American Century - Blowing Through the Duluth Canal

Here is the American Century making her arrival in Duluth, Minnesota late on the afternoon of October 6, 2025. She was arriving empty to load low-sulfur coal from the Midwest Energy Terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. She would load 68,000 tons total, with 38,000 tons destined for the power plant in St. Clair, Michigan and the remaining 30,000 tons destined for the power plant in Monroe, Michigan. On her way in through the shipping canal, the American Century exchange a captain's salute with the Aerial Lift Bridge... with both the ship and bridge blowing one long and two short blasts of the horn.

This was easily one of the fastest arrivals I've seen through the Duluth canal. Having seen over 1000 ship arrivals, I was taken aback by just how fast she was barreling through the canal. Every time I reset my shot and obtained focus with my camera, it seemed the Century was already through the field of view. It's always an impressive sight to see a 1000-foot ship moving through the canal... but it's truly wild to see one moving this fast!

The 1000-foot American Century was launched under the name Columbia Star in November 1980, making her the twelfth of thirteen 1000-footers built for Great Lakes trade. She originally sailed for Oglebay Norton. In June 2006, she was sold to American Steamship Company and obtained her current name at that time. She is powered with four V-20 cylinder 3,600 horsepower G.M. diesel engines and has a cargo capacity of 78,850 tons at her maximum mid-summer draft of 34 feet. Cargo is stored in seven holds that are accessed by 34 hatches on deck. Her 260-foot self-unloading boom can discharge up to 10,000 tons per hour.
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