Port of Buffalo, New York

The Great Lakes Towing Company has two or more harbor tugs stationed in Buffalo.

 

4-hours minimum notice for service in Buffalo is required when placing an order for one tug.  6-hours minimum notice for service in Buffalo is required when placing an order for two tugs.

 

Buffalo Harbor is at the east end of Lake Erie, where the lake converges to an open and comparatively shallow bay about 8 miles across north and south and is subject to great storms from the southwest.  The lake discharges into the Niagara River at the northeast corner of this bay.  The city of Buffalo, New York, is along the eastern lakeshore and the east bank of the head of the Niagara River.

 

Waterborne commerce at the port is in iron ore, limestone, iron and steel products, petroleum and coal products, grain, sand, tar, cement, salt, other minerals, and general and containerized cargo in the foreign and domestic trades.


Port of Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada

The Great Lakes Towing Company provides towing service in Port Colborne with its tugs from Buffalo.

 

6-hours minimum notice for service in Port Colborne is required for service in Port Colborne, along with approval by Revenue Canada.  Requests for approval must be made by a Canadian Citizen to Revenue Canada.

 

The harbor at Port Colborne, 17 miles west of the United States' city of Buffalo, is on the north shore of Gravelly Bay at the south of Lake Erie entrance to the Welland Canal.  It consists of an outer harbor, which extends from the original shoreline to offshore breakwalls, and an inner harbor, which includes the facilities for 2.5 miles along the Welland Canal.


Port of Erie, Pennsylvania

The Great Lakes Towing Company provides towing service in Erie with its tugs from Ashtabula.

 

12-hours minimum notice for service in Erie is required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Erie Harbor, about 78 miles southwest of Buffalo, is in Presque Isle Bay, enclosed from the lake by Presque Isle.  The bay opens to the east and is about 4.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide.

 

Principal commerce at the port is in limestone, sand, salt, petroleum products, coke, steel products, pig iron, other alloys, gravel, clay, and general cargo in the domestic trade, as well as biodiesel and locomotives in the overseas trade.


Conneaut, Ohio

The Great Lakes Towing Company provides towing service in Conneaut with its tugs from Ashtabula.

 

12-hours minimum notice for service in Conneaut is required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Conneaut Harbor is about 107miles southwest of Buffalo and about 73 miles northeast of Cleveland.  It comprises an outer harbor sheltered by breakwalls and an inner harbor in the lower part of the Conneaut River. 


Port of Ashtabula, Ohio

The Great Lakes Towing Company has two or more harbor tugs stationed in Ashtabula. 

 

6-hours minimum notice for service in Ashtabula required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Ashtabula Harbor is about 119 miles southwest of Buffalo and about 59 miles northeast of Cleveland.  It comprises an outer harbor, the navigable portion of the Ashtabula River for about 2 miles above the mouth, and two large slips opening directly into the lake under the protection of the breakwall. 

 

The major commodities handled at the port are limestone, iron and other ores, coal and other dry bulk commodities, pig iron products, raw rubber, and general cargo in the domestic trade.


Port of Fairport, Ohio

The Great Lakes Towing Company provides towing service in Fairport with its tugs from Ashtabula or Cleveland.

 

12-hours minimum notice for service in Fairport is required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Fairport Harbor is about 29 miles northeast of Cleveland Harbor.  It comprises an outer harbor, and an inner harbor formed by the lower 1 mile of the Grand River. 

 

Fairport Harbor has numerous wharves and docks in Grand River.  The major commodities handled at Fairport are limestone, sand and salt.


Port of Cleveland, Ohio

The Great Lakes Towing Company has three or more harbor tugs stationed in Cleveland, and the outside tug OHIO.

 

3-hours minimum notice for service in Cleveland is required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Cleveland Harbor, about 175 miles southwest of Buffalo and 95 miles east of Toledo, consists of an outer harbor formed by breakwalls and an inner harbor made up of the Cuyahoga River, and the Old River which was the original outflow channel of the Cuyahoga River.  The city of Cleveland, Ohio is one of the major industrial centers and Lake Erie, and is the Corporate Headquarters for The Great Lakes Group.

