Berhard Oldendorff - big self-unloader

Seeing CSL Tacoma sail the other day with a part load of gypsum reminded me of some other large self-unloaders that could not load to their maximum draft at National Gypsum. These big ships had usually delivered coal to Nova Scotia Power in Cape Breton. The gypsum was a backhaul cargo going to plants in the US that may also have had draft limitations, or did not require large quantities of the material delivered all at once.  

One of these ships was so high out of the water when empty that it could not fit under National Gypsum's loader in Dartmouth. Instead it anchored in Bedford Basin and had cargo shuttled out to it. Cargo shuttling and top offs had become a specialty of CSL, and had been taking place in the Strait of Canso and other ports for some time. Usually the cargoes were iron ore or coal, but this was the first to happen in Halifax, and the first with gypsum that I know of.

A broadside view of the ship in Tampa gives an indication of its size.

The big ship was built in 1991 by Daewoo, Okpo and it measured 43,332 grt, 77,548 dwt. Initially named Yeoman Burn for a charter to the British quarry owners Foster Yeoman, its owners were Egon Oldendorff of Lubeck, Germany. In December 1993 it was time chartered to CSL International and in 1994 renamed Bernhard Oldendorff. The ship was fitted with a self-unloading system that could unload coal at 4,000 tonnes per hour and ore at 6,000 tph.Unusual for a bulk carrier it was also equipped with fore and aft thrusters.

Anchored in Bedford Basin, as seen from the National Gypsum dock.

It arrived in Halifax March 17, 1995 and did tie up briefly at National Gypsum but soon moved out to anchor in Bedford Basin.

Atlantic Erie alongside, must move back and forth along the length of the bigger ship to distribute the cargo.

CSL's Atlantic Erie (ex Hon. Paul Martin) 24,300 grt, built in 1985, arrived soon after and made three shuttle trips out to the bigger ship to load it up to near capacity.

Unloading aggregates at Tampa, the ship carries "CSL" on its boom.

Berhard Oldendorff is still sailing in the CSL Americas pool, running Gulf of Mexico, and east coast North America. Atlantic Erie is part of CSL's domestic fleet and operates mostly on the St.Lawrence with coal/coke, iron ore and salt, and visits Halifax periodically for gypsum.

.