Offshore update

March 3, 2019, 3:34 pm

With both of Nova Scotia's offshore gas installations shut down, there is till activity, but at a much reduced level. Both Sable Offshore Energy (Exxon / Mobil) and Deep Panuke (Encana) are in the process of decommissioning and eventual abandonment and removal over the next two years.

Encana's short lived project, that only began production in 2013 was expected to have a 13 year production life. On the strength of that they entered into a ten year renewable contract with Atlantic Towing Ltd to provide the Offshore Supply Vessel Atlantic Condor. The four well field encountered significant quantities of water and with the drop in gas prices the project became unfeasible, and after several seasonal stops and starts, production halted permanently in May 2018.

The Atlantic Condor was built at Halifax Shipyard to the UT 755 LN design and launched October 31, 2010 (a day later than planned due to high winds.) It went into service in 2011 and has worked steadily in and out of Halifax on the 250 km run to the Deep Panuke site.

Atlantic Condor just reaching the Ives Knoll buoy outbound for St.John's.

On February 22 it made one of its rare departures from Halifax for another destination, and that was St.John's, NL where it has been drydocked.

Today's offshore vessel arrival was certainly a bit out of the ordinary. Rather than one of the local suppliers, this was a United States flagged ship, HOS Renaissance. H.O.S stands for Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC, headquartered in Covington, LA (suburban New Orleans.) The company has a fleet of about eighty vessels of several classes. However at year end 38 of these boats were stacked. Therefore the fleet is seeking work no matter where it can be found.

HOS Renaissance carries an accumulation of white stuff from passing through last night's heavy snow fall.

HOS Renaissance is a supplier of the HOS MAX 300 class and was built In 2013 by Eastern Shipbuilding Corp in Panama City, FL. The 3911 gt, 5494 dwt ship has the open deck space for various types of cargo and tanks for liquid muds and other commodities. It is powered by four Caterpillar engines of 7200 kW and through electric motors drive two Schottel Z-drives for 6700 hp. It also has two fixed pitch tunnel thrusters, also of Schottel manufacture.

Far from its Gulf of Mexico base, the ship has probably never been exposed to snow or freezing conditions before.

The ship departed Port Fourchon, LA February 21, and tied up at pier 9C. A sister vessel, HOS Red Dawn arrived in here in September 2017 and was fitted out for cable transport. It then sailed for Portsmouth, NH to load. I expect HOS Renaissance to follow the same routine.

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Oil from Alberta

March 4, 2019, 5:01 pm

≫ Next: Horizon Enabler to the rescue

≪ Previous: Offshore update

The search for oil in Alberta finally paid off for Imperial Oil on January 13, 1947 when a well 15 miles west of the village of Leduc and 30 miles out of Edmonton, delivered the first commercial quantities of crude. Many wells followed and the boom was on. The issue then, as now, was how to deliver that oil to users in other parts of the country, and the world.

In remarkably quick time a pipeline was run from Edmonton to Regina and to Superior, WI. Built in 150 days in 1950, it was then extended to Sarnia in 1953, Toronto in 1957 and eventually to Montreal and Chicago. Before the line reached Sarnia however, there was a need for tankers to transport the oil from Superior.

This was nine years before the opening of the St.Lawrence Seaway, so no large ships could reach the Great Lakes from salt water. However Great Lakes shipbuilders were experienced in building large ships, and had no hesitation in constructing a quartet of large tankers solely for the Superior to Sarnia and Toronto run. Imperial Oil, ordered three ships, knowing full well that they would have only a limited life span. In fact they set up a new company called Pipeline Tankers Ltd to own and operate the ships. Once the pipeline was extended to Sarnia the ships were converted (somewhat awkwardly) to bulk carriers and lived out their lives hauling grain and ore.

The British American Oil Co Ltd, known by its initials as B-A, had a slightly better idea. They also foresaw a limited lifespan for the Superior shuttle, and so ordered a ship that could go to sea once the Seaway opened. They engaged Collingwood Shipyard to build B.A.Peerless. A 620 foot long x 68 foot wide ship of 12,638 gt, 18,360 dwt. It was steam turbine propelled and used Vortometric smokeless boilers. At the time it was the largest Canadian tanker in the domestic trade, despite being confined to the Great Lakes. The ship was delivered in October 1952, and carried crude from Superior to the B-A refinery in Toronto (Clarkson) for a few years. Once the pipeline was extended however, it shifted to carrying clean products.

B-A was already a major tanker operator on the Lakes using canal sized vessels. It was also the proponent behind the Portland, ME / Montreal pipeline during World War II that imported Venezuelan oil for its Montreal refinery. It already had refineries in Alberta and Port Moody, BC and served east coast Canada and Newfoundland. Gulf Oil Corporation of the United States acquired 20% of B-A from the late 1940s and by 1956 had a 64.8% stake and controlling interest.

In 1958 while other shipowners were enlarging their ships or building bigger ones for the St.Lawrence Seaway, the B.A.Peerless was sent to the Port Arthur Shipbuilding Company where it was shortened from 620 ft to 520 ft. This seemingly odd reconstruction that reduced the ship's tonnages to 10,900 gt, 15,425 dwt, also made it possible to go to sea without substantial rebuilding.

Normally a black and white photo would not do a ship complete justice, but as B.A.Peerless the ship's hull was gray and not far off the colour in this photo.

After that the ship was seen frequently on the east coast and often wintered over in Halifax. However it continued working on the Great Lakes and St.Lawrence Seaway too, often running between Clarkson and Montreal.

In 1969 Gulf Canada exercised its control of B-A and renamed the company Gulf Oil Canada Ltd and the ship was renamed Gulf Canada while drydocked in Halifax in March.

In 1984 Chevron Corp bought Gulf Oil Canada, but then through a complicated series of transactions sold the company to Olympia and York Developments which in turn sold its eastern downstream interests to Ultramar and closed the Montreal East refinery. Gulf sold Gulf Canada to the Greater Sarnia Investment Corporation, a Sandrin company, which formed Coastal Canada Marine Inc, a one ship company. They operated the ship as a "common carrier", in other words not dedicated to any one company. After sustaining bow damage in the fall of 1988 it was repaired in Sarnia but sent to Halifax and laid up for the winter. It did return to service in the summer of 1989.

On January 2, 1989 the ship arrived in Halifax and was laid up for a final time and at some point during the year it was sold for scrap to India. On October 27, 1989 its Canadian register was closed and it was renamed Coastal I under the St.Vincent and Grenadines flag. In December 1989 the USSR tug Gigant arrived and sailed December 19 with the ship in tow. On arrival in Alang March 22, 1990, the ship was broken up.

The tug Gigant fared somewhat better as it was later converted to a luxury expedition yacht and is still sailing.

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Horizon Enabler to the rescue

March 5, 2019, 9:09 am

≫ Next: Pier C extension

≪ Previous: Oil from Alberta

The offshore services vessel Horizon Enabler has been tasked with restoring vital communications links with Greenland. The ship returned to Halifax December 26 from another cable repair job and all the cable gear was removed and landed at IT Telecom.

Horizon Enabler had a brief layover in January at The Cove (former Coast Guard base) in Dartmouth.

Then on December 28 there was a fibreoptic cable break near Greenland, apparently in 3,000 meters of water. The Greenland connect cable that runs from Milton, NL to Nuuk then goes to Qaqortoq and on to Landeyjarsandur, Iceland. The break occurred close to Qaqortoq in the Iceland section.

