NOT THE NORTH RIVER: A visit to another inland waterway this weekend found the Liberian flagged bulk ship Ocean Lorry departing New Orleans after loading a cargo at the Cargill terminal, I think probably some kind of grain. Lorry passed under the Crescent City Connection bridge and rounded Algiers Point heading for the Gulf of Mexico and then on to Singapore, her next port of call.

At 738 feet in length, Ocean Lorry is considerably bigger than the bulk ships we see on the North River, and also lacks the cranes we see on ships that use our local marine highway, instead relying exclusively on shore side equipment for unloading.

As for the cargo, it has been about 8 years since grain exports last moved through the historic elevator in the Port of Albany and down the North River to overseas markets, with Cargill having concentrated exports via the Gulf and Pacific ports. But the Albany terminal has since been converted to receive imports, and bulk ships from Europe will sometimes bring grain to the mill now located there.