“Barbro G” Goes Under Duluth Lift Bridge as First Saltie of 2024

Shipping Season officially underway with one of the port's earliest arrivals ever.

After sitting anchored in Lake Superior all weekend, she finally decided it was time to come in.

The first saltwater vessel of the shipping season slowly made its way toward and through the Duluth shipping canal shortly before noon Monday morning.

But first, the Barbro G had to head farther out in the lake and make a U-turn so it could get a good bead on the canal and a straight shot.

The Barbro G was the first saltie of the season to make full transit of the St. Lawrence Seaway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Duluth Superior Harbor.

Hard-core ship watchers were waiting, as well as visitors who were lucky to be in the right place at the right time.

“It worked out really good,” said Bruce Hegdahl of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

“I came up for the weekend and I was going to go home earlier today, and I thought I’d stick around and watch this one come in. It’s kind of neat to watch the salties come in,” Hegdahl said.

While in the Twin Ports, the ship will load about 22-thousand tons of durum wheat. And the Barbro G brought with it a lot of international flair.

The vessel is operated by a Swedish company, sails under the flag of Portugal, is commanded under the leadership of a Ukrainian captain, and will take its wheat to Algeria.

“Well, I think it’s exciting when you think of a ship coming in from the ocean,” said Alexandria, Minnesota visitor Julie Sterk.

“And it’s the first one of the year; look at all the people it brings out to see what’s going on. And we love to watch ships come in,” Sterk said.

The earliest saltie arrival ever was just last year, on March 28th, 2023.

The latest saltie arrival was a decade ago, on May 7, 2014.