Stewart J. Cort - A Rare Sight You'll Never See Again! (See Description)

If you are interested in supporting this channel to keep new videos coming, I gratefully accept tips and donations. They are used solely towards my travel expenses and equipment purchases. Click the following link if interested in helping out: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/1long... Note: No AI-generated content is used for these videos. Everything you see and hear has been recorded on location specifically for this channel. No shortcuts were taken! ____________________ This is a very rare sight that you likely will never see again! Here is the Stewart J. Cort on the evening of July 13, 2026, backing under the John A. Blatnik bridge and making her way to the former Midwest Energy Terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. We previously saw the Cort make her normal arrival into Superior earlier in the day, scheduled to load taconite pellets at the Burlington Northern dock for delivery to Burns Harbor, Indiana. But at some point (before loading began), a problem was identified that would significantly alter the course of her season. Most likely an issue was found with one of her propeller shafts (and/or possibly the seals on the shaft). Given that the Midwest Energy Teminal was no longer in active use, the decision was made to back the Cort up to that dock so repairs could be carried out by personnel from Fraser Shipyards. (Fraser Shipyards doesn't have a graving dock... or dry dock... large enough to accommodate a 1000-foot ship.) In discussions with other boat enthusiasts, we determined that this may only be the second time that the Cort has visited the inner harbor, passing under the John A. Blatnik bridge. That may be an event we'll never see again... as the Blatnik bridge is scheduled for demolition in early 2027. So even if the Cort were somehow to visit the inner harbor again... itself a rare occurrence... it likely won't happen while the Blatnik bridge is standing. The tugboats Missouri and Helen H. were on hand to assist the Cort with making her way to the Midwest Energy Terminal. Fortunately, it appears they were not needed in any significant capacity, as the Cort appeared to handle the job mostly by herself. Note: Since this video was recorded, the Missouri has been towed to Cleveland for scheduled inspections and repairs. We may not see her again for the rest of the shipping season... and therefore this may be the last video we see of her passing under the Blatnik bridge (on my channel, at least). Regarding the Cort's problems, she stayed at the Midwest Energy Terminal for a few weeks while repairs were attempted. But it was eventually decided to bring her to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin where there is a graving dock large enough to accommodate her. She arrived in Sturgeon Bay on August 6 and spent approximately a month in the graving dock, before being removed. It is unknown whether the repairs were fully completed and they are preparing to sail again. Let's hope she is in action again soon! Launched in 1972, the Stewart J. Cort is 1000-feet in length and 105-feet in width... the first of the 1000-foot "super lakers" built to take advantage of the expansion at the Soo Locks to accommodate larger-sized vessels. The Cort is powered by four General Motors EMD Diesel engines giving her a total of 14,000 horsepower. She is the only 1000-footer to be built with a forward-mounted pilot house. This pilot house also contains the crew quarters and galley, with no living accommodations in the stern. Her cargo capacity is 58,000 tons, which are accessed by hydraulically-driven deck hatches that are smaller in size than traditional deck hatches that are lifted off with a deck crane. Her self-unloading system discharges cargo at her stern, using a shuttle boom located under the side hatches near her smokestack. This unloading system is faster than the conventional self-unloader, but limits what ports she can unload at... as she requires a dock-side hopper to collect the ore and move it to the stockpile. Since the Cort usually only unloads at Bethlehem Steel in Burns Harbor, Indiana, she doesn't need the capability to unload at other ports. The 88-foot tugboat Missouri was launched in 1927 as the Rogers City. After several changes of owners and names, she was purchased by the Great Lakes Towing Company in 1990 and renamed the Missouri, joining their fleet of tugs named after states. She had previously been converted from steam to diesel in 1981 and is currently powered by a 1 Alco 12-251F diesel engine producing 2,250 bhp. While she can sometimes be seen assisting ships with maneuvering and docking, she is more often seen in winter months with icebreaking operations. The 82-foot tug Helen H was built in 1967 and was previously named the W. Douglas Masterson. She was re-powered in 1987 and has a 1,700 horsepower diesel engine driving a single propeller. She was acquired by Heritage Marine in 2011, where she acquired her current name and works alongside the tug Nels J (which is stationed in Two Harbors).