More gypsum moving

1. CSL Atlas sailing up the Narrows this morning, to load gypsum.

2. Unloading fresh Canadian gypsum at Tampa, FL April 22, 1993. The articulated boom can drop cargo up to nearly 300 feet away from the ship.

There seems to be a bit more gypsum moving of late. This is a sign that there is activity in the US economy, even though it is still way below the capacity of the National Gypsum mine in Milford, and the capability of their dock in Wrights Cove to store and ship the ore.

CSL Atlas has been a regular caller over the years, but has had to content itself with coal, stone and other bulk cargoes in the absence of gypsum when the US building industry took a plunge.

Launched in 1989 by Verolme Estaleiros do Brasil SA at Angra dos Rios she entered service in 1990. At the time she was the only Panamax self-unloader in the world. CSL has been among the Canadian ship owners at the forefront of self-unloader technology, and have created a major niche for this type of work. They now have six Panamax self-unloaders of their own and nine others in their CSL International pool.

You will see on CSL International's web site that they are now very active in Australia and Asia. In August they announced a major building program to add to their ocean going self-unloader fleet and their domestic self-unloader (Seaway size) fleet. See more on CSL International at: http://www.cslint.com/

CSL Atlas has a 67,634 deadweight tonne capacity, and can unload at 3,000 tonnes per hour (coal) and 4,500 tonnes per hour (ore). She was also the first in the fleet to be equipped with a new tpye of articulating self-unloader boom. For more on the ship see: www.cslint.com/pdf_specs/AT-CSLAtlas.pdf