CMA CGM Surabaya - amended

 On the old TV show "I've Got a Secret", there was a mystery guest, whose identitiy was hidden from a panel of four minor celebrities. The audience could see the guest, who was asked to "sign in please" with chalk on a black board. Then the panel (usually blind folded) had to guess who the mystery guest was by asking clever questions, usually with only yes or no answers.

Today, July 10, we had a "mystery guest" in Halifax harbour when the CMA CGM Surabaya arrived and anchored in number one anchorage. Shipwatchers almost had blindfolds on, but the thick fog withdrew momentarily. (Those expecting to see the Zaandam arrive a few minutes earlier were not so lucky.)

The pilot boat scurries past the inbound Zaandam off Point Pleasant Park.

(0827 hrs ADT)

 

CMA CGM Surabaya same location. 

(0853 hrs ADT)

The ship is assigned to the Cagima Mainliner service running between Saint John, NB and New York / Kingston, Jamaica / Rio Haina, Dominican Republic / Caucedo, DR / San Juan, Puerto Rico and Saint John.

The ship did not tie up alongside and sailed again at 1200 hrs.

The CMA CGM Surabaya was built in 2007 by Imabari Shipbuilding Co in Imabari, Japan. It is a 17,294 gt, 21,470 dwt ship with a container capacity variously reported as 1577 TEU or 1708 TEU including 192 reefers. It is equipped with three cranes  (the third one serves the after deck and is not visible in the photo.)

The ship carried the name Safmarine Bandama from 2007 to 2014, then Sunshine Bandama until 2022 when it was acquired by CMA CGM and took its current name. (The South African company Safmarine, founded in 1946 was acquired by Maersk in 1999 but retained its corporate identity as a brand name until 2020 but along with several other acquired lines such as Hamburg-Sud, is now fully integrating into Maersk.) The ship is now owned by CMA CGM, but is managed by Bernhard Schulte Ship Management of Hamburg.

On departure the ship gave Saint John, NB as its destination, so the purpose of its visit to Halifax remains a mystery.

Amendment: Thanks to an attentive reader, I have learned that one of the ship's certificates could not be found, and it was sent to Halifax so that an inspector or surveyor of some sort could issue a new one. Ships need a great many certificates for the safety of ship, crew and environment, so it is good to know that authorities are looking out for compliance.

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