Refueling

[Brian Ferguson]

On the Burns Harbor (2002) we'd refuel by truck in Burns Harbor. The tug Undaunted would also refuel by truck usually in a Lake Michigan port. The only ship I worked on to use the fuel dock at Windsor was the Roger Blough.

[Guest]

I drive Fuel Transport and We only can load 7,500 gallons of #2 Diesel Fuel to stay within 80,000 pounds. I have heard in the past
A footer burns 15,000 gallons a day,Doesn't really seen fruitful for a 6 day round trip.But on the other hand delivery chargers
per load are only around 500 bucks,depending on distance.
I also know We haul fuel depending on the market,So the stores shop all day and if the price is going down,they will wait
until after 6 p m. to load the gas,so they don't over pay,but if it's going up in price,they all order at once,and than were
waiting in lines at the terminals,I wonder if the Shipping Company's shop around,or have long term contracts,that determines
where the buy there fuel?

When I sailed in the 70's I know USS would shop around. If it was cheaper in Gary, that's where we would fuel. If it was cheaper at Lime Island, that would be the stop. I know one time after we left Conneaut, we stopped off in the Cleveland harbor and a fuel barge came out there and fueled us.

[Mr Link]

Thanks to Michigan's load limits, tank trucks here can legally haul 13,000 gallons, maybe even 14,000. Tandem trailers are no longer allowed for carrying flammable liquids, but 8 axle single trailers up to 50 foot long are.

Middlerouge, after posting that, I did start to wonder about the status of the tank barge Marysville. Thanks for the update.

[mn brett]

I drive Fuel Transport and We only can load 7,500 gallons of #2 Diesel Fuel to stay within 80,000 pounds. I have heard in the past
A footer burns 15,000 gallons a day,Doesn't really seen fruitful for a 6 day round trip.But on the other hand delivery chargers
per load are only around 500 bucks,depending on distance.
I also know We haul fuel depending on the market,So the stores shop all day and if the price is going down,they will wait
until after 6 p m. to load the gas,so they don't over pay,but if it's going up in price,they all order at once,and than were
waiting in lines at the terminals,I wonder if the Shipping Company's shop around,or have long term contracts,that determines
where the buy there fuel?

[middlerouge]

I might be wrong, but I don't think the barge marysville is in service since the Warner arrived in Detroit.

[Denny]

Halifax also has a tanker for re-fueling vessels sort of a "bunkering tanker." I believe it is the Algoma Dartmouth that does the re-fueling in Halifax.

[Al]

Vessels in Two Harbors and Silver Bay also can be refueled by truck.

[Old Sailor]

Two Harbors used to fuel vessels but usually only USS vessels. Taconite Harbor used to fuel vessels back in the day. I think even Silver Bay did fueling but never when we were there in the 80's on ISS vessels

[wlbblw]

In Buffalo, fuel is delivered by truck wherever they need to.

[tugboathunter]

I believe that LaFarge also refuels their vessels by truck in Alpena when they are loading there.

[Mr Link]

To the best of my knowledge, there is no fuel dock at either side of the border at the Soo. Vessels do fuel there however, via tanker truck.

I think there is still an active bunkering dock at Calcite.

And here is a list of the active bunkering vessels that I can think of above Montreal:

Arca, self propelled tank barge serving Montreal

Tankers Hamilton Energy and Sterling Energy, working out of Hamilton. They often go to Port Weller to fuel ships going through the Seaway.

http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet ... nergy.htm

Barges Marysville, and William L. Warner in Detroit. William L. Warner was self propelled and working the south end of Lake Michigan until a few years ago.

Barge Warner Provider, pushed by the tug Coloma L. Warner (formerly Hannah D. Hannah) working out of Indiana Harbor, and covering the ports at the south end of Lake Michigan.

[Denny]

Nanticoke also has the Esso or Imperial Oil Refinery there as well. Don't know if any ships fuel there or not? Almost forgot about them having a fuel dock there. Tankers will load and unload types of fuel at this dock including Canadians and foreign flagged ships. I think some tugs and barges will load or unload different grades of fuel there as well?

[George]

There are several refueling spots on the St Clair River. Shell Oil and Sun Oil in Sarnia and I also hear that footers that unload at St Clair Power Plant refuel there.

[Denny]

Duluth has the Calumet Fuel Dock formerly Murphy Fuel while in Hamilton they have the Hamilton and Sterling Energy mostly done though by the Hamilton Energy. In Southern Lake Michigan they have fuel barges from either Indiana Harbor or Burns Harbor even Chicago possibly that fuel ships at the various ports there. As you mentioned Detroit also has various terminals and fuel barges also. Regarding how long it takes to fuel, it varies and depends on the size of the vessel. The 1,000 footers generally take about 2 hours along with most of the larger lakers. Some can fuel in about 1 hour or an hour and a half. Most of the 1,000 footers will take on more than 100,000 gallons of fuel on average. Hope this helps.

[Scott]

I'm curious as to how many ports have Laker refueling capability? I've seen refueling locations mentioned in the Soo, Duluth and Detroit river before. Also, what is the normal refueling time?