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More product tankers and a return

June 5, 2017, 4:51 pm
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Product tankers of the mid-range size continue to call in Halifax on a random basis - and there seems to be no end to the variety of operating companies. That variety however does not extend much to the ships themselves. Most come from a few shipyards in Korea, with occasional ships from other yards, but still built to much the same pattern.

Sunday's arrival at Imperial Oil berth 3 is among the most typical. Atlantic Crown came from the Hyundai Mipo yard in Ulsan in 2007. Its tonnages are quite typical of MR tankers - 29,266 grt, 47,128 dwt.



The ship is owned by Heroic Artemis Inc (sounds Greek) and managed by ST Shipping + Transport Pte of Singapore, with the ship registered in Hong Kong.

Today's arrival breaks the mold only slightly. The Malta flag Sea Halcyone is owned by Halcyone Maritime Co Ltd and managed by Sea World Management + Trading Ltd of Greece - part of the Laliotis Group. It's tonnage is typical: 28,553 grt, 47,087 dwt, but it was built, not in Korea, but by Onomichi Zosen, Onomichi Japan in 2001.


Its original name was Unique Sunshine for Leo Navigation Corp Ltd and had a variety of far east managers until 2013 when it was acquired and renamed by its current owners. As with most foreign flag tankers calling at Irving's Woodside terminal in recent months it arrived from Amsterdam (via the Ijmuiden sea locks).

Returning to port in the last week or so CCGS Earl Grey has resumed normal spring and early summer duties out of Halifax. It had been working in the northern Gulf of St.Lawrence and Strait of Belle Isle assisting ships in late season ice.


Its most recent trip was a Saturday departure and Sunday return for navaids maintenance and patrol.

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Nord Taipei for bunkers and Veendam

June 8, 2017, 6:19 pm
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The general cargo ship Nord Taipei dropped in for few hours to take bunkers. It was due to sail at 0730 hrs but may have been held up for a short time.
Built in 2011 by Kando Zoshensho in Kawajiri, Japan, measuring 21,483 grt, 33,143 dwt, and judging by its ports of call is likely in the bulk trades. It carries four cranes and grab buckets on deck.



The ship's last port is given as Fairless Hills, PA and it is bound for Baie Comeau, QC in ballast. US Steel's famous Fairless Works, 30 miles upstream from Philadelphia on the Delaware River, is now the home of  the Keystone Industrial Port Complex, where the highly polluted former steel and chemical plant site has been redeveloped for other industries. The huge mill was built to process iron ore from the Orinoco River region of Venezuela and named for Benjamin Franklin Fairless president of US Steel, and once employed 7,000 people.

The ship's departure might have been delayed for a few minutes to allow the arrival of Veendam which came in east and north of George's Island to berth at pier 22, bows south.


Veendam and sister Maasdam have been regular cruise ship callers for many years.

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Two ways to train

June 11, 2017, 4:53 pm
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Two seagoing training ships arrived to today -

Amerigo Vespucci

The Italian naval training vessel Amerigo Vespucci is a full rigged ship, purpose built in 1930, but borrowing from a design of a previous century.

The long tradition of training naval officers in sail is well upheld by Italy.

For berthing at pier 20, the tug Atlantic Willow draped white canvas over its bow to protect the ship's paint scheme from unsightly black smudges. The ship will be open to the public Monday and Tuesday and will sail Wednesday morning.


State of Maine
The Maine Maritime Academy based in Castine*, Maine has a very different purpose in mind when it trains merchant marine officers on its ship State of Maine.



The ship is used to replicate conditions that officers will experience on US flag merchant ships. Sail is not in the cards.
  
 A number of the ship's complement are stationed on monkey island to observe proceedings as the ship is nudged into pier 23.

Built in 1990 by Bethlehem Steel, Sparrows Point, as USNS Tanner (T-AGS-40) it was a fast oceanographic vessel for the US Navy. However in 1993 a catastrophic fire destroyed its main engines. The ship was removed from service and eventually handed over the the US Maritime Administration (MARAD). It was rebuilt with a less powerful MaK main engine of 8,046 bhp giving a speed of 16 knots. (The orginal engines delivered 17,000 hp for 20 knots). Accommodation was also increased from 108 to 302 and reconfigured.

