Pacific Fortitude, and the Seaway

 As per the previous post October 21, the heavy lift cargo ship Pacific Fortitude got underway this morning (October 23) destined for Port Everglades [not Fort Lauderdale] with its deck cargo of pleasure craft. When it arrived in Halifax there was a space on the number one hatch cover that had been reserved for one more boat to be picked up here.

 On arrival there was still deck space well forward.

 The boat was craned aboard and lashed down on number one hatch cover.

As a "yacht transport" its cranes are very useful for their reach, as they are able to sling the boats aboard and place them as needed. One crane was also used to lift the ganagway back aboard.

The ship was reported on September 26 at Montreal and it worked its way up the St.Lawrence Seaway to unload cargo at Valleyfield, QC, September 28-29 then Hamilton, ON, September 30 to October 4. It then made its way to Menominee, on Lake Michigan and anchored October 7. It entered that port October 8 and completed unloading October 9. It then headed for Sarnia, ON, where it loaded the nine boats on deck. It exited the St.Lawrence Seaway [fortunately] * October 16 -17 at Montreal and sailed for Halifax.

The ship was built in 2007 by the Jiangzhou Union shipyard in Ruchang, China as the Beluga Family for the ill-fated Beluga Shipping. (The company failed as a result of fraud.) A 9611 gt, 12,740 dwt vessel it is a multi-purpose type with controlled hold ventilation, strengthened hatch covers for containers, portable tween decks and two 160 tonne capacity cranes which can combine for a 360 tonne lift. When Beluga failed its many ships were sold off (Canada's Transport Desgagnés acquired four). This one became Volga in 2011 then later the same year HHL Volga. In 2017 it became Maple Liv, in 2020 Liv Auerbach and finally Pacific Fortitude in 2022.

The yacht transport business operates in several regions of the world, moving boats to more desirable locations depending on the season. The Florida /  Caribbean is one region and the Mediterranean another. The delivery service frees the owners of the inconvenience (and hazards) of actually navigating their boats or hiring a crew to relocate the boat "on its own bottom".

When it got underway this morning it was quite apparent from the draft marks that it was not heavily loaded, but its deck was certainly well covered. The Pacific Fortitude is due in Port Everglades on October 28.

* Footnote:

The Pacific Fortitude is fortunate to have cleared the St.Lawrence Seaway system when it it did. Unionized workers employed by the St.Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation in Ontario and Quebec went on strike as of Sunday, October 22. The Welland Canal and the Canadian locks of the Seaway are therefore not operating. Shipping through the waterway has ground to a halt, with many ships tied up or anchored. By my unofficial count there are 35 foreign flag ocean going ships between Montreal and the Lakehead. Many are there to load grain, and most have or had import cargo for Canada. There is at least one cruise ship and perhaps twice the number of domestic ships that are also in the region. Some will not be effected as they will not be using the Seaway locks and can continue to work in Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior (The Soo locks are not effected and remain operational). However those that are heading for sea will be held up. Inbound ships heading for the Lakes are already crowding the downstream anchorages in the St.Lawrence River.

Most of those inbound ships would not have cargo that can be unloaded conveniently in Halifax. Similarly outbound cargo, such as grain, could only be sent to Halifax by rail in miniscule quantities compared to demand. Therefore diversions to Halifax seem unlikely at this point.

That cruise ship, the Le Dumont d'Uurville, now inToronto, is (or was) due in Halifax November 2.  I have detected at least one more ship on the Lakes destined for Halifax, and that is the tanker Algonova which is anchored off Nanticoke, ON with product for Imperial Oil in Halifax. In Halifax the tanker Algoberta completed unloading at Imperial Oil and was to have sailed for Sarnia, but anchored instead awaiting orders.

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