Nordpol - maybe last call

A pair of ships that have been regular haulers of bauxite to La Baie, QC for RioTinto Alcan have been sold to Chinese owners.

Nordpol and Nordkap were built in 2002 by Kanasashi Heavy Industries in Toyohashi, Japan as Kamsarmax ships of 40,066 gt, 77195 dwt. (Kamsar is a major bauxite port in the Republic of Guinea in West Africa, where ships are limited in size to 229m long). Originally owned by Wealth Line Inc and managed by Fukujin under Panama flag, they moved to the Danish International Register in 2006 for current owners Norden A/S. It is likely that the Norden were the owners all along, but the shipyard financing deal included some form of "charter to own". 

Both ships have called in Halifax before. Nordkap in February 2007 for propellor repairs due to ice damage.
Nordpol was last here March 7, 2013 for a similar repairs to ice damage. It is now due again (March 27) after a trip through the Saguenay and Gulf.  This time it appears to be for fuel, since the ship is only in port for a few hours.

I posted some photos during that last visit:
http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2013/03/port-of-hailfax-on-waether-watch-day-2.html
http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2013/03/nordpol-repairs-completed.html

Since comparable photos are impossible nowadays due to port fences, this is the best I can do.

The new owners have not been identified by name nor is there any indication yet what trade routes they may follow, however the ships were built for the bauxite trade and china needs bauxite. The en bloc price was quoted as $14.5mn.

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