AMERICAN SPIRIT

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Horn blew for an hour

The "American Spirit" suffered problems with its horn in the dock at Superior, Wisconsin, on Feb 5, 2019. The horn on the vessel blew for an hour. The Superior Police Department reported that it was malfunctioning. It could only be stopped at 8.35 p.m.

Grounding in Duluth

The "American Spirit" ran aground in Duluth Harbor, Minnesota, on June 17, 2018, at 3:30 p.m. The US Coast Guard established a 500-yard safety zone being enforced around the vessel. The vessel was blocking the Aerial Lift Bridge and the Duluth Ship Channel. It was departing Duluth Harbor fully loaded with taconite when it ran aground just short of the breakwall while attempting to turn out of the harbour. The freighter sat askew in the harbor, with its stem just behind Great Lakes Aquarium and its bow pointing toward the Canal Park seawall at the Paulucci Building, after it became grounded there at about 3:30 p.m. The ship floated free from the bottom due to a water level rise in the harbor at about 10 p.m. It proceeded under its own power, with tug assistance, to the Husky Fuel dock, where an examination of the hull’s interior and exterior is taking place. The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Duluth was searching for signs of pollution in the area to identify any threats to the environment. The cause of the incident remained under investigation, according to the Coast Guard. Reports with photo and video: http://duluthshippingnews.com/2018/06/17/american-spirit-in-distress/ https://www.inforum.com/news/accidents/4461641-rising-water-helps-free-ship-duluth-harbor https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2018/06/17/freighter-american-spirit-runs-aground-near-aerial-lift-bridge/ https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2018/06/17/duluth-ship-ground-break-wall-narrow-miss/ https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/4461714-grounded-ship-freed-duluth-harbor http://lakesuperior.news/Shipping-News/990-foot-American-Spirit-Aground-Duluth

Ship refloated and cleared to sail

The "American Spirit" was refloated in the early morning of Sep 5, 2014. Before, the Coast Guard Sault Ste. Marie marine inspectors received and approved a salvage plan from the American Steamship Company. The plan included lightering 5,700 tons of taconite from the Bulkcarrier to the freighter "Sam Laud". After being refloated, the freighter anchored in St. Ignace, Michigan, where it was inspected by Coast Guard marine inspectors and American Bureau Shipping surveyors prior to the vessel getting underway again. No pollution or flooding resulted from the grounding or from the refloating operations. Meanwhile the ship has been cleared by Coast Guard marine inspectors to proceed to its next port of call. On Sep 7 it berthed in the 'Indiana Harbor of Chicago. Report with photos: http://abc10up.com/freighter-unstuck-after-running-aground-near-mackinac-island/