Siesmic Invasion

The seismic invasion of Halifax is at its height with two more boats arriving this morning and three more later., joining the two that are already here. There will be a mass exodus on Tuesday as they leave for the licensed research area, and will be joined by an eight vessel. They will start actual work around May 25.

Today's arrivals mark the first X-bow ships to call in Halifax. The patented hull form is said to be better at sea keeping and more fuel efficient than conventional ship's bows, and dozens of X-bow type ships have been built for offshore supply and seismic work, since it was developed. The X-bow form is patented and the name is a registered trade mark of the Ulstein group, who developed the original, but others have built similar concepts, so the type is now generally referred to as an "inverted bow" since the most forward part of the ship's bow is at the waterline.The first ship with an X or axe bow was built in 2006 for Bourbon Offshore.
http://www.ulstein.com/kunder/ulstein/cms66.nsf/doc/3A6662B6DEF379B3C12576C70031E17D

As previously reported here, Ocean Odyssey and Riverton are already in port.[see also Tugfax]
First arrival this morning was Geco Tau owned by Volstad Offshore AS of Aalesund, Norway. Built in 1982 by Sovikens, it has been on charter to WesternGeco since 2004, but worked for the predecessor Geco since it was built.

It has the appearance of a conventional seismic research ship, with large covered deck area, for cable stowing. As a takeup vessel its streamers will be about 2 km long.

Next in was the novel X-bow WG Magellan. Built in 2009 in Vigo, Spain by Barreras,  it measures 6922 gross tons. As one of the prime vessels in the exploration, it can tow 12 streamers up to 10 km long.The ship is one of six Ulstein SX124 class designs built for WesternGeco ( two in Spain).

Thanks to the odd bow shape, there are extending docking wings similar to those found on cruise ships. Surprisingly for a ship fitted with all sorts of thrusters, it took tugs to tie up at pier 27.

Expected later today, its sister WG Cook dates from 2010 and was built by Drydocks World in Dubai.It measures 6599 gross tons.It was the fourth Ulstein SX124 designed boats delivered by the same shipyard and last of six  of the class for WesternGeco.

Also due are two ships from Superport Marine in Port Hawskbury. Strait Explorer and Strait Cygnet Signet will also be participating in the project.

The standby vessel Atlantic Tern (ex Atlantic Birch II) will be joining the team, but will not be coming in to Halifax.

Aqua Azul en route to new home

The dinner cruise boat Aqua Azul arrived in the wee hours of this morning en route to its new home in New York.
Built in 2002 by Keith Marine Inc of Palatka FL as Sir Winston, it has operated from Chicago since 2005 doing dinner cruises on Lake Michigan.On May 19, 2005, carrying the name Kanan, it was upbound in the St.Lawrence Seaway, bound for Chicago. It is licensed for 400 passengers and 20 crew.
New owners from New York bought the ship this spring to replace a boat lost in Hurricane Sandy last year. The long trip from Chicago started in late April and has been taken in stages, tying up for various periods of high winds and bad weather.
Its last stop was in Port Hawksbury, May 16. See the Strait Area blog for a better photo.
http://straitareashipping.blogspot.ca/
New owners are listed as Star of America Charters LLC of Port Washington, NY. The Port of Halifax website shows the representative agent for the ship as Manhattan Steamboat LLC:
http://www.manhattansteamboat.typepad.com/

Atlantic Pilot - visiting pilot boat

The Atlantic Pilotage Authority wharf had a visiting pilot boat today. Atlantic Pilot is one of a pair of pilot boats built for Placentia Bay, by A.F. Theriault in 2007 to a Camarc design. It was here before in November 2007 for trials.

Avalon Pilot was built first, and delivered in May 2007 and Atlantic Pilot was delivered in October of 2007. Both also worked in Saint John, NB for a time before taking up station in Placentia Bay. The bay is a busy pilotage area, with the Whiffen Head terminal, Come-by-Chance refinery and Kiewit shipyards at Marystown and Cow Head. Much of the traffic is tankers with several arrivals and departures daily.
The boats are slightly larger than the Halifax boats because they must withstand harsher conditions, and they are capable of greater speed because of the great distances they have to travel. With two Caterpillar engines of 925 bhp each they can hit 23 knots.

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Bahri Abha - brand new for Saudis

The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia, now trading under the name Bahri, brought in the first of its new ConRos today, and a spectacular ship it is.
Designed by Knud E. Hansen and built by Hyundai MipoDockyard in Ulsan, South Korea, the 50,714 gross ton ship is a bit of departure for NSCSA. Their previous 1982-83 era ConRos had a container capacity of 2310 TEU whereas the new ships carry only 364 TEU. RoRo capacity has been increased considerably to 24,000 m2 reflecting the realities of trade with Saudi. Halifax cargo usually involves fleets of military LAVs, and US loaded cargo involves lots of cars and SUVs. The new ships carry two 240  tonne heavy lift cranes for project cargoes,(the previous ships were gearless), and are painted blue, replacing the previous green, as part of the re-branding to Bahri. Dimensions are :220m x 32.3m x 9.5 m max draft. Deadweight is 26,000 tonnes.