On January 21 another break was detected in another local cable running north.

Horizon Enabler was hired and moved to pier 9C on January 31 to be fitted out all over again, but with extra equipment for the two projects. It sailed February 4, initially for Fortune Bay, NL (possibly for another repair job.) On completion of that work it stopped in St.John's, NL and sailed March 1. It is due to arrive off Nuuk March 6.

When the ship is outfitted for cable work, it takes portable workshops built into shipping containers, and a variety of equipment to haul cable over the stern. The most visible of this equipment is a "slide" similar to that used on longliners for deploying nets.

The yellow device overhangs the stern and is used to haul and deploy the cable. The yellow and blue container on deck is one of IT Telecom's portable repair workshops.

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Pier C extension

March 6, 2019, 6:42 pm

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In a communiqué yesterday the Halifax Port Authority announced that work is progressing on the Pier C extension at the Southend Container Terminal operated by Halterm.

Dredging has passed the 50% mark, and this is about right by my calculations. The dredging was to take about 14 weeks and we are now in week 8. McNally Construction's dipper dredge Derrick No.4 has been working steadily removing loose material from the bottom. The tugs Mister Joe and J.F.Whalen using two scows, S.11 and S.12 transport the spoil to a basin at Fairview Cove where it has been re-deposited.

Mister Joe with an empty scow making the long haul back to Pier C.

The dredge plant is based at Pier 9 and works Monday to Friday off the south end of Pier 42. The plant is returned to Pier 9 for the weekend where its re-fueled and necessary maintenance takes place.

The J.F.Whalen hauls the Derrick No.4 back to Pier 9 last Friday.

HPA also announced that caisson construction will be starting soon using pier 9C in the Richmond Terminals. This is the same location where all other recent caisson work has been done. McNally Construction has built caissons for Halifax Shipyard Pier 6, Fairview Cove container terminal and HMC Dockyard Jetty NK in the past few years, using a semi-submersible barge. The caissons are built of concrete using slip-forming and once completed they are floated off the barge. Compressed air provides buoyancy, and when the units are towed to location they are sunk in position by releasing the air.

The current schedule has the placement of the caissons this summer with infilling over the next winter. As usual with caissons, they are allowed to settle for several months before the cope walls and topping are completed, and that work will begin in the spring of 2020.

There were two noticeable absences from HPA's press release. The first was that the word "temporary" did not appear anywhere in the text. The Pier C southward extension was up until now always referred to as temporary. Perhaps they are considering more options open for Phase 2. Certainly they are opening more avenues for public consultation.

The second is the absence of the well used walkway along the extension. I was personally assured that there would be a walkway, however it does not appear in the latest drawings. The only walkway shown is the existing breakwater walkway, which has been closed for the duration of construction. It ends abruptly at the new extension, with some form of blockade. Probably a combination of chain link and barbed wire fencing - hardly an appealing option.

When Pier 42 was extended the last time the same thing happened. The old walkway was unceremoniously severed at the breakwater. After public pressure a narrow walkway was added to that extension, cantilevered out over the water. While better than nothing it was stingy by comparison to its predecessor which had a gathering area at the end allowing for good viewing both of Halterm activity and also of ships arriving and leaving the harbour. It also made a satisfactory destination for those who made the walk.

Although poorly maintained with only two park benches and no means of refuse disposal, the entire breakwater and walkway remained popular and even in the worst weather it was well used. Some walkers carried a garbage bag with them to pick up debris on their walk, but it was a thankless and never ending task.

The Port is missing a big opportunity for public engagement by deleting the walkway from the new extension. Interpretative panels erected by Halterm at the entrance to the breakwater are informative, but they are a very small gesture when a larger one is called for. This is a chance for the Port to interact with the public - both residents and visitors - and to highlight its importance of the Port to the economy. Particularly where so much of the working port has now been cut off from view by walls of containers and security fencing, the Port needs to find ways to interact with the public.

Here's a bit of an album of the evolution of the end of pier:

When Halterm was built in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the old Seaward Command breakwater, complete with miniature lighthouse, extended beyond the pier face. Public access was unlimited and despite being an unmaintained and even dangerous location at times, it was a popular look-off.
In this 1975 photo the bulk carrier Ontario Power was inbound to load at National Gypsum.

From the lighthouse it was possible to look back along the pier face. Note that there were three ships tied up at the same time with some room left over. Ships have grown. The feeder ship Yankee Clipper ran to the US weekly, Cézanne was a cargo/container ship for the French line CGM and Atlantic Prosper was on ACL's B service.

Beaver Marine, the predecessor company to McNally, built caissons at pier 25 for the first Halterm extension in 1985. Delivering concrete round the clock resulted in a lot of truck activity in the area. Extending the pier meant that the breakwater was cut back and the lighthouse - sadly- disappeared.

The short extension that cut off the breakwater had a gathering area at the end providing an excellent viewing platform for passing ships such as Queen Mary 2. The platform's curved underside deflected waves. The Ives Knoll buoy was still visible from the land side of the breakwater.

A pilots eye view (from Atlantic Conveyor (ii)) showed that the first extension was quite short.

Large crowds were known to congregate on the look-off, particularly during cruise ship season.

When Halterm was extended the last time a walkway was added to the deck, but it only returned part way across the end of the pier and was very narrow - barely five feet, and had no gathering space at the end.

The extension was built on piles, minimizing the amount of fill needed.

The walkway - now gone - had many drawbacks, not least of which was that a portion of the pier deck drained across it, creating a wet or icy surface. It was also too narrow for a skid-steer plow. As a result it was not maintained in winter, and snow collected and drifted across it. Intrepid ship watchers broke trail for subsequent visitors.

The cantilevered end platform - obviously an afterthought, and less generous than the previous one - was still an excellent vantage point. A good many Shipfax photos were taken from this spot.

It stopped just short of a large bollard (orange object next to the yellow crane bumper) for safety reasons in case a line parted. I have only seen the bollard used once.

This impression from the Port's publicity shows the new extension to be more than twice as long as the previous one, with armour stone dumped around the shore side and no walkway past the old breakwater sidewalk. Certainly an unfriendly aspect.

It also shows two new cranes (one has been ordered and there is an option for a second) and no crane at pier 36. Discussion about changes within Halterm will have to wait for another post.

(P.S. Why are all the containers blue?)

Here is the text of the Press Release I received:

Port of Halifax South End Terminal Extension Update

March 5, 2019, Halifax, Nova Scotia – The first phase of work on the South End Container Terminal extension at the Port of Halifax is well underway. This involves dredging of soft material that has accumulated over time. The first phase of the project is over 50% complete. The next phase, construction of concrete caissons, will begin in the coming weeks. Construction will take place at Richmond Terminals and completed caissons will be barged for placement. An updated project timeline can be found at www.portcityhfx.ca.

As the South End Container Terminal extension moves forward, the Halifax Authority continues to seek a solution that will reduce port-related traffic in downtown Halifax. Discussions are underway with HPA tenants and CN Rail on how to better use existing assets and infrastructure. With partners, the Halifax Port Authority has submitted an application for funding through the National Trade Corridors Fund in the most recent round. We are preparing for additional community consultation as well.

