Activity

There was some activity in the port today, and once the rain stopped and the sun came out, I had missed most of it. However there were a couple of ships of interest in difficult places to see - piers 27 and 31.

At pier 31 it was the autocarrier ARC Integrity flying the flag of the United States (metaphorically at least - there was no flag flying aft). Its operator is American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier (ARC). They acquired the ship in 2019 from Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines where it operated as the Fedora and has appeared in this blog before.

http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2010/05/tip-of-fedora.html

http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2014/04/autoport-stuffed-to-gills-and-beyond.html

To summarize, the ship was built by Daewoo, Okpo in 2008, and has a capacity of 7500 autos. Its gross tonnage is 72,118 and deadweight tonnage is 30,386. ARC currently operate eleven autocarriers under US flag - most on transatlantic service. As US flag carriers, ARC ships regularly carry US military cargo, and thus are sailing even when auto imports have been reduced.
With US auto importing facilities becoming backed up, many autocarrier sailings have been cancelled. However this ship had some wheeled machinery and other non-automobile cargo for Halifax.

When I came along, the ship had stopped working cargo and its ramp was up and the tug Atlantic Willow was alongside. Some very high winds were gusting, so they may have been putting out more lines. The ship is due to move to Autoport tomorrow (Sunday) morning.

Across the camber at pier 27 it was the heavy lift carrier Hilke with a cargo of wind turbines.

Built in 2010 by Taizhou Kauan Shipbuilding Co in China, it is a 11,473 gt, 10,052 dwt ship equipped with a two cranes each of 450 tonne capacity. The cranes can work in tandem for a 900 tonne lift. Originally named Palabora it was renamed in 2019 but continues be operated by Harren + Partner, for SAL Heavy Lift Gmbh of Germany.

The ship's destination is given as Escoumins, QC, which is the St. Lawrence River pilot station, so it is possible that the ship is here for repairs, or to sit out the extreme high winds predicted for the next few days. The ship is likely destined for the Great Lakes. [I later learned it is destined for Cleveland.]
It visited the Lakes in 2018 and a sister ship Caroline (ex Palmerton) was on the Lakes last year. I took several photos of that ship when it was in Halifax in 2016:

http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2016/02/palmerton-unloads-gas-pipe.html

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