The Season opens

Twin Ports 2000 shipping activity began on March 16 with the departure of Interlake Steamship Company’s Paul R. Tregurtha from Superior’s Midwest Energy Resources Co. with 58,000 metric tons of coal bound for Marquette, Mich.

Charlie Boles (right), first mate of the Stewart J. Cort, receives the Port Authority’s First Ship plaque from Michael McCoshen, manager of taconite operations for Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s Stewart J. Cort opened the Port’s Great Lakes commercial navigation season on March 26 — just a day after the opening of the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The Cort proceeded to Superior’s Burlington Northern Santa Fee (BNSF) taconite docks for 49,300 metric tons of iron ore destined for Burns Harbor, Ind.

The Montreal-Lake Ontario section of the Seaway opened on March 27, and the Greek vessel Morias was the Port’s first oceangoing arrival, on April 3.

With her 12:18 p.m. entrance under the Duluth Aerial Bridge, the Morias also qualified a winner in the annual First Ship contest, sponsored by the Duluth Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Port Authority. Ann Pauna of Embarrass, Minn., had guessed that the arrival time would be 11:37 a.m. She won a weekend getaway to Duluth, including lodging, meals and passes to attractions.

The Morias, meanwhile, went right to work, proceeding to Duluth’s Cargill, Inc., grain elevators for 16,000 metric tons of corn destined for Tunisia.

The Greek vessel Morias was the first oceangoing vessel in Port. Her signal flags breezily spell out “Duluth 2000.” Below, Captain George Retjikas (right) receives a First Ship plaque from Port Director Davis Helberg.