 
On a previous visit to Halifax in 1997 the ship still had a navy grey superstructure.

This is the fourth ship of the name for the Maine Maritime Academy.
The previous one, State of Maine (iii) also made a call in Halifax back in 1988. It was the former USNS Upshur (T-AP-18) . Completed in 1951 as the cargo/passenger President Hayes by New York Shipbuilding Co in Camden, NJ, for American President Lines, it was requisitioned by the USN during the Korean War for use as a troop ship. It served until 1973 when it was assigned to the Maine Maritime Academy.

 State of Maine (iii) shows off its fine lines at pier 30.

In 1995 it was transferred to the US Coast Guard and positioned in Mobile, AB to test firefighting technology. It was damaged by hurricanes Katrina in 2005 and Ike in 2008 but remains in Mobile.

 * Castine, Maine and Halifax share an interesting history. Castine, at the mouth of the Penobscot River was much fought over by English, French, Dutch and Americans from its founding in 1613 as a French outpost. However during the war of 1812-14, it was seized by the British and held for the next three years. When it was surrendered to the Americans in 1815 under the Treaty of Ghent, the British kept the 10,750  pounds sterling they had collected as customs duties and used the money to found Dalhousie University in Halifax.


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Big and small - we serve them all

June 11, 2017, 5:41 pm
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Two ships at opposite ends of the size spectrum called in Halifax today (Sunday).

CMA CGM Elbe
Another of CMA CGMs 9,000+ TEU container ships arrived on the Columbus JAX weekly service from the far east. CMA CGM Elbe dates from 2014 when it was delivered by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co, all with a capacity of 9,365 TEU (including 1458 reefers).

CMA CGM Elbe arrives off Halterm in the early morning sun. Imagine a ship with 30% more capacity - they may not be coming to Halifax any time soon. 


This is the fifth of the six sisters to cal in Halifax (APL Danube, CMA CGM Loire, CMA CGM Rhone and CMA CGM Tage have already called. CMA CGM Thames has yet to put in an appearance).

As much larger ships are delivered and take over the Asia, Far East /Europe routes, ships of this size and bigger are being displaced to North American routes. Some 13,500 TEU ships are accessing US east coast ports via the Panama canal. Halifax may be left out in the cold for these larger ships unless its infrastructure is improved - and soon.


Sichem Challenge
There will always be smaller ships on the high seas, designed for specific cargoes. Such ships as chemical tankers, which carry relatively small (and highly concentrated) batches of cargo are usually smaller than the product tankers that deliver refined fuel.

Another shipwatcher gets a closer shot of Sichem Challenge refueling from Algoma Dartmouth. 
The ship arrived from Port Alfred (La Baie), QC.


Sichem Challenge measures a modest 7,179 grt, 12,1818 dwt. It was built by Watanbe Zosen in Hakata Japan in 129978 and has carried a variety of names, thanks largely to the mergers of various tanker companies. It was built as Queen of Montreux, and became 97: North Challenge, 06: Songa Challenge and 07: Sichem Challenge. Current owners are Team Tankers Regional Ltd, operators of more than 40 ships part of the Eitzen Chemical empire.

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What's in a name

June 12, 2017, 2:07 pm
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I am always interested in a ship's name - particularly if it is out of the ordinary. Certainly this afternoon's arrival for Autoport would fit into that category.

 Morning Ninni inbound has passed Meagher's Beach and approaches waiting tugs Atlantic Willow and Spitfire III. Heat haze forms a backdrop in near 30 degree C temperatures.

Morning Ninni is an otherwise typical autocarrier of 51,917 grt, 17,372 dwt., with a capacity of 5,340 cars. Built in 2008 by Tsuneishi in Tadotsu, Japan, it is operated by Eukor (EUrope KOrea). Eukor, based in Hamburg, was set up to carry Hyundai and Kia cars but as with most autocarriers, it works world wide carrying autos for all manufacturers.

 With tugs in place, the ship prepares to make its run into Autoport in Eastern Passage.

There is no great secret to the name "Ninni" - it is a woman's given name [pronounced Nee-Nee]. It is not to be confused with Ninny (a female donkey, but used unflatteringly to describe someone whose mental faculties may be scrambled.)

