A ship that made several calls in Halifax late last year has been reported aground on the west coast of Newfoundand. The MSC Baltic III is assigned to the Mediterranean Shipping Company's Canada Gulf Bridge service and had sailed from Montreal February 2 bound for CornerBrook, NL. It was standing by off the Bay of Islands, for a time, but is now fetched up on the rocky shore off Lark Harbour. The icebreaker CCGS Henry Larsen out of CornerBrook is now nearby and a Cormorant Search and Rescue helicopter has been dispatched.
MSC Baltic III in Halifax December 13, 2024.
The ship's normal route does not include Halifax, but in November 2024 it was one of two MSC ships that were granted coasting licenses to pick up stranded containers in Halifax and take them to Montreal. The boxes had been left in Halifax when ships were diverted here during a labour dispute in the Port of Montreal. Each ship was expected to make three calls in Halifax between November 24 and December 31 to move the backlogged boxes.
MSC Baltic III dates from 2003 when it was built by Aker MTW in Wismar as Nordbaltic. It was renamed on delivery as CMA CGM Romania. In 2008 it became Nordbaltic again until 2011 when it was economically renamed Baltic but only until 2012. It then took the name Niledutch Gemsbok but reverted to Nordbaltic again in 2015. That lasted until 2021 when it took its present name. The Roman number III in the name indicates MSC's size category. Built to Wismar's MTW 2500 class, various sources rate its actual capacity as 2478 TEU, although some say 2526 TEU. It also has 400 reefer plugs: 300 above deck and 100 below deck. It carries three cranes.
MSC Baltic III at PSA Fairview Cove, December 13, 2024.
As of Saturday morning February 15, conditions do not appear favourable for refloating the ship which is being swept by wind driven seas. Another storm is due to pass through over the next few days. I expect the first priority will be evacuating the crew. [see Update]
Reports indicate that the ship may have had a blackout in stormy conditions. A photo posted on Facebook shows the ship broadside on an inaccessible shore with steep cliffs, high winds and breaking seas.
Update: Press reports state that the crew have been removed. Some are reported to be injured, but all are safe.
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