The purpose of the extension is to ensure the Port of Halifax can berth and service two of the Ultra-Class vessels (over 350 metres length overall) now serving trade routes along the East Coast of North America. Future cargo growth through the Port of Halifax will be rail-based, connecting inland markets to Europe and Southeast Asia through our international Ultra-Class vessel gateway.

For more information on the Port's plans go to the embeeded link above or:
https://portcityhfx.ca/en/

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Winter and Ice

March 7, 2019, 7:33 am

≫ Next: Anticosti sold

≪ Previous: Pier C extension

They go together - winter and ice - but this year the ice has been much heavier in the Gulf of St.Lawrence and is now working its way down along Nova Scotia's eastern shore. It is too early to say if conditions will cause the ice the enter Halifax harbour in any quantity, or if there will be a repeat of late March early April 1987 when the arbour was clogged with ice for several days.
If so, stay tuned to Shipfaxfor a full re-counting of that event.

Ice, combined with bad weather spells, trouble for ships working through the Cabot Strait and Gulf. Earlier this week a couple of ships, one bound for Point Tupper and one bound for Quebec City swung in close to Halifax, possibly to board pilots or ice advisors before they encountered ice.

In recent years there have been very few serious incidents involving ships in ice, thanks to improved standards, more ice class ships, the availability of ice advisors, and better oversight by authorities. There was a time however when there was a serious or potentially serious incident every year.

On February 6, 1987 the tanker Dodsland was ordered into Halifax when it was discovered that it was leaking 1,000 tonnes of water per hour. The ship was loaded with 68,000 tonnes of crude oil bound for the Ultramar refinery in Quebec City and the Coast Guard reckoned that it would have broken up in ice in the Gulf, and would have been the worst oil spill in many years. It would also have been nearly impossible to clean up because of the ice.

Dodsland at anchor in Halifax.

The ship anchored safely in Halifax and the leaks were stopped. However the ship had to unload before it could be repaired in drydock. Although other Ultramar / Golden Eagle tankers were available to take the load, they were not permitted to do so as it was considered to be a coastal voyage, and only Canadian flag ships could do the work.

Irving Eskimo, Enerchem Avance and L'Orme No.1 each lightered off full loads and delivered them to the Lévis refinery. A fourth tanker Coastal Canada [ see earlier post] took shuttle loads to the Imperial Oil and Texaco refineries in Dartmouth.

Coastal Canada lightered off the last of Dodsland's cargo and bunkers.

Once the Dodsland was empty of cargo and bunker fuel, the ship moved to the Novadock floating drydock at Halifax Shipyard on March 17, where it was the largest tanker ever to be lifted there. The repairs were completed April 9 and the ship moved to Imperial Oil dock 5 where it bunkered and sailed April 10.

Dodsland just fit in the Novadock. Another ice casualty, Calandra V occupied the Scotiadock and Coastal Canada went into layup at pier 6.

The Dodsland was a relatively new ship, built only two years earlier, in 1985, by Astilleros Espanol in Cadiz, Spain, Measuring 45,278 gt, 756,284 dwt, it was not a huge tanker by any means.

This was not the last we heard of the Dodsland however. Two years later, on March 20, 1989, the ship arrived off Halifax under tow of the Irving Birch, with rudder damage, likely incurred in ice.

Repairs were made at pier 20-21 and the ship was able to sail April 6.

Soon after the last incident Dodsland was sold to Russian owners and renamed Kapitan Zhuravlyov. In 2005 it became Hebei Treasure and in 2010 Sky Treasure. It lasted until January 10, 2012 when it arrived in Xinhui for scrapping.

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Anticosti sold

March 7, 2019, 3:56 pm

≫ Next: Yantian Express - latest report

≪ Previous: Winter and Ice

Not the island, but the ship named Anticosti has been reported sold, but some details are lacking. Built as an offshore supply vessel, the ship served the Royal Canadian Navy from 1989 to 2000. It then became a civilian craft of the same name, used for research and other charter work until 2014. Its Canadian register was closed at that time, and it has been languishing in Newfoundland ever since.

It was thirty years ago that the ship first arrived in Halifax, . on March 20, 1989 to be precise, to take up its naval career. It was not a new ship however, but was built in 1973 by Allied Shipbuilding of North Vancouver as the offshore supply vessel Lady Jean. The owners were International Offshore Services (Liberia) part of the British shipping company P+O, owned by Inchcape plc. In 1975 the vessel was sold to Tidewater Marine of Liberia and became Jean Tide.

[ As a totally unnecessary aside, the onetime chairman of P+O was James Lyle Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchape. He was born in Montrose, UK in 1852 - the same town where my great-grandfather was born. He was the son of another James Mackay and Deborah Lyle. Ms. Lyle was the daughter of the owners of the Lyle shipyard in Dartmouth, NS. James Mackay, the elder, was a ship's master whose vessel was at one time under repair at Lyle's yard. Despite her father's best efforts to shield her from the likes of a sailor, the two met and eventuiually wed. The Lyles went on to be part of the Tate + Lyle sugar empire.
James Mackay, the younger, through canny investing became a partner in a Bombay ship's agency, and a member of the Legislative Council of India. He was later appointed to negotiate a treaty with China and signed it on behalf of the British government in 1902. He went on to become vice president of the Suez Canal Company, and chairman of the Peninsular + Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P+O). For this and many other achievements he was knighted and elevated to the peerage.
One of his daughters married Rajah Brooke, another went missing in 1928 while attempting a transatlantic flight. Not only the peerage, but chairmanship of P+O and Inchcape plc seemed to be hereditary and the 3rd Earl, Kenneth James William Mackay, who died in 1994, had a huge influence in Britsh business in his years as chairman.
I mention this only in passing as it has little significance to the story of the Anticosti, except though its brief connection with P+O, and its coincidence of being in Halifax.]

In 1988 as part of the planning for a new series of Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels the RCN put out a request for a pair of ships that could be used as "trial horses" for testing equipment, and for crew preparation. The only stipulation was that they were to be Canadian built. From the several offers, the RCN acquired Jean Tide and sister vessel Joyce Tide (ex Lady Joyce.)

Both were staffed by RN crews and delivered from Europe to Halifax. Joyce Tide arrived at HMC Dockyard March 21. After extensive refitting at Marystown Shipyard in Newfoundland the boats were commissioned as naval auxiliary minewsweepers in 1990. Jean Tide becoming CFAV Anticosti MA 110 and Joyce Tide becoming CFAV Moresby MA 112. The latter was transferred to the west coast in 1997.

During their time with the RCN in additon to trials use, the boats participated in naval exercises, including refuleing at sea, and Anticosti assisted in recovery efforts after the SwissAir crash in St.Margaret's Bay.

When the MCDVs were built by Haifax Shipyard and commissioned, the two ex suppliers were no longer need and were laid up in March 2000. Star Line Inc of Clarenville, NL purchased Anticosti in 2001. On December 19 of that year McKeil's Escort Protector towed the ship out for Clarenville.

Ownership later moved to North Atlantic Shipping Corp of St.Johns under the Cape Harrison Marine management.The boat was refitted for a variety of research and offshore chores. On May 10, 2013 while Anticosti was shifting piers in St.John's, fire broke out in the crankcase area. In its haste to get alongside for assistance from the fire department the ship slammed into the pier. By the time the ship was secure the crew had extinguished the fire, but damage from the allision proved to be more severe than that from the fire.

