GLIN==> Port of Duluth-Superior - First Ship Ceremony Hosted today

APRIL 13, 2009


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Port of Duluth-Superior Welcomes Season's First Saltie in Dockside
Ceremony 

 

Duluth, Minn., USA - Earlier today, Adolph Ojard, Executive Director of
the Duluth Seaway Port Authority officially welcomed Captain Luis Jardin
(pronounced "shar-dan") of the Dutch-flagged vessel, the MV Medemborg,
as the Port of Duluth-Superior's First Ship of the 2009 Seaway
navigation season. The welcoming ceremony took place at 11 a.m. today
near the pier at General Mills Elevator A in Duluth. Others on hand to
welcome the captain included: Superior's Mayor Dave Ross and Port
Director Jason Serck; Rev. Tom Anderson from the Twin Ports Ministry to
Seafarers; and Gene Shaw, Director of Public Relations for Visit Duluth.


The Medemborg actually arrived in Duluth beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge
on Sunday, April 12 at 10:27 a.m. She is loading 8,100 metric tons of
beet pulp pellets here for final delivery in Morocco where they will be
used as livestock feed. In his remarks, Shaw announced the winner of
this year's First Ship Contest, co-sponsored by Visit Duluth and the
Port Authority. Zach Zutler of Minneapolis was just 15 minutes off with
his winning guess of 10:15:32 a.m. for the arrival of this year's first
"saltie" (i.e. oceangoing vessel). Over 2,000 entries were received. 

The shipping season's second saltie also arrived on Sunday - little more
than an hour later at 11:32 a.m. The Federal Welland proceeded to
Superior's CHS grain terminal where she will be loading 23,100 metric
tons of durum wheat before setting sail for Algeria. 

 2009 marks the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the St. Lawrence
Seaway. The Port of Duluth-Superior truly became a world port when the
deep-draft St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959. This maritime highway -
the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System - linked our inland port to
the Atlantic Ocean 2,342 miles away, creating a vital international
trade route and a cornerstone of this region's economy and culture. 

While the Soo Locks opened this year on March 25, the Welland Canal and
Montreal Lake Ontario sections of the St. Lawrence Seaway opened to
vessel traffic on March 31.The Port's earliest arrival of an oceangoing
vessel was April 1, 1995, an Indian vessel LT Argosy.

 
## 

Contact: Adele Yorde, Port Authority Public Relations Manager,
218-727-8525. 

 

Adele Yorde

Public Relations Manager

Duluth Seaway Port Authority

1200 Port Terminal Drive

Duluth, MN  55802-2609 U.S.A.

218-727-8525

218-390-6973 (cell)

 

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