Hon-James-L-Oberstar

The 'Hon James L Oberstar' was removed from the drydock after repairs from the grounding on the St. Marys River on Oct 6. The vessel proceeded to Duluth in order to load a cargo of iron ore pellets at the Canadian National Ore Dock 6.

The 'Honorable James L. Oberstar' has made the trip to Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wisconsin after spending almost a week anchored in the St. Marys River. The freighter began the trip to the Fraser Shipyards on June 15. The U.S. Coast Guard reviewed engineering assessments of the laker with help from the Hay Lake Marine Casualty Unified Command and advisement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Salvage Engineering Response Team to determine that the vessel was structurally sound and fit to make the 28-hour trip. The freighter arrived in Duluth on June 16, followed by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter 'Spar'. The remaining cargo was unloaded at the CN Hallet 5 in Duluth, before the ship entered the yard. Report with photo and video: https://eu.sooeveningnews.com/story/news/local/2025/06/17/hon-james-l-oberstar-freighter-travels-to-wisconsin-shipyard-after-st-marys-river-incident/84242862007/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NxX5hn8swM

After defueling, lightering off cargo and undergoing a thorough inspection, the 'Hon. James L. Oberstar' started transiting to a drydock facility in Superior for repairs of the grounding damage on June 15 with an ETA as of June 16. After the ship had anchored on the Hay Lake to conduct a damage assessment, responders deployed a containment boom around the vessel as a precautionary measure. Under the control of the unified command, the operator and salvors began to take measures to reduce the risk of pollution and to maximize the vessel's stability. The laker 'Kaye E. Barker' went alongside on the morning of June 12, and the crew of the 'Hon. James L. Oberstar' used their self-unloading boom to transfer the cargo of 29,000 tonnes of limestoneonto the other laker. Responders also ran hoses to a damaged bunker tank and pumped off thousands of gallons of oily-water mixture. Report with photos: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/grounded-laker-transits-to-shipyard-for-repairs

On the afternoon of June 11, the bulk carrier 'Kaye E. Barker' (IMO: 5097450,) went alongside her fleetmate 'Hon. James L. Oberstar' to take on her cargo of limestone. Until the evening the offloading had not started. The crew of the 'Hon. James L. Oberstar' used their self-unloading boom to transfer the cargo of 29,000 tonnes of limestone onto the 'Kaye E, Barker'. A crane barge was also on scene to assist. The ship had suffered unspecified bottom damage after grounding near Johnson Point in the East Neebish Channel. It has a total maximum capacity 108,000 gallons of fuel and other products. There were no reports of pollution in the water or surrounding area of the Hay Lake Anchorage. The Coastguard cutter 'Spar' and other smaller USCG vessels, as well the tug 'Wm. Boyd' and a barge, wee also on scene as part of a Unified Command Coast Guard operation. Anti-pollution equipment has been deployed around the vessel’s stern. The operator Interlake Steamship was working with the Coast Guard, a third-party spill response company, and commercial salvors to resolve the situation. No injuries or pollution have been reported, and the vessel was a stable condition. It has an estimated 108,000 gallons of fuel and oil products on board, and the Coast Guard was conducting periodic overflights to monitor for any leaks.