On August 8, 2014 Anticosti's Canadian registry was closed by then owners North Atlantic Trading Ltd and the ship hoisted the Panama flag. Eventually the ship was renamed Todo Pedoroso but it remains tied up in St.John's. Available on-line sources still list North Atlantic Trading Ltd as owner. It is also possible that its Panamanian registry was closed in June 2017. Shortly before that the ship's AIS signal came to life for a time, but went off line not long after.

A previous Anticosti served with the RCN from 1942 to 1945. It was one of sixteen Western Isles class anti-submarine trawlers built in Canada for the Royal Navy. Eight were loaned to the RCN but commissioned as RN vessels, complete with RN crews.

Moresby MA112 was to have been named Baffin (as was one of the Isles class Anti-submarine trawlers) but the name was changed to a west coast name before it was commissioned. It was sold in 2002 and is still listed as operational. Now in its ninth name change and having been registered in St.Vincent and Cambodia, it has settled on the Panamanian flag with the name DOS Explorer for Deep Ocean Salvage Inc, based in Riga, Latvia. The boat has been reported in Liepaja, Latvia since 2015.

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Yantian Express - latest report

March 8, 2019, 6:14 am

≫ Next: Fednav

≪ Previous: Anticosti sold

In a press release Hapag-Lloyd is reporting that it will take another five weeks to unload the remaining damaged containers from the Yantian Express. The ship is berthed at the container terminal in Freeport, Bahamas where a special area has been set aside for "distressed cargo."

However there is no word yet on when the remaining undamaged containers can be unloaded. The container terminal has no room for all those boxes, and so it is likely the ship will have to move to the mainland- somewhere. Those undamaged boxes are reported to be dry and in sound condition.

The ship was en route to Halifax January 4 when fire broke out on deck. After extinguishing the fire, salvors escorted the ship to Freeport, arriving February 4. It was reported then that 198 containers were a total loss and another 460 might be damaged. Power had been cut to all reefer containers earlier, and it is not clear whether these are included in the numbers of damaged boxes.

Yantian Express is a Hapag-Lloyd ship, but it was operating on the EC5 service of THE Alliance, which consists of Hapag-Loyd, Yang Ming and ONE. The latter, Ocean Network Express is the merged Japanese container lines K-Line, NYK Line and MOL.

The ship has a capacity of 7506 TEUs, and although not fully loaded, it would have containers from all the component lines, other lines and many independents.

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Fednav

March 8, 2019, 6:27 am

≫ Next: Friday Arrivals

≪ Previous: Yantian Express - latest report

As a follow up to the March 1 post that noted the arrival of Federal Yamaska I am posting this account , which I had been holding for a while:

One of the success stories in Canadian Shipping is Fednav Ltd (Federal Commerce and Navigation). Founded in the late 1940s using surplus war-built ships, it has grown into one of the largest users of the St.Lawrence Seaway by tonnage and number of ships. Any trip along the St.Lawrence and Seaway is bound to include several sightings of these distinctively red painted ships.

Federal Mosel was built in 2017 by New Times Shipbuilding Co in Jingjiang, China. A bulk carrier of 22,947 grt, 36,583 dwt it is equipped with four 36 tonne cranes. It is seen here at Sorel with cargo from Klaipeda.

Fednav's current fleet consists of about 80 ships, with about 47 of Seawaymax (Laker) size.
Known as progressive operators, the company is always renewing its fleet with five new ships joining the fleet this year, two of which are Laker size.

Federal Dart was new in 2018, and is one of two from Oshima Shipbuilding in Saiki, Jpana. It is a 20,763 grt, 34,318 dwt bulker with four 36 tonne cranes. It is unloading steel from Tianjin at Sorel.

Federal Biscay clearing the Cote-Ste-Catherine Lock downbound for Ravenna, Italy, is a 20,789 grt, 34,564 dwt bulker with four 35 tonne cranes. The ship has hull strakes installed to assist in locking through the Seaway using suction devices rather than mooring wires.

Since the majority of their trade is international, the company has only two ships flying the Canadian flag. It was announced earlier this year (see a previous post) that Arctic will be replaced. The company has developed expertise in ice navigation, and its ships are active in the Canadian arctic.

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Friday Arrivals

March 8, 2019, 9:39 am

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≪ Previous: Fednav

Friday can be a busy day in the port as ships try to get in an out before the weekend. Today was not exactly bustling, but among the arrivals were two ships of interest.

CLI Pride is back again. This is its third transatlantic trip in three months. January 7, February 6 and March 8 is an enviable record, particularly in the dead of winter. While I have not yet been able to determine what cargo the ship is carrying, it has been tying up at Fairview Cove, and sailing in a matter of hours.
On its first trip it arrived from Rotterdam, but on the second and third it arrived from Liverpool.

A small ship of 7138 grt, and lightly loaded, it must be a gruelling experience for its crew. After a few calm hours in port, it is back off to sea again.

Following closely behind was the tanker SCF Angara, It arrived from Baton Rouge, LA for Imperial Oil.

A 29,967 grt, 50,956 dwt ice class product tanker, it was built in 2008 by STX Shipbuilding Co in Jinhae, South Korea. Originally Prisco Ekaterina it was acquired by current owners SCF and renamed in 2016. SCF is Sovcomflot, the big Russian shipping company, primarily tanker owners. Their current fleet consists of 123 tankers (product, shuttle and crude) and 16 gas carriers (both LNG and LPG). Of these, 8 are under construction. The company also operates 42 offshore vessels (supply and seismic) and two bulk carriers.
SCF are proponents of gas fueled ships and are in the forefront of developing this as a means of compliance with more stringent emission regulations.

Among the regular Friday callers is Oceanex Sanderling. Owners Oceanex are reporting a significant drop in traffic, reflecting a shrinking economy. A 15% drop in automobile shipments (largely new cars) and a 10% drop in regular freight after two years of stable volumes. Oceanex is not alone in this trend. Its main competitor, the subsidized Marine Atlantic reports 4.2% less passenger and commercial traffic.

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Saturday in the port

March 9, 2019, 5:05 pm

≫ Next: P, P and F

≪ Previous: Friday Arrivals

The Canadian flag Nolhan Ava arrived today on its first return trip since it began using the Cerescorp container terminal in Fairview Cove. It was a very short trip since the ship only left Halifax on Tuesday. The ship serves St-Pierre et Miquelon for TMSI and it was recently announced that it would also be calling in Argentia, using a new crane there.

However there was certainly not time for the ship to have made that loop since Tuesday. On arrival the ship also took the tug Atlantic Willow as tethered escort, indicating that it had some sort of problem, perhaps related to steering. That would not be surprising if the ship had a run in with ice. The Gulf ice has now spread well out from the Cabot Strait into the Atlantic and down the Nova Scotia coast to 45 degrees North Latitude

Today's ice map shows 9/10 to 10/10 cover from Cape Ray, across Cabot Strait and as far along the Nova Scotia coast as Musquoboboit Harbour (63 degrees West longitude), and extending well out to sea, perhaps as far as 59 degrees West, and off the coast as much as 30 or 40 miles. The rest of the Nova Scotia coast has ice cover of 3/10 past 65 degrees West, (where the map ends).

Shipfax predicts a repeat of 1987's ice clog in Halifax for next week. More on that when it happens!
Marine Atlantic predicts trouble next week when the wind forces the ice into Sydney harbour.