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Big Ship Day

June 13, 2017, 7:19 am
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Two big ships are in port today.
The first arrival was the always impressive Queen Mary 2. I may get a photo when it sails later in the day.




The other big arrival is a relatively rare loaded crude oil tanker. Evridiki built in 2007 by Hyundai Samho is 84,796 grt, 167,294 dwt ship operating under the Liberian flag by the Greek company Liquimar Tankers Management Services Inc of Athens. The ship is assigned to the Blue Fin pool of Suezmax tankers, which provides commercial management of more than 100 tankers of all sizes  under parent company Heidmar. 





Evridiki monopolizes number one anchorage while the Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducts its inspection.


Its port call will be brief, since it is here for an Asian gypsy moth inspection, and will be sailing as soon as it receives clearance. As with all large loaded crude tankers it was assigned two pilots on arrival and will also take to pilots on departure.


Inland ports, such as Quebec are particularly sensitive to gypsy moth exposure, since the pest can invade the valuable coniferous forests if not caught in the egg stage. The species originates in China, Japan, North and South Korea and the Russian Far East.


The ship loaded in Novorssysk, Russia with crude oil from the Tengiz field in the Caspian Sea and is bound for Quebec City.


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Saudi Chemicals

June 16, 2017, 6:01 pm
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Saudi Arabia is not just an oil producer. One of the world's largest chemical companies, Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) is also based there, but has facilites around the world. It is a  leading producer of ethylene glycol, but produces scores of other petroleum based commodities.

SABIC, in partnership with Bahri (the National Shipping Comapany of Saudi Arabia) operate National Chemical Carriers (to be renamed Bahri Chemicals) , owners of the ship that arrived in Halifax yesterday. The ship had been at anchor offshore for a time before tying up at Imperial Oil dock number 4.

Although not particularly clear in this photo, the ship has about 27 manifold connection symbols on the hull, indicating that it is set up to carry many different cargoes at the same time.

NCC Sama flies the Saudi flag, and is a 2012 product of the now defunct ShinaA Shipbuilding Co of Tongyeong, South Korea. (The yard specialised in product and chemical carriers, which are now in abundant supply). The ship is of  MR (mid-range) size, 29,168 grt, 45,471 dwt.
Another chemical/product tanker of the same fleet, NCC Rabigh called on Halifax in May 2014. Otherwise Saudi flag tankers are rare callers in Halifax.

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A sub and more cars

June 18, 2017, 3:37 pm
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The absence of a submarine in Halifax harbour for many months was broken for a short spell yesterday and today as HNLMS Zeeleeuw [Sea Lion] put in for a brief visit. One of four Walrus class subs of the Dutch navy it has been in commission since 1990.

An RCN sailor stands by to pipe a salute as the pup tug Granville turns the sub off the pier. 
The civilian tug Atlantic Willow did the work of "lifting" the sub away from the jetty.
 
HNLMS Zeeleeuw underway for sea.

The Dutch diesel electric subs have been instrumental in numerous intelligence gathering operations and have been deployed in anti-piracy operations.


Our own local submarine HMCS Windsor (all the others are on the west coast) has been invisible for many months. However it was announced last week that the RCN will keep the subs for another decade or more, which will mean many billions in refits to extend their life expectancy from 2020 to the 2030s. New subs will then not be needed until the frigate program is complete.

A much more common sight in Halifax is car boats - love' em or hate' em they are a fact of life, and their daily (or more frequent) arrivals and departures create lots of work for pilots, tug crews and longshoremen. 

 Talia has rounded Indian Point headed for Ives Knoll- at the north end of Macnab's Island. 
Note the ship's sloping forepeak, which improves visibility forward, but also improves areodynamics.

Talia arrived this morning and sailed late afternoon. A  57,692 grt, 21.021 dwt ship, built in 2006 by Gdynia Shipyard in Poland, the ship is owned by Ray Car Carriers and is on long term charter to Wilhelmsen Lines. Although auto carriers look alike, there are subtle differences in appearance and size.

