On 15 April the NAVIBULGAR mv Kom arrived at the American port the Twin Ports Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. That is the largest fresh water port in the world. It is situated in the westernmost part of the North America’s Great Lakes and lets in vessels arriving from the Atlantic ocean and follow the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. That is a joint port of two American towns which by way of territory belong to two states - Duluth to Minnesota and Superior - to Wisconsin. The Twin Ports cargo turnover places it at the 19th position among all USA ports.
That piece of news would have hardly been worth mentioning if it were not for the detail that the crew of Kom and the master Mariyan Yotov were given a hearty welcome by the local port and region authorities at a tradiotional ceremony „Welcome, first „saltie”(coming from the Ocean) ship!” at the end of a severe winter for that region. Dave McMillan - president of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation board was the first one to greet the master of the Bulgarian vessel. Captain Yotov received his guests on the bridge with Easter eggs and invited them to take part in the traditional Bulgarian „fight” with the eggs.
The event was shown by all three TV channels in the region and was transmitted in live by two other media - the Duluth Shipping News and the Duluth News Tribune. Captain Yotov told a reporter of NNCNOW.com: „I like Duluth and its inhabitants. They give us a very friendly and open hearted welcome. I do enjoy being here.” The local media also note that half of the passage through the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway mv Kom sailed in a hard ice situation and had to call for icebreaker assistance. The Navibulgar vessel’s arriving at the American port The Twin Ports without any damage to it is yet another evidence of the Bulgarian crew’s professionalism.
The publications stress that the Kom had arrived to the Twin Ports Duluth after a 25 day passage from Spain in a weather far from favourable in  the North Atlantic. It takes into the holds 12 100 tons of high quality wheat at the American port to deliver it to client Italian port. The Duluth Shipping News notes that it is the fifth visit of the Kom here and that the first one was on 26 May 1998 - a year after it was built at the Varna shipbuilding yard. The issue shows an aerial photo of Varna- the town where  Kom had been built and a photo of the Stara planina mount Kom after which the vessel was named.
For its manoeuvre at the Twin Ports Duluth the Bulgarian vessel was assisted by the Great Lakes Towing Company tugs - a company with more than 115 year - history and with which Navigation Maritime Bulgare has been in business partnership since 1987.
The above information and the photos were sent to Navibulgar by Stephanos Skortelis from the agency company Navitrans Shipping Agencies Inc., Canada, who states that the photos of the ceremony and the visit of Kom were made by Paul Scinocca & Diane Hilden (DKH) and they may be used by Navigation Maritime Bulgare for free.