DULUTH, Minn. — Ocean7 Ranger arrived under Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge at 7:32 a.m. Central Time on April 8, becoming the first oceangoing vessel to complete a full transit of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System and reach the Port of Duluth-Superior during the 2026 navigation season.
“It’s always an exciting day and a sure sign of spring when we welcome the season’s first oceangoing vessel to the Port of Duluth-Superior,” said Kevin Beardsley, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “No seaport brings ships and cargo deeper into North America, so when these salties arrive, it’s the culmination of a special journey, and for our community, it’s a celebration of our unique place in global trade and the North American supply chain.”
Along with earning First Ship honors, the Liberia-flagged heavy-lift vessel also distinguished itself by delivering an especially sizable shipment of project cargo to Duluth’s Clure Public Marine Terminal. The manifest includes 33 pieces, the heaviest weighing approximately 130 short tons. Duluth Cargo Connect will perform ship-to-shore cargo-handling and logistics operations for the vessel, preparing the cargo for overland transport to Alberta, Canada.
The Dutch-built Ocean7 Ranger loaded and sailed from both China and Korea, navigating the Pacific Ocean, the Panama Canal and the Atlantic Ocean before entering the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. Her visit to the Great Lakes included a recent stop at Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor, where the vessel delivered a dewatering drum for U.S. Steel Gary Works.
This year’s 43rd annual First Ship Contest winner is Sheri Dauplaise of Cloquet, Minnesota, whose entry of April 8 at 7:15 a.m. was the closest guess to the vessel’s actual arrival time. The contest, co-sponsored by Visit Duluth and the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, invites participants to predict the exact arrival date and time of the season’s first oceangoing vessel, with a prize package of Duluth goods and experiences awaiting the winning entry.
Historical Notes: The latest arrival of the port’s first oceangoing ship was May 7, 2014 (Diana). The earliest was March 28, 2023 (Federal Dart). Last year, the season’s first saltie arrived April 21 at 6:05 a.m. (Federal Nagara).
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The Port of Duluth-Superior is North America’s farthest-inland seaport and the Great Lakes’ all-time tonnage leader. A multimodal cargo gateway for global trade, it connects midcontinent markets via the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, direct Class I rail and free-flowing highways. The port is a catalyst for regional economic development, sustaining more than 7,000 jobs and generating $1.6 billion in annual economic activity. Learn more at DuluthPort.com.