 

The major commodities handled at the port of Cleveland are iron, steel, and aluminum products; limestone, iron ore, sand, salt, and other minerals; petroleum products and other liquid bulk cargo; and general containerized cargo in the foreign trade.

 

Due to extraordinary congestion on the Cuyahoga River caused by increasing numbers of recreational boats and moored vessels, which may endanger the navigation of commercial vessels, the use of two tugs is recommended by the Towing Company for river transits, upbound and downbound, however, the number of tugs to be utilized is left to the discretion of the Master of the vessel to be assisted.

 

Vessels carrying 1,200 tons or more of gasoline, oil, explosives, or other dangerous material must have the assistance of a tug or tugs while navigating the Cuyahoga River south of Superior Avenue.


Port of Lorain, Ohio

The Great Lakes Towing Company provides towing service in Lorain with its tugs from Cleveland. 

 

12-hours minimum notice for service in Lorain is required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Lorain Harbor is about 25 miles west of Cleveland Harbor.  It comprises the lower 3 miles of the Black River and an outer harbor.

 

Lorain has piers and wharves in the southwest part of the outer harbor and along both sides of the Black River.  The major commodities handled at the port are iron ore, limestone, gypsum, sand and gravel.


Port of Huron, Ohio

The Great Lakes Towing Company provides towing service in Huron with its tugs from Cleveland. 

 

12-hours minimum notice for service in Huron is required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Huron Harbor is about 44 miles west of Cleveland inside the mouth of the Huron River.

 

Huron Harbor has deep-draft facilities on the east side of the Huron River and in the two slips that extend southeast just inside the mouth of the river.  Grain, iron ore, and limestone are the principle commodities handled at the port. 


Port of Sandusky, Ohio

The Great Lakes Towing Company provides towing service in Huron with its tugs from Cleveland or Toledo. 

 

12-hours minimum notice for service in Sandusky is required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Sandusky Harbor is in the southeast part of Sandusky Bay about 50 miles west of Cleveland. 

 

Sandusky has numerous waterfront facilities along the south side of the harbor, but only a few deep-draft facilities.  The harbor is a major shipping point for coal.  Sand, gypsum, and fish are also handled.  The harbor is an excellent natural harbor for small craft.


Port of Toledo, Ohio

The Great Lakes Towing Company has three or more harbor tugs stationed in Toledo.

 

4-hours minimum notice for service in Toledo is required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Toledo Harbor is at the west extremity of Lake Erie.  The harbor includes the lower 7 miles of the Maumee River and a channel about 18 miles long through Maumee Bay from deep water in Lake Erie to the mouth of the river. 

 

The Maumee Bay is a large shallow expanse forming in the southwest corner of Lake Erie.  The bay has prevailing depths of less than 10 feet and is obstructed by several dumping grounds.  A dredged channel leads from deep water in Lake Erie southwest through the bay to the mount of the Maumee River.

 

In addition to the fluctuations that affect Lake Erie somewhat uniformly, sudden abnormal changes due to wind frequently occur at this port.  The observed wind-produced fluctuations, in combination with prevailing high or low water, range between extremes of eight feet above and seven feet below Low Water Datum.  Northeast winds can increase water levels as quickly as two feet in one hour. 

 

Mariners are cautioned that when water levels are above Low Water Datum, bridge clearances are correspondingly reduced. 

 

Due to high current area which exists south of the Norfolk-Southern Maumee Swing Bridge, the use of two tugs in recommended by the Towing Company for river transits in the area.

 

Toledo has numerous facilities along the both sides of the Maumee River.  The principal cargoes handled at the port are coal, iron ore, grain, petroleum products, and general cargo.


Port of Monroe, Michigan

The Great Lakes Towing Company provides towing service in Monroe with its tugs from Toledo or Detroit. 

 

6-hours minimum notice for service in Monroe is required when placing an order for tug service.

 

Monroe Harbor is within the mouth of the River Raisin, which flows into the west end of Lake Erie about 15 miles north, northeast of the mouth of the Maumee River. 

 

Monroe has four deep draft facilities handling coal, petroleum coke, asphalt, logs, miscellaneous dry bulk commodities and conventional general cargo.