Not having trouble with the ice, or anything else, the substitute pilot boat Capt. E.T.Rogers (ex Chebucto Pilot) has been performing well since it was brought back from Saint John to cover for the poorly performing Scotia Pilot and Nova Pilot. As a casual observer, I think it is able to work in conditions that the other boats were not. There have certainly been fewer suspensions of pilotage operations since it came to work.

Capt. E.T.Rogers comes splashing in to port and into a head wind.That wind is all that is keeping the ice offshore -so far.

Last Sunday's arrival, HOS Renaissance sailed today, and as predicted gave a destination of Portsmouth, NH, where fibre optic cable is manufactured in nearby Newington. If it fitted any special cable handling equipment while in Halifax, it was not visible.. All that it seemed to be carrying was a deck load of snow picked up in Monday's snow storm.

Also arriving today MOL Partner, after re-joining THE Alliance's EC5 roster of ships. With the Yantian Express fire, the line had to find ships to take up the slack, but with service changes in the port rotation, there have also been other ships added and removed. The "new" ones will start to show up in the next few weeks.

MOL Partner re-joins sister ships MOL Paramount and MOL Paradise on the 11 ship service. It was previously here in May and June 2018. Built in 2005 by Koyo Dockyard Co in Mihara, it is a 71,902 gt, 72,968 dwt ship with a capacity of 6350 TEU, including 500 reefers.

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P, P and F

March 11, 2019, 5:31 am

≫ Next: Anticosti sold - REVISED

≪ Previous: Saturday in the port

= Past, Present and Future

When Shipfax began as a newsletter in 1986, it was typed (yes using a typewriter - albeit electric) photocopied and (snail) mailed or faxed (a now largely forgotten way of communicating) to a small group of interested parties. It was limited to four double sided pages so that it could be mailed at letter rate. It later evolved to using a word processor, permiting type variation including cyrillic characters for Russian ship names, but for a time was printed on a dot matrix printer. The print version evolved eventually to digitally embedded colour photos and colour copies.

After going bi-monthly, then after a hiatus of a few months, on March 11, 2009, Shipfax was unleashed on the world as a blog. Since then there have been more than 2,687 posts, reaching numbers of people beyond comprehension in 1986. And with digital photography and scanning, it has been possible to illustrate most posts with images either current or archival. The first Shipfax newsletter that contained a photo resulted from pasting a photocopy of a print on the typewritten page before it was photocopied. The result was predictably awful.

But it is not just the method of publishing Shipfax that has changed. So has shipping and so has Halifax. In the next few posts I will be looking back at some of the changes and developments over that time span, while still looking at current activities. I will also take the liberty of speculating on how I see the future unfolding.

Footnote:
The name Shipfax owes its inspiration to the cable addresses used by shipping agents and companies in the age of telegraphy. Amalgams of words were popular to distinguish the companies, but also as an abbreviation to simplify the address.

"Ship" is obvious - the newsletter was about ships. When there became enough information to justify a newsletter on tugs, Tugfaxcame along, and it became another blog in its own right in December 30, 2009.

"fax" is a multi-valent pun, intending to convey both the intention of the newsletter to relay facts but also that it was from Halifax and that it would be sent by facsimile transmission (fax). It is still the intention to report facts from Halifax, but the facsimile machine has gone the way of the dodo and the typewriter, not to mention the telegraphic addresses that I emulated.

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Anticosti sold - REVISED

March 11, 2019, 4:01 pm

≫ Next: Quebec visitors

≪ Previous: P, P and F

Not the island, but the ship named Anticosti has been reported sold, but some details are lacking. Built as an offshore supply vessel, the ship served the Royal Canadian Navy from 1989 to 2000. It then became a civilian craft of the same name, used for research and other charter work until 2014. Its Canadian register was closed at that time, and it has been languishing in Newfoundland ever since.

It was thirty years ago that the ship first arrived in Halifax, . on March 20, 1989 to be precise, to take up its naval career. It was not a new ship however, but was built in 1973 by Allied Shipbuilding of North Vancouver as the offshore supply vessel Lady Jean. The owners were International Offshore Services (Liberia) part of the British shipping company P+O, owned by Inchcape plc. In 1975 the vessel was sold to Tidewater Marine of Liberia and became Jean Tide.

[ As a totally unnecessary aside, the onetime chairman of P+O was James Lyle Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchape. He was born in Montrose, UK in 1852 - the same town where my great-grandfather was born. He was the son of another James Mackay and Deborah Lyle. Ms. Lyle was the daughter of the owners of the Lyle shipyard in Dartmouth, NS. James Mackay, the elder, was a ship's master whose vessel was at one time under repair at Lyle's yard. Despite her father's best efforts to shield her from the likes of a sailor, the two met and eventuiually wed. The Lyles went on to be part of the Tate + Lyle sugar empire.
James Mackay, the younger, through canny investing became a partner in a Bombay ship's agency, and a member of the Legislative Council of India. He was later appointed to negotiate a treaty with China and signed it on behalf of the British government in 1902. He went on to become vice president of the Suez Canal Company, and chairman of the Peninsular + Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P+O). For this and many other achievements he was knighted and elevated to the peerage.
One of his daughters married Rajah Brooke, another went missing in 1928 while attempting a transatlantic flight. Not only the peerage, but chairmanship of P+O and Inchcape plc seemed to be hereditary and the 3rd Earl, Kenneth James William Mackay, who died in 1994, had a huge influence in Britsh business in his years as chairman.
I mention this only in passing as it has little significance to the story of the Anticosti, except though its brief connection with P+O, and its coincidence of being in Halifax.]

In 1988 as part of the planning for a new series of Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels the RCN put out a request for a pair of ships that could be used as "trial horses" for testing equipment, and for crew preparation. The only stipulation was that they were to be Canadian built. From the several offers, the RCN acquired Jean Tide and sister vessel Joyce Tide (ex Lady Joyce.)

Both were staffed by RN crews and delivered from Europe to Halifax. Joyce Tide arrived at HMC Dockyard March 21. After extensive refitting at Marystown Shipyard in Newfoundland the boats were commissioned as naval auxiliary minewsweepers in 1990. Jean Tide becoming ~~CFAV~~ HMCS Anticosti MA 110 and Joyce Tide becoming ~~CFAV~~ HMCS Moresby MA 112. The latter was transferred to the west coast in 1997.

A previous Anticosti served with the RCN from 1942 to 1945. It was one of sixteen Western Isles class anti-submarine trawlers built in Canada for the Royal Navy. Eight were loaned to the RCN but commissioned as RN vessels, complete with RN crews.

Moresby MA112 was to have been named Baffin (as was one of the Isles class Anti-submarine trawlers) but the name was changed to a west coast name before it was commissioned. It was sold in 2002 and is still listed as operational. Now in its ninth name change and having been registered in St.Vincent and Cambodia, it has settled on the Panamanian flag with the name DOS Explorer for Deep Ocean Salvage Inc, based in Riga, Latvia. The boat has been reported in Liepaja, Latvia since 2015.

REVISION

The ships were formally commissioned as RCN vessels and entitled to use HMCS. I mistakenly ascribed CFAV (Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel)

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Quebec visitors

March 13, 2019, 10:33 am

≫ Next: Cars and Stripes

≪ Previous: Anticosti sold - REVISED

Two ships with Quebec connections made pit stops in Halifax today. Their Canadian careers are oddly parallel, though they are not connected in any way. Both came to the Canadian flag one day apart and both were registered in ports close to base of operations, rather than one of the larger ports.