From nearly broadside, the ship's immense size becomes apparent - it has a capacity in excess of 6,500 cars. The tug Spitfire III follows the ship outbound for its next assignment (see below)

As Talia left, the next Autoport customer was arriving. Viking Queen is a new name for ship that has been in service for nearly ten years. Built as Hoegh Delhi by Uljanik Shipyard in Pula, Croatia, the 55, 775 grt, 16,890- dwt ship was renamed earlier this year, reflecting an ownership change that took place in 2014. Current owners are listed as Gram Car Carriers Holdings, but the original owners were Viking Car Carriers, so this might have been an internal transfer rather than an actual sale. Nevertheless it is unusual for car carriers to change names.

Viking Queen has a slightly more conventional appearance, and somewhat smaller tonnage, but can still carry 7,000 cars.Tug Spitfire III has made up aft and Atlantic Oak moves in forward, to assist the ship to Autoport.

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Argentia Desgagnès - another new Canadian

June 19, 2017, 1:14 pm
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Transport Desgagnés Inc of Quebec has been on a major buying spree this year, acquiring cargo ships and taking delivery of a new tanker *- the first of several new builds.

Today the latest cargo acquisition arrived in Halifax for reflagging. Argentia Desgagnés, built in 2007 by Ustaoglu Yat KO of Eregli, Turkey is the former Turkish flag Ofmar. A general cargo / bulker of 6369 grt, 8950 dwt, it is fitted with two cranes and clamshell grabs and will replace the veteran Amélia Desgagnés.


The new ship was reflagged as of today and its port of registry is now St.John's, NL.  It was registered in Barbados for the delivery trip from Tuzla, Turkey, where it received a new paint job, including the distinctive Desgagnés yellow stripe.



The new port of registry is unusual for Desgagnés, but since the ship will be running mostly in eastern Canada (as its new name suggests) it does make sense.

Its predecessor, Amélia Desgagnées was familiar sight in the Atlantic Canada for many years. Built by Collingwood Shipyards in 1976 as Soodoc for N.M.Paterson, its modest size of 4490 grt, 7250 dwt allowed it access to many smaller ports. However it also called in Halifax with grain.  Soon after it was built it was fitted with four 10 ton cranes in pairs, allowing it to handle a variety of bulk cargoes such as salt. Transport Desgagnés acquired and renamed the ship in 1990.


Amélia Desgagnés, in ballast, drops anchor approaching Pugwash, NS to load a cargo of salt.

Amélia Desgagnés arriving in Halifax with a small cargo of grain.
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* The company's newest tanker, Damia Desgagnés, ran into a spot of trouble Friday last week when it had a mechanical problem and ran aground at Mariatown, ON, near Iroquois, on the St.Lawrence Seaway. Traffic in the busy waterway was held up for a day until the ship was freed Saturday by two tugs. It was escorted to Johnstown, ON for survey. The new dual fuel ship was on its first trip up the Seaway bound for Nanticoke, ON,  with a cargo of heavy fuel.
There has been no report yet on the extent of damage.  
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Harry DeWolf - roll out coming

June 23, 2017, 6:01 pm
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Halifax Shipyard indicated some time ago that the roll out of Harry DeWolf will be happening in July. Now with warm weather upon us, the overhead doors at the Shipyard allow for the occasional peak at what we may be seeing soon.



Several bow bulwark components have arrived on the dock from Woodside and  the centre mega block module that carries the ship's bridge is visible from time to time. The bow and stern blocks are under construction on the adjacent bay on the right.

The ship is the first in the six ship Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOP) contract. The last ship is due to be delivered by 2022.
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Fog, mist, drizzle, showers

June 24, 2017, 3:46 pm
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The notoriously wet month of June lived up to its reputation today, delivering a variety of precipitations, especially when ships were moving.

This morning I had hope for a good photo of the 8456 TEU CMA CGM Titus on its fourth visit to Halifax. I had missed its first visit 2015-10-04 and all subsequent visits for various reasons. As the tugs vanished into the fog inside Meagher's Beach I could hear the ship's booming fog signal, but it was not until the ship was well up to the Middle Ground that it was anything like visible.

With tugs alongside (one to port and one to starboard) the ship was about to make its turn and was still sounding its fog signal.

CMA CGM is bringing larger ships along all the time, so it was important to get a photo of this ship, which is one of the smaller types that may be replaced. The 90,931 grt, 109,021 dwt ship dates from 2011 when it was built by Samsung Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Co Ltd.

