This happened to a Canada Steamship Line ore carrier in Thunder Bay many years ago. Cold weather hadn’t arrived but the chief engineer had misread his bunker measurement.
I sent eight truckloads of hot Number 6 oil from Superior, WI to the boat and she exited before the freeze-in.
And as I recall, December 20 at the latest was the date that ocean going ships should leave Duluth. The St Mary’s river, Lake Erie, and the Seaway could all freeze over fairly quickly. No ship owner wants his or her ship trapped in Duluth for three or four months and not earning any money.
Had to be “hot” fuel oil, eh?