It is an early cloudless morning, just after sunrise on April 11, 2018 with hundreds of spectators lining the Duluth Ship Canal awaiting the entry of both the M/V American Integrity and M/V Roger Blough. Stealing the show for a short time at least is a flock of green-wing teal just outside the North Pier Light, the teal pass in front of the bow of the enormous Integrity and just above the surface of Lake Superior. They are on their annual migration flight north and will land just off the Lakewalk for a short rest before they feel the urge to leave for their Canadian breeding grounds. The Integrity and the Blough are on another migration of sorts, coming out of winter layup at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI to begin a new shipping season.

The American Integrity, 1000-feet long and owned by American Steamship Co., will be loading around 75,000 tons of low sulfur western coal at Superior Midwest Energy Terminal in Superior, WI for Detroit, MI. Two of the Integrity’s deck crew ready mooring lines in the starboard bow in preparation for loading at SMET. Trailing behind the Integrity is the 858-foot Roger Blough of the CN Great Lakes Fleet which will be loading near 40,000 tons of iron ore pellets at the CN Oredocks in west Duluth for Gary, IN. Both freighters will be gone in about 10-12 hrs., the restless green wings will be gone much sooner than that.

(24.5 in. x 18.5 in.) $2200.00