Later in the day the fog had moved off somewhat in the upper reaches of the harbour, but the on again / off again showers were on again for the sailing of K-Line's George Washington Bridge. The Panama flag ship was built In 2006 by Hyundai Heavy Industry in Ulsan and carries 5624 TEU, including 600 reefers on 68,750 grt, 74,023 dwt.

Bridge and bridge - the ship has just passed the A. Murray MacKay bridge outbound.

K-Line's plans to merge its container operations into a joint venture called the Ocean Network Express (ONE) with the other Japanese lines MOL and NYK has run into trouble with the Competition Commission of South Africa. That body is of the opinion that it could lead to collusion on rates. The same lines had previously been found to collude on auto carrier rates, and South Africa therefore will not approve the merger. Where this leaves the plan is in is question. Oddly United States, the Federal Maritime Commission stated that they did not have jurisdiction in the matter since it was not a merger but an acquisition.

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Golden Oak - harbour tour

June 25, 2017, 3:08 pm
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The chemical tanker Golden Oak arrived this afternoon with no designated berth. Usually that means the ship will anchor at the pilot's discretion. That certainly proved to be true, as the first attempt to anchor in number 1 anchorage was scrubbed and the ship made its way to number 7 anchorage where it finally got its hook to grab.


Golden Oak tuns out of number 1 anchorage, partly occupied by CCGS Earl Grey.


 The launch Captain Jim and the pilot boat Chebucto Pilot stood by during this exercise which took close to two hours.


 Golden Oak, built in 2008 by Jinse, Busan, with a gross tonnage of 8,505 and deadweight of 13,168 dwt it is of mid-size for this type of ship. Owned by the anonymous OCM Tuna Golden Oak LLC, c/o Norbulk Shipping of Glasgow, Scotland, and registered in the Marshal Islands, it is perhaps surprisingly managed  by Algoma Tankers. Algoma's six ship domestic Canadian tanker fleet is well known, but its presence in the international tanker market has not been publicized. Algoma only took over management on June 15.

Algoma Tankers have been granted coasting licenses for four (unnamed) foreign flag tankers to operate on the Great Lakes and in eastern Canada over the summer months due to an Imperial oil refinery hut down.

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Atlantic Pegasus for Irving Oil

June 26, 2017, 5:34 pm
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The Hong Kong flag tanker Atlantic Pegasus arrived this afternoon and tied up at the Irving Oil depot in Woodside. The ship arrived from Saint John, having previously delivered some refined petroleum product to that port from Amsterdam. As previously noted Irving Oil is importing large quantities of European product.


Atlantic Pegasus is another in the long line of similar ships built by Hyundai Mipo in Ulsan. Its tonnages are 29,107 grt, 46,838 dwt. It appears to be owned by the single ship company Heroic Lupus Inc. The ship is managed by PTMC (Product Tankers Management Co) an operating pool formed in 2014 by Asahi Tanker from Japan, Ultratank, a Chilean company , Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) of the United Sates  and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) of Japan, with a fleet of about 60 ships.

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Esmerelda Returns

June 27, 2017, 4:50 pm
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The lovely Esmerelda returned to Halifax after a long absence and anchored in the harbour for all to see. (She will move in to pier 20 on Friday after some cruise ships get out of the way).


Perhaps she does not have the cachet of a full rigged ship or a barque, but this is made up for to some extent by her fine lines. Built originally as a four masted topsail schooner - that is how I first saw her in Quebec City in 1963.

My first "tall ship' - although the term was not in use in 1963 except in poetry.

Aside from a change in rig, she is much the same, except for the addition of some SatNav domes.
She is now considered to be a four masted barquentine, after her fore gaffsail was removed and replaced by staysails. Wikipedia says the change was made in the 1970s, but she was not rigged with a fore gaffsail in 1963, so the change may have been made well before that.

Near sister ship, the Spanish Juan Sebastian Elcano still carries that gaff foresail sail (including gaff and boom) despite the same type of navigating bridge. 

