Not always a quiet Christmas

There is usually very little harbour activity on Chrismtas Day and Boxing Day, since the longshoremen are on holiday. However ships not requiring those services do come and go, with pilots, pilot boat and tugs on standby if needed.

This morning the tanker Dara Desgagnés sailed from Ultramar in Eastern Passage after discharging a cargo of refined products.

The same pilot brought in the bulker Garganey to anchor early this afternoon. It is another ship from the Great Lakes, coming in to top up its cargo before heading out to sea. It is also a member of of the Canfornav charter fleet. Like fleet mate Tufty that topped off its cargo on November 28-30, [ http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2013/11/quick-visit-for-tufty.html ] this ship is owned and registered in Hong Kong. Built in 2007 by Xingang Shipbuilding Heavy Industry, Tianjin, China, the ship measures 22,790 gross tons, 37,251 deadweight tonnes, and is a disintinctly different ship to Tufty. See Canfornav fleet list and ship particulars: http://www.canfornav.com/en/fleet.aspx

1. Garganey's anchor is cleared and ready to let go when it reaches the anchorage. The crew will need to spend some time clearing frozen spray and snow from the hatches before it can load.

Garganey was upbound in the St.Lawrence Seaway on November 31, discharging a cargo in Hamilton, ON, than loading a grain cargo (likely soybeans) before sailing on December 17. Its downbound passage was delayed by repairs to the St.Lambert lock and it did not clear the Seaway until December 20. It then spent some time at anchor in Montreal. As with all ships in the Canfornav fleet it is named after a species of duck: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garganey

Other ships remain in port over Christmas until workers return to their jobs at the end of the day on December 26.
Among them Oceanex Sanderling at pier 41 and Seoul Express at Fairview Cove.
Awaiting the resumption of activity at Halterm, the Mefli Lines ship Amanda is also anchored in the harbour.

2. A brief snow squall passes between Amanada and the Dartmouth shore as the ship waits for longshoremen to return to work.

Other ships in port, but idle, are Energy Protector at Imperial Oil and Cornelia at pier 31 for repairs.

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