believe the m/v St. Clair) used the taller hopper to unload. One exception, I believe, was that the Presque Isle used the lower hopper on its trips into the dock, presumably due to having a lower unloading boom angle and/or a shallower hull than those found on other thousand footers. I believe the shorter hopper was the original hopper at the power plant dock prior to the construction of the larger ships during the 1970s that necessitated a taller hopper for unloading. I'm not sure if the shorter hopper could have been used if needed by the larger ships. I'm also uncertain as to whether there were different unloading rates for the two hopper installations.

The American Spirit also made “A Very rare trip there if I recall in April 2011 as I saw and got pictures of her making the Dock at DTE in St. Clair.” At one point in time, smaller vessels unloaded there also. In the 1990s I saw the Sam Laud there once and I think Kaye E. Barker also unloaded there. In a ship video I have, it shows the Wolverine now Robert S. Pierson unloading there. The smaller ships, I believe they loaded “Eastern and NOT Western Coal for DTE in St. Clair!” Those loads were coming from Toledo I think it may have been back then.

Duluth guest wrote: August 30, 2026, 11:35 am American Century’s load this week was reportedly a “cleanup” load, which took a significant but not complete bite out of what’s left on the ground there.

That'll be a fun one to unload for sure, the last piles of cargo and ground scrapings are always waterlogged and cause havoc with the offload systems, not to mention sticking to the holds and requiring lots of chain work and washdown to get off.

Guest wrote: August 30, 2026, 10:17 am Bittersweet. That dock saved alot of jobs for sailors over the years.

If memory serves me correctly, the increase in shipments out of MERC proved especially beneficial during the dark days of the early to late 1980s with the heavy reduction in the demand for iron ore movement. I know that during that time, Interlake began its long term contract to haul coal for DTE, or Detroit Edison as it was better known in those days, and then Columbia Transportation (Oglebay Norton) also began hauling coal for DTE during the late 1980s. The coal shipments out of MERC certainly assisted those fleets to keep their 1,000 footers in operation during those days and up to the time of its phasing out.

While several ships called on the St. Clair. Michigan, DTE dock to unload coal for the St. Clair and Belle River plants during the time I lived in the area between the late 1970s and late 1990s I believe the most surprising one I ever witnessed was the Presque Isle unloading on at least two occasions in the early 1990s.

Midwest Energy Resources Company’s (MERC's) lease to operate the facility expired at the end of June. The terminal is now, presumably, under control of the actual property owner, purported to be some part of the Kinder Morgan corporate group or an affiliate. After MERC ceased operations at the location in June 2026, there was a (relatively) small amount of coal still remaining in the stockpile area. American Century’s load this week was reportedly a “cleanup” load, which took a significant but not complete bite out of what’s left on the ground there. No concrete word yet on whether we might expect a few more “cleanup” load-outs or whether this week’s trip was the final one there. Also no concrete word on whether there are further plans for the facility nor what they might be.

Bittersweet. That dock saved alot of jobs for sailors over the years.

The smet coal dock was supposed to shut down in June and here it is the very end of August and I see the American century loading there today.