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The Americans are here

June 28, 2017, 5:55 pm
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The United States Navy arrived in force today, and there was also a representative of the United Sates merchant marine.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Strike Group, lead by the aircraft carrier of the same name are making a weekend visit, resulting a minor invasion of several thousand sailors to join the many other who will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canada's constitution.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower at anchor, with Dominion Diving's launch Halmar alongside.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN 69 is a Nimitz class nuclear aircraft carrier. At 1092 ft in length it is too large to tie up conveniently at any Halifax piers (its flight deck would overhang or contact the pier side structures at most berths) but concerns about its nuclear power plant preclude berthing anyway. Therefore it has taken up position in number one anchorage. A fleet of support craft have been engaged to ferry liberty persons ashore and deal with the inevitable waste products. 

The Atlantic Oak - working in reverse- shuttles the pontoon Irving Beaver out to number one anchorage, carrying waste containers. (See Tugfax for more on the pontoon).

The other members of the Strike Force, USS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE-5), USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) and USS San Jacinto (CG-56) are all berthed in HMC Dockyard.


Pressed into service as a shuttle, the tour boat Summer Bay stands off the stern of the aircraft carrier and the Liberty unloads cargo at Autoport.

The lone US merchant marine representative is the Liberty a car carrier that arrived at Autoport this morning. Currently the largest car carrier under US flag, irt was built in 2006 by Mitsubishi, Nagasaki as Topeka for Wilhelm Wilhelmsen. It was acquired by Tote Carriers earlier this year and renamed. It will move over to pier 31 tomorrow to unload more cargo.

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Largest and Largest

June 29, 2017, 6:02 pm
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The largest container ship yet to call in Halifax broke the record by  about 700 TEU containers (by capacity - not by the actual number it was carrying). Zim Antwerp monopolized all four cranes at Halterm as it worked its cargo at pier 41. At 114,044 grt, 116,294 dwt and 10,062 TEU capacity it beats out a trio of CMA CGM ships that have called here, of 95,263 grt, 113,800 dwt, 9365 TEU and breaks through the 10,000 TEU mark for the first time in Halifax.


 Zim Antwerp was built by Hyundai Samho in South Korea in 2009, initially for Zim, but in 2011 was sold to NSC Shipping GmbH + Cie KG and chartered back, under the Liberian flag. It is the way of the future, but at the low end of the very large ships calling at east coast North American ports. Ships in the 13,000 TEU range are now visiting US ports, and 20,000 TEU ships are now being delivered from the shipyards for the Asia-Europe run, displacing the 10,000 to 15,000 ships to North America.


Also in port was the 4,180 passenger capacity Anthem of the Sea. It is the largest passenger vessel (by capacity) scheduled to call in Halifax this year. Its gross tonnage is 168,666 gross tons (a measurement of cubic space contained within the ship, 100 cu ft = 1 gross ton). It was built in 2015 by MeyerWerft, Papenburg and last year had some bad luck with weather missing a Halifax port call early in the season.

A less significant ship perhaps, anchored for bunkers today. The oddly named Desert Osprey is a Marshal Islands bulk carrier, built in 2015 by Mitsui, Chiba, and operated by Atlantic Bulk Carriers. The 31,848 grt, 55,837 dwt ship is bound from Vila do Conde, Brazil a bauxite and alumina port, and is bound for a Quebec smelter, likely in La Baie (for Arvida).


It may be a lucky ship however, as a rainbow began to form over number 2 hatch.

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Canada 150 Day

July 1, 2017, 4:01 pm
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It was the day for festivities as Canada celebrated the 150th anniversary of confederation. Regrettably the weather was not fully co-operative in many areas, including Halifax, however I did manage a red and white themed photo.

With the lower harbour "tick o' fog"  the Narrows was the only more or less clear spot all day Canada Day.


CCGC Bickerton sailed from the Bedford Institute Coast Guard dock for its home base of East Bickerton (pronounced Beckerton).

The first Arun class high endurance lifeboat to join the CCG, it is not only the oldest of the ten boats, built in 1989, but it is also the only one with an FRG hull. Bickerton was built by Halmatic in Southampton, UK and followed the original design by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The RNLI operated scores of these craft between 1971 and 2008. The rest of the CCG boats were built in Canada in various yards, with aluminum hull.

Shortly after delivery, Bickerton occupies a spot at the small craft end of the old Coast Guard base on Parker Street in Dartmouth. In the background CCGS Provo Wallis and Frank M. Weston and in the foreground a ubiquitous dory.
 
