Palmela for Autoport

 The dedicated automobile handling facility named Autoport, located on the Eastern Passage of Halifax harbour handles many thousands of cars annually. The most recently reported number is an astounding 185,000 vehicles. The vast majority of those are imports, although there is a small export business, including the delivery of new cars to Newfoundland.

Autoport Ltd is owned by the Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) and provides finishing, storage and distribution of cars and light trucks such as vans, mostly from European manufacturers. However in recent years it has also been receiving Asian-built cars for delivery to eastern Canada. Those vehicles used to be handled by Vancouver only. 

Today (December 3) the arriving ship is almost certainly bringing in cars from Japan.

The Palmela is neither new nor large by current standards, but is certainly a workhorse having made two trips from Japan to east coast North America since September.

Built in 2000 by Shin Kurushima Dock Yard Co Ltd in Onishi, Japan, it comes in at 55,926 gt, 20,581 dwt with a capacity of 5,080 CEU.  It is a fairly typical ship with a couple of exceptions. That is to say, that in addition to the usual stern ramp (rated at 80 tonnes capacity) the ship has two small side ramps - one on each side. Most auto carrriers don't have side ramps anymore, and having two is most unusual.

The port side ramp is well forward and unfortunately mostly blocked from view by the forward tug Atlantic Beaver. (The after tug is the Atlantic Ash.) The ramp is also mounted quite low and may service one deck lower than the main deck.

 The starboard side ramp is in a more typical position, about midships and also appears to serve the deck below the main deck. (The ship has twelve car decks altogether. Counting from the topmost deck, the main car deck is number seven and it is served by the stern ramp. The accommodation and bridge structure consists of three levels and is mounted on the weather deck.)

The ship is owned by the small Japanese company Kansai Steamship Co Ltd. One of only five autocarriers in the fleet it is also managed by Kansai and is on long term charter to an undisclosed manufacturer, but most likely Nissan.

Tracing the ship's movements since it sailed from Baltimore September 18 then via the Panama Canal (presumably) reached Kawasaki, Japan October 20. It then called in Yokohama October 21-22; Kobe October 23-24 and Kanda October 25-28. It then crossed the Pacific and transited the Panama Canal November 20. It called on Brunswick, GA November 25; Dundalk (Batlimore) November 29 -30 and New York December 1-2. The Palmela is expected to sail this evening for Cristobal, Panama, with an ETA of December 11.

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