The Ocean7 Ranger arrived at Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor on April 4, marking the official start of the 2026 international shipping season. The vessel completed a 52-day voyage to deliver cargo for U.S. Steel’s Gary Works.

To commemorate the occasion, Burns Harbor Port Director Ryan McCoy presented the Ports of Indiana “Steel Stein” to Captain Ilia Kalachov on board the Ranger. The presentation celebrates the first ocean vessel’s arrival and Northwest Indiana’s role as “The Steel Capital of North America.” 

“Our port operates year-round, handling barge, rail, and truck shipments, but the arrival of the year’s first  ocean vessel is a signature moment,” McCoy said. “It represents Burns Harbor’s connection  to the world and new global trade opportunities for local companies. This was also one of the shortest winter closures of the Seaway on record, which underscores the capability and opportunity to expand our shipping season. Adding new icebreakers and practical technologies to extend the shipping window for vessels like the Ocean7 Ranger will allow our Great Lakes economy to better compete in global markets.” 

Ocean7 Ranger is a general cargo carrier owned and operated by German ship management company HAMMONIA Reederei. The ship arrived at Indiana’s Lake Michigan port 52 days after departing from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, passing through the Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal, Atlantic Ocean, and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway.

The Ranger delivered a 63-ton dewatering drum that is being transferred from ship to dock, and then to barge for transport across the lake to U.S. Steel. Stevedore Logistec executes the port’s heavy lift transfers with support by local workers from the International Longshoremen’s Association and International Union of Operating Engineers.

The Ranger, a general cargo vessel built in 2005 by Volharding Shipyards in the Netherlands, is 441 feet long and 72 feet wide and has a dead weight tonnage capacity of 10,508 metric tons. 

Port Milwaukee Welcomes Federal Nagara

Port Milwaukee welcomed the Marshall Islands-flagged Federal Nagara as the first vessel of the 2026 international season on April 3.

The Federal Nagara arrived at the Logistec terminal to unload specialty steel products following its transit through the St. Lawrence Seaway from Spain and Belgium, where it was loaded. The St. Lawrence Seaway locks opened for the season on March 22.

Port Milwaukee staff went aboard the Federal Nagara to present Captain Laiquer Rahman with a plaque in honor and celebration of being the first vessel of the 2026 international season.

“The arrival of the Federal Nagara signals another exciting year of global trade flowing through our port,” Port Director Benji Timm said. “Each shipment handled through Milwaukee strengthens our role in the supply chain and supports regional industries, reinforcing our connection to markets around the world.”

Feature photo: Ocean7 Ranger arrives at Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor on April 4.