As delivered to the CCG, Bickerton wore the late lamented Search and Rescue colours of red hull, white stripe and yellow superstructure. Those colours were eliminated when the CCG was folded into the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and many vessels were multi-tasked to include SAR duties.

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Sunday comings and goings

July 2, 2017, 4:50 pm
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A visitor from the Great Lakes made a stop over for bunkers before sailing for Foynes, Ireland this afternoon. Fearless is a bulk carrier built in 2001 by the Naikai shipyard in Setoda, Japan. Its original name was Bright Laker and it made several trips to the Great Lakes under that name, before it was sold and became Fearless in 2013. Its dimensions of 606'-11" x 77'-5" make it a "Seawaymax" ship. It is fitted with four 30 tonne cranes to allow it to handle a variety of cargoes such as steel.


Its tonnages are 18,049 grt, 30,778 dwt, but due to draft restrictions in the St.Lawrence Seaway it cannot load to full deadweight tonnage on the Lakes.


It made its most recent trip to the Great Lakes when it entered the St.Lawrence Seaway June 2. It unloaded cargo in Oshawa, ON and Detroit, MI before arriving in Milwaukee June 17. There it loaded its grain cargo, sailing on June 23, and exiting the Seaway June 28. Unlike some Great Lakes callers it did not top up its cargo on the St.Lawrence, but continued direct to Halifax.

We will be saying goodbye to the the tall ship Esmerelda this evening. It moved out to anchor this morning to give the cruise ship Celebrity Summit lots of room to leave pier 21 (the cruise ship over- nighted in Halifax so that passengers could enjoy Canada Day celebrations).


Back in its previous anchorage, Esmerelda battens down in preparation for heading to sea.

 Also sailing this afternoon, was the newest member of the Canadian tanker fleet. Golden Oak, which arrived June 25, has been chartered by Algoma Tankers for six months, and placed under Canadian flag. That means it has a Canadian crew and can trade between Canadian ports at will. This is a refreshing change from the flurry of coastal licenses the various tanker companies resort to when there is an increased demand.

In this case Esso refinery shutdowns have meant an increased demand for tankers to deliver fuel to the Greater Toronto Area, and southern On tarioas  a whole.

I neglected to mention in my post of June 25, that the ship was built as Sichem Berlin in 2008 but was very soon renamed  Marida Margeurite. It took its present name in 2014. 

 
Golden Oak outbound for Nanticoke, ON.

Those coastal licenses allow foreign flagged ships (and their crews) to sail in Canadian waters, sometimes for prolonged periods. Most however are for a month, which makes it impractical to sign on a Canadian crew, much to the consternation of the seafarers.


See Tugfaxfor one such example.

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Polar Prince, other royalty and...

July 3, 2017, 4:38 pm
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To mark the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, a 150 day Coast to Coast to Coast expedition, called Canada C3, will bring together scientists, educators, students and others to see and explore Canada as few others can, aboard the icebreaker Polar Prince. 

 Polar Prince disembarks some RHIBS as it approaches the lower harbour.

Organized in 15 legs, the ship will sail from Toronto to Victoria via the Northwest Passage.
The expedition has its own web site at: https://canadac3.ca/en/homepage/

The ship Polar Prince is no stranger to Halifax and Nova Scotia since it has spent several winters in Lunenburg. However it does go back further than that.
Built in 1959 by Davie Shipbuilding Ltd, Lauzon, QC the ship was named Sir Humphrey Gilbert and was stationed in Newfoundland.


In 1983 it arrived in Halifax where it underwent a major reconstruction, that included a new icebreaking bow. The old bow was broken up in Dartmouth.


Its derrick system was also reconfigured. Changing from the traditional derrick mounted on the house, with control room under the bridge, it received a new goal post type structure mounted at the break of the forecastle with the derrick house on the forepeak. It retained its old mast, less the boom. The refit was completed in early 1985 and it returned to Newfoundland. It was back in Halifax again in 1996 for a refit.

It was decommissioned then in November 2001renamed 2001-06 . It was sold to Gilbert Enterprises of Clarenville, NL and renamed Gilbert I, then in July 2002 to Norcon Marine Services in Glovertown, NL and renamed Polar Prince. Since then it has been owned by Deep Ocean Research Ltd of St.John's and current owner GX Technology Canada Ltd of Calgary. During that time it has been Canada's only commercial icebreaker (there are several icebreaker class commercial cargo ships, and a number of government icebreakers) and was last in Halifax in 2010.



