By 04:00 Thursday morning the name VanEnkevort was doing double duty across two stretches of Great Lakes water.
Joyce L. VanEnkevort was upbound through the St. Clair corridor, last reported at 03:38 near the Crib Light with an ETA of 06:52 at Port Huron. Running behind her on the same corridor were Lee A. Tregurtha, last reported at 04:17 at the Detroit River Light with an 11:22 Port Huron ETA, and Defiance, reported at 03:52 at the same location with an 11:34 ETA. Joyce would clear Port Huron well before either of them.
Meanwhile, Dirk S. VanEnkevort was upbound from 9 Mile Point toward the Soo Locks, last reported at 04:08 with a 05:07 ETA at the locks. Same surname, same upbound direction, different lakes, different clocks.
Cargo and destination for either vessel are not confirmed in this morning's data. What AIS confirms is geometry: two boats sharing a name working opposite ends of the system before sunrise Thursday.
Meredith Ashton was upbound from De Tour toward the Soo Locks, last reported at 01:21 Thursday with an ETA of 07:17. Kaye E. Barker was on the same approach behind her, last reported at 04:10 with an ETA of 07:36. Ashton arrives nineteen minutes ahead on current figures; how much that gap compresses in the chamber queue is the thing to watch this morning.
H. Lee White was downbound from the Keweenaw toward the Soo Locks, last reported at 23:58 Wednesday with a 12:15 Thursday ETA, putting her at the Sault around midday.
Polsteam Ros, a salty running upbound through the Detroit corridor, was last reported at 04:34 near the Dossin Museum position with a 09:36 ETA at Port Huron, threading the queue between the American lakers.
Thursday's Toledo port report lists Lee A. Tregurtha arriving with ore for Torco and Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder arriving to load coal at CSX. Samuel deChamplain/Innovation arrived with cement for Amrize and later departed for Detroit.
Lake Ontario leads the system at 3.02 feet above Low Water Datum at Rochester. Lake Erie stands at 2.81 feet at Cleveland. Lakes Michigan and Huron sit close together at 1.85 and 1.86 feet respectively. Lake Superior holds the lowest reading at 1.50 feet above datum at Sault Ste. Marie, keeping draft margins tightest for vessels loading at the head of the lakes.
Lake Superior carries a 1-foot wave forecast Thursday, as does Lake Michigan under an eastward-moving 30.4-inch high. Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario are running 2-foot seas. A secondary cold front is forecast to pass southward through the Huron region Thursday night into early Friday. A low tracking near Lake Erie is expected Saturday, worth watching for anyone planning a weekend run on the lower lakes.
A life ring from the railroad car ferry S.S. Milwaukee turned up at a rummage sale in Manistee. The Milwaukee went down in 1929 in Lake Michigan with no survivors, carrying railroad cars between Milwaukee and Grand Haven. The life ring's recovery is described as rare. Hardware from lost vessels surfaces occasionally; a piece this traceable to a specific wreck and a specific sailing season is a different order of find.