THUNDER BAY -- The first salty has arrived.
The M.V. Federal Elbe, captained by Zenon Masko, traveled for 22 days from Montreal to Thunder Bay. Normally this trip takes roughly four days, but the large amounts of ice delayed the ship much longer than expected.
The M.V. Federal Elbe's arrival at the Port of Thunder Bay Wednesday makes it the first saltwater vessel to reach the local docks.
Masko, a native of Poland, has experience traversing through the Baltic Ocean, which he felt is one of the reasons why he was able to guide the ship to Thunder Bay safely.
This isn’t the first time Masko has been to Thunder Bay, and according to him, the ice hasn’t been this bad in 20 years.
Thunder Bay Port Authority gave a top hat to Masko, as a celebration for being the first saltwater vessel to make it into Thunder Bay this year.
A top hat is given out annually to the captain of the first ship to make it into Thunder Bay. On April 23, the Port Authority presented the MV Algoma Enterprise with a top hat when it became the first freshwater vessel to arrive in Thunder Bay.
“It’s always a sign of optimism,” said Tim Heaney, Chief Executive Officer of Thunder Bay Port Authority.
“It’s always the end of a long difficult spring and the beginning of summer for us."