First in was the geared bulker Ferbec owned by CSL. The ship is returning from the winter working under the Barbados flag (port of registry Bridgetown), and is in port to be reflagged Canadian. The ship was brought to Canada in 2017 to work a contract for Rio Tinto Fer et Titaine (RTFT). Prior to that CSL had run the ship in Australia since 2010 as CSL Melbourne. It was built in 2002 by Nantong COSCO in China as Orientor, and also renamed Orientor 2 the same year. It and is a handymax bulker of 27,198 gt, 49,052 dwt, equipped with four cranes and clams. It is the only ship in CSL's domestic fleet that is too large for the St.Lawrence Seaway.

Ferbec arrived in Halifax in March 2018 to be re-flagged.

CSL first registered the ship in Sorel, QC May 18, 2017, but it has been flagged out for the last two winters. During the navigation season it operates a constant shuttle between Havre St-Pierre and Sorel-Tracy. It carries ilmentite ore from the Tio open pit mine 43km inland from Havre St-Pierre. The mine produces blast rock which is crushed to 7.5cm and transferred by the Chemin de fer de la Rivière Romaine railroad to Havre St-Pierre. Once loaded on the ship it is transported to RTFT's reduction plant in Sorel-Tracy. There the ilmenite is reduced to its major components, iron and titanium dioxide. The latter is the main source for white pigment in paints and many other products.

Upbound on the St.Lawrence river with a full load of ilmenite.

Ferbec transports enough ore each season to meet most of RTFT's needs. However they also have mines in Madagascar and Africa which are less expensive to operate, despite harsh criticism on environmental issues. The Tio mine also stockpiles its production and does not work year round. Last year it operated for 30 weeks, starting in mid-March with a four week holiday break in July and shutting down in early November. For the previous two years it only operated for 24 weeks. This year it is expected to operate for 32 weeks. (There is year round activity at the mine site, but that is related to maintenance.)

Ferbec's last port was Belfast, and it is expected to resume service by the end of the month.
As a footnote, Rio Tinto renamed the operation when it took over. It was previously known as Quebec Iron and Titanium (QIT) and some of its operations still use those initials. Also the mine is near a lake called Lac Allard, but since there is another Lac Allard in the Laurentian region north of Montreal, the RTFT mine area is now referred to as Tio or Lac Tio.

A bulk carrier of a very different sort arrived at noon time. NACC Quebec is specialized cement powder carrier. Built as the general cargo ship Tenace in 2011 by Tuzla Gemi Endustrisi, in Turley, it was converted in 2016 to transport bulk cement and to unload via a special pneumatic system. It can also carry different grades of cement. As part of the conversion, carried out in China, it was fitted with an Alfa Laval Pure SOx (sulphur dioxide) exhaust gas scrubber. Its tonnages are now 10,243 gt, 15,286 dwt.

The ship is owned by NACC Shipping Canada Ltd, a joint venture of Algoma Central Marine and Nova Marine Holdings of Switzerland.The ship operates from the Ciment McInnis facility in Port Daniel-Gascons, QC, and delivers the cement seasonally to the Great Lakes region. In winter it delivers to Providence, RI and Bronx, NY. It was first registered in Gaspé on May 19, 201, and has remained under Canadian flag year round.

An unmistakable sight on the St.Lawrence with its odd funnel, containing an exhaust gas scrubber, and its unusual unloading system.

McInnis (founded by the Beaudoin family, descendants of the Bombardier founder) quarries the limestone, produces Portland cement, and loads ships all at the same site on the south shore of the Gaspé peninsula on the Baie de Chaleur. Despite environmental concerns over its huge carbon emission footprint, the $1.5 billion operation has created jobs and pays a hefty tax bill in an area of low employment. Cost overruns estimated at more than $600 mn forced the main investors, Quebec government agencies, to take over control of the operation. They tried to sell the operation to recoup their losses, but bids were too low and so far its production has not risen to break even levels.

Atlantic Willow stands by to assist the ship into pier 9B. The scrapes on the ship's hull are signs of many passages through the St.Lawrence Seaway.

The ship has remained Canadian all winter, although someone should touch up the acute accent on its port of registry.

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Cars and Stripes

March 13, 2019, 5:49 pm

≫ Next: Port Security

≪ Previous: Quebec visitors

It was a day for car carriers of all stripes so to speak. Three ships from three different lines all within a few minutes of each other, made their way through the harbour, each exhibiting a distinctive colour pattern.

In the order that I took the photos, the first was Arabian Sea inbound for Autoport. Unusual amongst autocarriers is the paint scheme of an inverted V on the sides.This is apparently the design used by Sunship, the German operator. Built in 2010 by Xiamen Industry Co in China, the ship is small by current tonnage measurements at 46,800 gt, 13,059 dwt. With this it has a capacity of only 4900 CEU.

While Arabian Sea was making its way in the Viking Conquest was just leaving Autoport and the two ships met in the area of number 1 anchorage.

Just getting away from Autoport in the background, Viking Conquest is partially hidden by Macnab's Island, while Arabian Sea has been joined by tugs and is turning toward Eastern Passage.

Viking Conquest has a more traditional paint scheme with a solid blue hull, typical of the ships owned by Gram Car Carriers. It was built in Jiangsu Jinling shipyard in Yizheng, China in 2017 and measures 62,105 gt, 18,488 dwt, still relatively small compared to other recent newbuilds.

While all this was going on another inbound was approaching. Asian Empire is making its way in for pier 31. It will then move to Autoport tomorrow.

Viking Conquest (right) takes the western channel neatly avoiding a clash of cultures as the Asian Empire uses the main channel inbound.

Built in 1998 it is a still larger ship of 71,383 gt, 25,756 dwt. Operators Eukor [Europe/ Korea] had the ship built by Hyundai Ulsan, and in fact it carries its name in Korean and English characters on the bow. This is the first time I can recall seeing a ship with Korean characters in Halifax.

The ship sails under Wilhelmsen management, a company that frequently brings RoRo cargo other than cars to Halifax.

Asian Empire's name spelled out in Korean characters on the bow.

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Port Security

March 14, 2019, 8:31 am

≫ Next: Onego Elbe sails

≪ Previous: Cars and Stripes

People have if I have a permit from the Port of Halifax to take pictures of ships?

The answer to the question is a definite no. I have certainly been quizzed by Port security people on several occasions as to what I am doing, since I am clearly on Port Property. However I do not intrude on secure areas which are usually marked with signs. When I explain I am taking a picture of a ship that seems to be a satisfactory - as long as I am not a "professional photographer".

I have to add that the security people are unfailingly polite, even when they have to explain to me where the magic (and sometimes invisible to me) security line is located. Now I know. Aside from some grammatical errors, the signs are clear.

I am also told they do not like people taking photos of the secure areas. Why this should be must remain a bit of a mystery - not that I would want to take pictures of chain link fences with signs on them. However you will frequently see my photos are framed by fence posts and sometimes by the edges of chain link fencing.

My defense - if I have any at all - is that unless the area is posted as secure, I can be there. This may be a weak argument since I am technically not on so-called "public" property. I have found however that public property is inevitably owned by someone, and public really only means access is not restricted. I am therefore careful not to stray onto restricted places, even though my camera lens may project into it from time to time.