The first ship, Bahri Abha, replaces Saudi Abha which last called here December 10, 2012 and has now been sent to the scrappers in Alang, India. Bahri Abha was handed over by Hyundai in January, and after a lengthy trials trip it was accepted February 5. Among the new features is a clean burning Wartsila slow speed Tier II compliant main engine and efficient integrated flap type rudder and propeller.

 The Danish designers, Knud E. Hansen, have designed many fine looking ships over the years, specializing in ferries, among them the Canadian Caribou and Joseph and Clara Smallwood of blessed memory.
Three more new Bahris will be delivered during the next 12 months.
The ships have an ambitious multi-stop rotation beginning in Baltimore (import), Houston, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington NC, Baltimore (export), New York, Halifax, then via the Med to Jeddah (eastbound), Jebel Ali, Dammam, Mesaieed, Mumbai, Mudrah, Jeddah (westbound), Livorno.

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Louis-Jolliet aground near Quebec City and a ferry tale

The veteran cruise boat and former ferry Louis Jolliet ran aground on the western tip of Ile d'Orléans this afternoon while heading for the Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré  Montmorency Falls area. All 57 passengers aboard, consisting mostly of students, and 20 crew evacuated safely to the two Quebec City pilot boats, Océan Express, and Océan Guide. Film footage shows the ship heeled over on her starboard bilge and high and almost dry. See:

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-affaires-criminelles/faits-divers/201305/16/01-4651633-le-louis-jolliet-sechoue-pres-de-lile-dorleans.php

Owners Croisières AML, with Groupe Océan tugs, apparently refloated the ship at high tide, since she now appears to be back at her dock. There were no reported leaks - inward or outward- so damage may have been minimal.

Built by nearby Davie Shipbuilding (now Chantier Davie Canada Inc)at Lauzon, QC in 1938 [that's in in the background of the photo] , it served up to the 1970s as a Québec-Lévis summer ferry. Its airy car and passenger decks contrasted sharply with the fully enclosed goose egg shaped winter ferries.It was powered by a 950 ihp steam engine built by the picturesquely named Canadian General Shoe + Machinery Co. The engine was built in 1910 and salvaged from another ship.
That engine served until it was converted to diesel by AML when it was reconfigured as a tour boat. Regrettably AML felt it necessary to add a false funnel and other excrescences that diminished the ship's charm in direct proportion to increases in its passenger capacity. The delightful bridge wing teahouses have been overwhelmed by a lounge, and a ghastly midship tent adds frosting to an already indigestable cake. Maybe you've concluded that I disapprove. I hate to show this photo:

I took many enjoyable rides on the older version, and although it is good to keep old ships going, this one has gone to far with the modernization.

Meanwhile back at the Chantier Davie ranch, it was announced today that the yard has finally signed the deal with Société des Traversiers de Québec to build two new ferries for the Tadoussac to Baie-Ste-Catherine service. The ships were awarded to the yard when it was in bankruptcy protection, trying to re-organize and bid on the NSPS contract.The new boats, reported to cost $125 mn will be 92m long, carry 115 vehicles and will be powered by Wartsila dual fuel engines, burning diesel or LNG. Since there is no LNG within 150 land miles of Tadoussac, any cost saving will be lost by having to truck the fuel to the ships or send the ferries across to Cacouna to fuel up. Silly, silly.

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AST Sunshine brings clearing weather

1. The gloom is lifting, allowing a clear view of the boldy painted ship as it unloads at Imperial Oil.

Living up to its name AST Sunshine brought clearing weather when it arrived today. The ship had been anchored off Halifax Since May 5. A cynic would say it was waiting for the price of oil to go up, but it certainly was a long time.
The splendidly painted ship is nearly new, having entered service January 10 of this year.It came from the Samsung Shipbuilding and Heavy Industry yard in Geoje, South Korea and is 50% owned by Solar Shipping + Trading SA and 50% by Asahi Marine of Tokyo. Management of the ship is in the hands of Northern Marine Management of Clydebank, Scotland. Despite all that the ship is registered in Panama.
It is obviously operating under charter to Stena-Sonanagol, a 26 ship pool of  Suezmax tankers operated by Stena Sphere shipping of Sweden and Sonangol, the state owned oil company of Angola. Most of the ships were built in the last two or three years, and are roughly identical in size. AST Sunshine is typical, at 81,187 gross tons and 159,000 tonnes deadweight.

Veendam takes the fog away

On its first arrival this season Veendam emerged from the fog, and today on its second arrival it left just as the rain had stopped and the fog was lifting.
The ship is on the return leg of its St.Lawrence River / Eastern Canada cruise (one week each way) and has not always had the best weather for it. Yesterday's stop in Sydney, NS was cancelled due to high winds in the Cabot Strait area. I am not sure what the ship did with the time, but it remained at sea until is put in this morning.
I had a chance to get a better look at the ship's uninspired new stern ducktail and "rumble seat" cabins. They would be the last place I would want to be in high seas.

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