Heerengracht’s November 14 Arrival in Duluth: Specs, Story & Cargo Details

The Heerengracht arrived into Duluth, Minnesota on November 14, 2025, heading through the Duluth Ship Canal and up to Port Terminal to unload a specialized cargo of quartz “super sacks”. Viewers watching the Duluth Canal cam were treated not only to a classic lift-bridge opening, but also to some impressive tugboat teamwork as the vessel was eased alongside the dock.

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Built in 2007 (originally as Beluga Fidelity) at a Chinese shipyard, Heerengracht measures 452 feet in length, 68 feet in width, and 36 feet in depth. She’s powered by a 7,300-horsepower, six-cylinder MAK diesel engine, giving her a top speed of about 15 knots (17 mph) and adding a 700-horsepower bow thruster for extra maneuverability in tight harbors like Duluth.

Heerengracht is built to handle heavy and oversized project cargo:

• Length: 452 ft
• Beam: 68 ft
• Depth: 36 ft
• Engine: 7,300 hp MAK diesel (6-cylinder)
• Top speed: ~15 knots / 17 mph
• Bow thruster: 700 hp
• Cargo holds: 2 large holds below deck
• Max capacity: 9,600 tons
• Deck gear: 2 onboard cranes, each capable of lifting up to 200 tons

Those heavy-lift cranes allow Heerengracht to handle cargoes like wind turbine blades, tower sections, machinery, and palletized bulk minerals without needing large shore cranes. For this call, she arrived loaded with bagged quartz (mineral) cargo stowed in large “super sack” bags, destined for unloading at Port Terminal 8.

From the Netherlands to the Great Lakes

Heerengracht is owned and operated by Spliethoff Group out of Amsterdam, Netherlands, and sails under the Dutch flag. That flag marks the legal jurisdiction the ship operates under, even though her voyages regularly take her far from home to ports throughout Europe, the Atlantic, and the Great Lakes.

This was not her first visit to the Twin Ports. Earlier in the year, Heerengracht loaded grain in Duluth for an overseas voyage. On this November trip, she returned in reverse fashion—discharging a mineral cargo into Duluth after waiting at anchor offshore for her berth to open.

Arrival Chatter: Bridge, Tugs, and Docking Dance

Scanner audio during the approach captured the familiar back-and-forth between:

• Heerengracht’s bridge
• The Aerial Lift Bridge operator
• Harbor tugs handling the docking assist

After lifting anchor, the captain checked in with the Aerial Lift Bridge, confirming his approach and ETA: about 20 minutes inbound to the Duluth piers. As the ship neared the canal, the bridge lifted in time for Heerengracht to glide through, with the operator also coordinating a lift for Seabay (another vessel in the harbor).

Inside the harbor, two tugs worked the vessel into position at Port Terminal:

• One tug took a stern line to help control the swing and speed
• The other stood by to give gentle push or pull along the hull for final alignment

The radio chatter included talk of easy pressure, slack lines, and fine-tuning the ship’s position until she lined up cleanly with the dock. Once the first mooring lines were safely secured, tugs shifted into subtle corrections, then cast off as the ship was snugged into her berth.

Cargo: Quartz “Super Sacks” From Overseas

On this trip, Heerengracht arrived with bulk minerals packaged in large, heavy-duty bags, often referred to as “super sacks” or big bags. These oversized bags are ideal for handling dense materials like quartz:

• More controlled loading and unloading
• Less dust and spillage than loose bulk
• Flexible routing by truck, rail, or warehousing after discharge

Once alongside at Port Terminal, the ship’s own cranes and dockside gear can work together to move each bag from hold to shore, where the quartz continues its journey inland for use in industrial, manufacturing, or specialty applications.

Why This Arrival Stood Out

For ship watchers, Heerengracht’s November 14, 2025 arrival in Duluth checked all the boxes:

• A modern Dutch heavy-lift cargo ship gliding under the Aerial Lift Bridge
• Active harbor tug choreography as she turned and backed toward Port Terminal
• A bright, calm morning that made for excellent canal cam views
• A cargo type you don’t see every day: quartz super sacks from overseas

As one viewer put it, it was “nice views!!!” and “tugboat action” worth tuning in for.

Watch More Duluth Ship Arrivals

If you enjoy watching ships like Heerengracht arrive in Duluth, keep an eye on:

• Live Duluth Ship Canal cams for real-time traffic
• Port schedules and AIS trackers for ETA updates
• Our ship arrival posts, where we break down each vessel’s history, specs, and cargo

Next time you see a long, red or blue hull easing under the bridge, you’ll know there’s a full story behind it—name, build year, engine power, cargo capacity, and the hard-working crew bringing global trade straight into the heart of the Great Lakes.