For over three years now, a young dock boss and Penn State student has kept Port of Erie watchers informed and connected to the comings and goings of our busy port.

Jeff Thoreson’s Erie Shipping News features straight forward facts and schedules of arriving and departing shipping vessels, along with photographs. From his post on the water’s edge, he provides insight and proactively answers questions on the activities at the port.

A good example is his post from last Friday, HARBOUR CLOUD Arrives in Erie:

HARBOUR CLOUD arrived in Erie today at 0725 on one of the Fall’s coldest days thus far. The vessel, which had spent the previous four days anchored off of Port Weller for tank cleaning and awaiting pilotage, turned in Presque Isle Bay and docked at the Mountfort Terminal to load biodiesel. This is the tenth load of biodiesel from Hero BX (formerly known as Lake Erie Biofuels) to be shipped out of the port since 2007; one load went out in 2007, seven went out in 2008, and two have gone out in 2009.

Erie Shipping News succinctly yet completely communicates the information about a narrow yet very important slice of the economic infrastructure of our community. I can’t think of a better mission for a blog.