IMMEDIATE RELEASE             November 3, 2004

NEW VESSEL TO “SWIM” INTO PORT TONIGHT
Duluth, Minn., U.S.A.—The Antigua-flagged vessel Bluebill, operated by Canfornav, Montreal, and designed for Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway trade, will make her inaugural visit to the Port of Duluth-Superior today (November 3).

The Bluebill, owned by Harren & Partner, Bremen, Germany, is scheduled to arrive under the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge at approximately 11:30 p.m., then proceed to Duluth’s AGP Grain Limited facility for about 21,500 metric tons of soybeans and wheat destined for Northern Europe.

The Bluebill is named for a diving duck of North America that has a bluish-gray bill. She joins two additional “duck” vessels delivered to Canfornav in 2003, the Puffin (named after the Atlantic Puffin, a small, pigeon-sized seabird) and the Pochard (named after a duck from Europe and Asia).

Commanded by Captain Cezary Luczywek, the multi-purpose bulk carrying vessel Bluebill entered the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System on October 23 with 20,000 metric tons of steel for Hamilton, Ontario. The vessel is scheduled to depart Duluth on Friday (November 5). Local agent for the vessel is Guthrie-Hubner, Inc.

Delivered in 2004 from Shanghai Shipyard, China, the 658-foot Bluebill employs the latest technology in sonar, radar and computer controls, and is one of several newbuilds recently ordered by Canfornav. By the end of 2004, Canfornav will have in place a fleet of 13 new ships in addition to the 25 handy size vessels it already had under charter for Great Lakes service—including four bulk vessels delivered from the Wuhu Shipyard in China that are also named for ducks, the Bluewing, Greenwing, Cinnamon, and the Mandarin.

“We’re glad to see these newbuilds breathing new life into the St. Lawrence Seaway system, and using Duluth as a global connection for our regional farmers. Grain exports represent more than 30 percent of the $2 billion worth of cargo transshipped via our Port docks every year,” said Port Director Adolph Ojard.

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CONTACT: Lisa Marciniak, Port Promotion Manager, 218-727-8525

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