It received another major modernization in 2009. For the Canada C3 expedition, it has received a new paint scheme that includes the Canadian flag.

There was other royalty in port too, as Queen Mary 2 made another visit.


Trying to get a view of the ship from a different angle this time, I managed a "going away" shot from Herring Cove.

 Yang Ming Line's YM Evolution is a regular now on the AL1 service of THE Alliance. HAPAG-Lloyd, a partner in the service seems to have no ships in this particular loop - it is all Yang Ming.


YM Evolution's bow dips slightly as she works into the swell off Herring Cove outbound for sea.

One of five sister ships, it was built by the China Shipbuilding Corp in Kaoshiung in 2014 and carries 4662 TEU on 47,952 grt, 57,320 dwt. It is registered in Taiwan.

This morning's arrival for Tropical Shipping was AHS Hamburg, one of two ships to service the line from Halifax. By late morning however its name disappeared from the bow ...


... and this afternoon was replaced by the name Bomar Rebecca.


At the same time the ship's registry was changed from Antigua and Barbuda to Liberia. When it sailed it still had the Carsten Rehder funnel marking, but this seems likely to change at its next port of call, which is to be West Palm Beach. The new name suggests that the ship has been acquired by Boreal Maritime of London, and will  be under the management of Bernhard Schulte. It is too early to tell if the ship will remain on the Tropical Shipping run.


The ship was built in 2008 by Jingling Shipyard in Nanjing as Pacific Hawk. It was renamed AHS Hamburg in 2012. The 9957 grt, 13,760 dwt ship carries two 45 tonne cranes and has a capacity of 1118 TEU.
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Dartmouth III heading west

July 6, 2017, 5:27 pm
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The oldest of the Halifax harbour ferries has been sold and will be heading to Toronto to work for the Toronto Island Transit Service Inc. Dartmouth III dates from 1979 when it was built by Ferguson Industries in Pictou, NS (Hull No. 205). It arrived in Halifax on May 3, 1979 but did not enter service until September 10, 1979. That was the day that it and its sister Halifax III (Ferguson Hull No. 206)
replaced the 1956 era wooden ferries Dartmouth II and Halifax II. Your faithful reporter made a one way cruise on each during his noon time lunch hour on that day.

At that time the ferry service was operated by the then City of Dartmouth, and so it was that Dartmouth III was christened by Genevieve Brownlow the wife of Dartmouth mayor Daniel Brownlow on Sunday, September 9. There was an open house and trial cruise in the harbour.

The two boats were state of the art vessels, propelled by Voith-Schneider cycloidal drives and were especially configured for the new ferry terminals in Halifax and Dartmouth, with offset wheelhouse and side loading ramps.

Cycloidal drives are rarely visible, and difficult to explain. The vertical vanes rotate on a turnatable. The captain adjusts the pitch of the vanes to go forward or in reverse or in fact any direction, including sideways.
 
The Cities of Halifax and Dartmouth and Halifax County formed Metro Transit in 1981 to operate the area's bus services, but it was not until 1994 that the commission took over the ferry service. In 1996 when the three municipalities joined to form the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), the new body operated the transit services directly but it was still called Metro Transit. In 2014 it was rebranded Halifax Transit and the HRM was re-branded Halifax (minus the cross bars on the As).
[Despite all this the areas of Halifax and Dartmouth are still used in common parlance and in postal addresses, and in this blog.] 

 Dartmouth II dressed all over and with a large load of passengers during Tall Ships 2009.

Dartmouth III was removed from service in 2016 after new ferries came into service and it laid up over the last winter at the former Coast Guard base in Dartmouth.  On June 5 it was towed out to Sambro by Halifax Tugger and Capt. Jim and hauled out on the slip at the Canadian Maritime Engineering shipyard.


It will be interesting to see how the Dartmouth III will get to Toronto. It might be possible to sail on its own hull, but at 8 knots and no sleeping accommodation it would make a long trip of many short hops.
It seems an unlikely candidate for a tow since it relies on its propulsion system to stay on track. Perhaps on a barge?
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