For the record, I have been taking photos of ships from Port property since 1966. When the Port had its own police force, I was well known to them and considered harmless. Since that force (the National Harbours Board Police) was disbanded, I have never rarely had occasion to speak with the Halifax police who took over, however their presence is minimal.

After 9/11 Port security ramped up and almost all working areas of the port were fenced and gated. The Port has security guards under contract from a local agency and monitors the areas with a plethora of cameras.

The reason I am posting this at all is to advise others not to wander about too freely in the port and pay attention to the signs.

The reference to MARSEC 1 comes from definitions in the ISPS Code and Canada's Marine Transportation Security Regulations. MARSEC 1 is the base level of security requirements and may go up to MARSEC 2 or MARSEC 3 based on identifiable threats. All ships and port facilities normally operate on MARSEC level 1.

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Onego Elbe sails

March 14, 2019, 4:19 pm

≫ Next: Kurdistan remembered

≪ Previous: Port Security

The cargo ship Onego Elbe sailed this afternoon after discharging a cargo of rails for CN at pier 27. The ship arrived from Poland on March 9, and was unloaded by Logistec's mobile shore crane.

Onego Elbe outbound for Barranquilla, Colombia.

The ship dates from 2008 when it was built by the Damen Yichang Shipyard in China measuring 7878 gt, 11,083 dwt. Originally named Katharina, it was renamed Marmaui in 2014 and Onego Elbe in 2018.
The ship is of the open hatch, box shaped hold type of multi-purpose carrier. Its two holds are completely accessible, without overhangs, when the hatch covers are removed. (A travelling gantry lifts and stows the covers.) The ship carries five tween deck panels that can be used to convert hold number one or in various combinations to create tween decks if needed. It is also fitted with a pair of 80 tonne cranes that can be combined for a 150 tonne lift.

Onego Shipping and Chartering is based in the Netherlands and specializes in cross-Atlantic bulk and breakbulk industrial cargoes. Its St.Petersburg branch, Onego Shipping Ltd, specializes in the Baltic, and Onego Shipping Inc has its office in Houston and half a dozen ships working in the Americas. Onego in total currently controls about 25 ships, all under time charter.

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Kurdistan remembered

March 15, 2019, 4:38 am

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On March 15, 1979 the tanker Kuridistan broke in two off Nova Scotia while loaded with crude oil. The incident resulted in one of the largest salvage operations ever undertaken in Nova Scotia, and a review of ship construction and steel design.

The bow section of the ship contained 7,000 tons of oil, all of which was lost, and the stern 16,000 tons most of which was recovered. Nevertheless the spill that came ashore, some in ice, some floating below the surface effected 700 miles of shoreline and did untold damage to wildlife including fish stocks. Oil continued to wash ashore for six months and the cleanup effort was extensive. Some of the oil was spread about by the Nova Scotia current and dispersed at sea where it could not be recovered.

The spill was not as large as that of the Arrow which struck a pinnacle and sank in Canso Strait in February 1970. It spilled about two thirds of its cargo of 16,000 tons. Therefore the Kurdistan incident has to take second place among tanker sinkings in Nova Scotia waters.

The tanker itself had a a bit of a controversial history. It was built in 1973 by Swan Hunter's Hebburn yard and named Frank D. Moores, after the premier of Newfoundland. It was owned by Nile Shipping Co Ltd, managed by Common Brothers Ltd and built for a charter to Shaheen Natural Resources, the developer of a refinery in Come-by-Chance, NL. When Shaheen was declared bankrupt in 1976, the charter was ended, and a new charter arranged with Golden Eagle Refining of Quebec. [Both refineries still exist but with different ownership structures.]

Kurdistan had loaded bunker C oil at Point Tupper for transport to the Golden Eagle refinery in Lévis and sailed to the Cabot Strait. Soon after encountering ice, the the hull began to crack and within a very few hours the ship was abandoned by the crew and several family members. CCGS Sir William Alexander took them all aboard except the master who was finally evacuated by helicopter. From the initial hull cracking, reported at about 0425 hrs, through the evacuation at 0830 hrs the ship's condition continued to deteriorate until it broke in two at about 2200 hrs.

The Halifax built CCGS Sir William Alexander (i) evacuated the ship's company and stood by the salvage operations.

Tugs from the Strait of Canso and Halifax were scrambled to assist but there was little that could be done with the ship's bow. It was taken in tow out of the ice area, but it became increasingly unmanageable. On March 28 the tow line to the tug Point Gilbert parted and CCGS Alert, which also had a tow line, cast off its line. On March 30 HMCS Margaree sailed out of Halifax and on April 1, 200 miles off Halifax, sank the bow with gunfire..

Also a Halifax built ship, HMCS Margaree was called upon to dispatch the bow section.

Tugs had also secured the stern section for towing and it was taken back to the Strait of Canso and anchored in sheltered waters quite close to the Canso Causeway off Port Hastings. A major flotilla of support craft attended the tow in on March 23. Lead tug Point Valiant was assisted by Point Viking. Point Carroll (port side) and Point Valour (starboard side) prevented the tow from yawing. CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, CCGS Edward Cornwallis (i) and CCGS Sir William Alexander attended.

With the work barge Genmar 132 alongside preparations were underway to remove the cargo. A number of local small craft were hired to assist in operations and the barge Genmar 132 was tethered alongside as a work platform.

More patching took place and once its remaining cargo was lightered off Irving Birch towed the hulk to Saint John, arriving April 14, where it was drydocked for more repair.

On June 2 the British tug Guardsman took the stern section in tow, arriving Ijmuiden, Netherlands June 26. A new bow section was fitted in Amsterdam and the ship sailed again November 29 with the new name Simonburn. The ship saw several years of service, under two subsequent names, Aura Bravery from 1982 and Seabravery from 1986. It eventually arrived in Alang, India, June 13, 2000 where it was broken up for scrap,

In subsequent investigations it was found that the stress of heated oil on very cold steel, coupled with some faulty welding from previous repairs was the root cause of the hull cracking. Ship designers have since taken this into account, and the advent of double hulls has lessened the risk of a repeat. Use of high tensile steel, to reduce weight, has also been revised.

The Department of Public Works boat Maces Bay heads to the anchored stern and CCGS Sir William Alexander stands by at Port Hastings. The first Sir William Alexander was built by Halifax Shipyards in 1959. It was replaced by a ship of the same name in 1987 (which is still in service).

While the Kurdistanwas the most memorable event of spring 1979 it was not the only casualty.

Among the others:

On March 2, the tanker Marilia, loaded with Venezuelan crude, was also bound for the Golden Eagle refinery in Lévis when its bow was pierced by ice in the Cabot Strait. There was no oil spill, but the ship diverted to St.George's Bay for temporary repairs. It then backtracked to Halifax, arriving March 16. CCGS Sir William Alexander had also stood by this ship, but was called away to the Kurdistan.

A deeply laden Marilia begins to lighter off its cargo to the Golden Spray in number 5-6 anchorage in Halifax. Note the lack of oil boom.

On arrival in Halifax Marilia met with the tanker Golden Spray which had been outbound from the St.Lawrence in ballast at the time. A cargo transfer took place in the anchorages and Golden Spray sailed March 18 for Lévis with the crude. Marilia, once repaired, returned to service.

