Returns

 I usually note ships that are new to Halifax, and don't pay too much attention to return visitors. Today, November 28, however saw the return of two ships that may be worthy of note.

RETURN SHIP 1

The CB Pacific has become a regular caller since February making brief calls at Irving Oil's Woodside terminal.  As previously reported, thanks to a reader, we know that the ship delivers ethanol from the United States.

It seems however that the ship's main job is to carry refined product from Irving Oil's Saint John refinery to the company's US terminals. A look at its recent itinerary shows it at the following ports:

Saint John November 10; Portland, ME November 11-13; Saint John November 14-16; Searsport November 16-17; Providence November 18-19; Saint John November 21-22; Portland November 23-24; Providence November 25-26; Boston November 27, New York November 23-24.

These trips supplemented voyages by ships from Irving's tanker fleet and perhaps other charters. However on this trip it is sailing for Montreal and by appearance still has some cargo on board - likely ethanol sourced in the United States.

The ship is now sporting a powder blue funnel with a white stripe / chevron, representing the Greek letter for "L": lambda which looks like an inverted "V" . On previous visits the ship had a yellow funnel with a stylized red flag with "C.B." and four stars in white.

C. B. stands for Carl Büttner GmbH + Co KG of Bremen, initial owners and which, since October 2022, is part of the Greek shipowner Lomar. Lomar in turn is part of the worldwide Libra Group of aviation, energy, real estate, hospitality and shipping / shipbuilding companies. CB Tankers Shipmanagement continues to manage the ship.

The CB Pacific, built by Jiangsu New Hantong shipbuilding in Yangzhong, China, was delivered in 2020. The 27,250 gt, 37,787 dwt ship is equipped to handle crude oil, clean petroluem products or chemicals in twelve phenolic epoxy coated tanks (plus two slops tanks). The ship is also built to DNV Baltic Ice Class 1B and is fitted with a hybrid exhaust gas scrubber which can be run at zero emissions. As previously noted it has a covered fore deck - a feature rarely incorporated in tankers.

It is similar in size the the Irving tankers, which were built to"Boston" size, allowing them to reach Irving Oil's terminal on the Chelsea Creek.

  

 RETURNING SHIP 2

It is relatively easy to change a ship's funnel colours and thus "rebrand" it to a new identity, with or without a new name. Changing a hull colour is not so simple, and  usually involves a drydocking. Ships don't usually sit still long enough for a new paint job when they are going about their regular business, and it is far too big a job for the ship's crew to undertake. Therefore after ships are sold, or go on a new charter, the owners wait until a regularly scheduled drydocking before repainting the hull. In drydock the old paint can be removed by blasting, the surface primed and new paint applied properly. (Under water and waterline portions of the hull require more specialized treatment that can only be done in drydock.)

Therefore it is not unsual to see a ship with a new name and the "old" hull colour, sometimes looking scruffy. That is the case with today's arrival at PSA Atlantic Gateway, the MSC Rowan arriving from Montreal on MSC's Canada Express. Its last five year survey was in 2022 so it would not normally be due for drydocking again until 2027.

Built in 2012 by Jiangsu New Yangzijiang in Jingjiang, as Balthazar Schulte the 40,542 gt, 52,847 dwt ship has a nominal capacity of 4250 TEU (that reduces to 2788 TEU at 14 tonnes each) It also has 698 reefer plugs.

In 2022 the ship moved from Thomas Schulte Reederei to MSC (whether by owership or by charter is not clear) and its name was changed to MSC Rowan. Interestingly the Roman numeral "III" was not added to the name. Most other MSC ships have added the Roman numeral to indicate size classificaiton. Nor was the ship's hull colour changed from the Schulte green.

After another winter of pounding back and forth across the Atlantic to Le Havre and Antwerp from Montreal and Halifax, that paint will certainly look no better.

The ship is on the eastbound leg on this trip and will top up to ocean draft before sailing over night.

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