Built in 1967 by Gotaverken, Gothenborg as Beauval, the tanker measured 48,429 gt, 85,750 dwt. City Marine Inc acquired the ship in 1978 and registered it in Liberia as Marilia. It lasted until 1984 when it was broken up in Nantong.

Golden Spray was a much larger ship at 63,573gt, 121,185 dwt, built in 1966 by Kockums MV, Malmo as Sea Spray for Salén. It was registered Panamanian as Golden Spray in 1976 and surprisingly was broken up in Kaoshiung in June of 1979.

Also while all this was going on the Danish Partner-Ship was in trouble off Cape Race on March 19. I don't have details at hand about exactly what occurred but the ship was taking water although it had no holes below the waterline. Due to a lack of tugs in the area - many were tied up with the Kurdistan - it was taken in tow by HMCS Assiniboine and arrived in Mulgrave March 20.

Partner-Ship safely tied up at Mulgrave.

Partner-Ship was carrying an oil rig derrick on deck, and it appears that part of it collapsed, possibly holing a hatch cover or the deck itself. The load was apparently re-secured and the ship went on its way.

Starting life in 1975 at Santierul Naval Galati in Romania. the 4998 gt, 8299 dwt ship carried the name Frendo-Partnership from 1975 to 1977. Sold in 1981 it was renamed Mari Elena under the Venezuelan flag and broken up in Brazil in August 1988.

The ship was ice strengthened and fitted with two 22 ton and two 12 ton derricks on elaborate masts, over large hatches, suggesting that it was built for specialized loads. Note the enclosed crow's nest mounted low on the foremast, perhaps used as a conning station when visibility from the bridge was restricted by deck cargo.

To add to the shipping woes most of the Marine Atlantic ferries were stuck in ice for varying periods. Marine Atlantica was trapped for two and half days.

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Sampogracht and scrubbing

March 15, 2019, 9:34 am

≫ Next: Lomur takes another hit.

≪ Previous: Kurdistan remembered

The Spliethoff multi-purpose carrier Sampogracht made a brief call at Fairveiw Cove this morning and sailed before noon, heading for Rotterdam.

One of the S2L class ships in the fleet, the 18,321 gt, 23,688 dwt vessel is equipped with three 120 tonne cranes. It is able to protect forest products while loading, using its three side doors, which swing up as awnings. It can carry containers too, which appears to be the case on this trip, with some spent uranium cask containers (likely empty) on the deck forward.

On leaving the Cerescorp terminal in Fairview Cove the ship made a wide turn out into Bedford Basin awaiting the inbound YM Modesty to clear the Narrows.

Once the container ship had turned around the Seaview Point buoy Sampogracht made its way outbound.

Spliethoff converted all their "S" class ships with Alfa Laval Pure SOx exhaust gas scrubbers. It was quite a task to fit them to an existing ship, and it was necessary to build a new enclosure adjacent to the superstructure on the starboard side. A large takeoff pipe from the funnel leads to the scrubber casing and filtered exhaust emanates from the new stack on top. .

Ship owners are not usually too concerned about aesthetics, but Spliethoff decided to reduce the visual impact of the added casing by painting on false windows. The black fakes are the same size as the real windows and only on close inspection are they revealed to be imposters.

Other scrubber fittings, such as on the Irving Oil tankers and the Nolhan Ava were more difficult to conceal.

The cement carrier NACC Quebec, which arrived earllier this week also has a scrubber, but it appear whether it is concealed in its odd looking funnel is uncertain..

Some ships even have the scrubbers exposed, such as CSL's Spruceglen.

Scrubbers installed when ships are built are almost impossible to detect, except by their vapour plume.

In very cold or very humid conditions, the water vapour dissipates very slowly and remains visible after the ship has passed. The Algoma managed G3 Marquis shown above leaves a trail at least as long as the ship if not longer.

Scrubbers essentially wash the exhaust gas with water. Depending on the salinity of the water it will neutralize Sulphur Dioxide or Nitrous Oxide (SOx and NOx). In fresh water or areas of low salt content, caustic soda is added to the wash water.
With some scrubbers, called open loop, the wash water is released back into environment. This process has been banned in some areas, notably China, over concerns that dilution is not sufficient treatment.
Closed loop scrubbers collect the waste with ceramic or other filters and store it for disposal in port. So far no re-use has been determined for this waste.

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Lomur takes another hit.

March 16, 2019, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Seeing the Light of Day - maybe

≪ Previous: Sampogracht and scrubbing

The Gibraltar flag Lomur sailing for the Icelandic shipping company Eimskip was in Halifax on February 2 for the first time, with heavy ice built up forward. As a small ship, with very little freeboard, this was not surprising in view of the winter conditions at the time and the vessel's route between Iceland, Argentia, NL, Halifax and Portland.
I posted the following photo of its arrival, see the entire post here: 2019/02/lomur-for-eimskip.html

News has now reached me that the ship encountered more serious problems on March 11 while en route from Iceland in heavy weather. It sustained damage to 18 containers, including "deformations" and there was damage to the ship itself including winches, deck machinery and deck fittings. Some repairs were apparently possible while the ship was underway, but one can only imagine the conditions. There were no reports of containers lost overboard.

The ship arrived in Argentia March 14 and sailerd for Halifax today. It is due March 18. It is not clear how many of the damaged containers might have been discharged in Argentia or how much damage remains to be repaired.

This post will be updated if more becomes known.

As I observed in the previous post, this is a very small ship for winter North Atlantic.

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Seeing the Light of Day - maybe

March 17, 2019, 4:12 pm

≫ Next: Coast Guard in - Coast Guard out

≪ Previous: Lomur takes another hit.

An early morning visit to Autoport was intended to get a view of Horizon Highway from the sunny side. Unfortunately my arrival coincided with sunrise and a blaring golden light washed out the colour of the ship from my usual vantage point. Moving to other locations didn't quite seem to capture the essence of the ship as it was partly blocked by construction equipment, Tim Horton's signs, railway tracks or McAsphalt tank trucks. But to paraphrase the adage of one of my early mentors - any picture is better than no picture / and you can always take a better picture.

Herewith the results.

Exhibit A

The land of the rising sun apparently arrived in Halifax along with the ship- even though it is registered in Panama.

Exhibit B

The "new" K-Line RoRo / Car Carrier livery was the main reason for the visit, so I did manage to capture it despite the busy foreground.

Built in 2016 by Shin Kurushima, Onishi, the ship is a 7,539 CEU carrier of 75,036 gt, 20,586 dwt.

Another vessel that may or may not see the light of day in its entirety is the Defence Research and Development Canada-Atlantic (DRDC) barge that is normally anchored in Bedford Basin off Birch Cove.
It was recently moved to HMC Dockyard for refit, possibly with the intention of lifting it out of the water on the synchrolift.

Tucked at HMC Dockyard, with the tank cleaning barge YRG-62, the DRDC barge awaits a refit.

However I hear that the synchrolift is out of commission due to a burnt out lift motor, temporarily trapping HMCS Windsor in the sub barn and preventing Sackville from going in for finishing touches on its major refit.

The DRDC barge, believed to be YLP 451 and built at Halifax Shipyard in 1959, gets a refit every five years or so. It was last reported here in the spring of 2014 on the synchrolift. See: Shipfax 2014-05-22

Meanwhile its place in Bedford Basin is occupied by the Dockyard camel YC 600 which is illuminated at night and provides an alternate perch for the resident gull population during the refit.

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