Cars and Tar

Cars need roads to run on, but it is only a coincidence that the automobile import (and export) facility, Autoport, is directly adjacent to the McAsphalt terminal where the component of road paving is stored and blended. Both are located in the Eastern Passage of Halifax Harbour, a narrow and shallow arm between McNabs and Lawlor's Islands and the mainland.

It is also a coincidence that there would be a ship at each dock at the same time. Today, November 9, the auto carrier Future Way arrived at Autoport while the asphalt tanker (Articulated Tug/Barge) Leo A. McArthur / John J. Carrick was unloading at the McAsphalt terminal after arriving yesterday.

Due to poor timing on my part, the sun was in a direct line with the ATB, so only a portion of the barge is visible beneath the bow of the ship.

The Future Way is a "ship of the future" featuring many innovations and new features. It was built by Yantai  CIMC Raffles, Longkou in 2024 and features gas / diesel / synthetic diesel fuel engines, can sail fully loaded with no ballast water, has a shore power connector and can be converted to add battery power. It reduces fuel consumption by prop design, hull shape and aerodynamic features. The 62,432 gt, 18,565 dwt ship has a capacity of 6500 CEUs. 

It is on long term charter to Volkswagen which may explain its unusual origin port of Barcelona. VW manufactures several models at a large plant in Barcelona. The ship sailed this afternoon for Davisville, RI, a typical destination for VW ships.

The barge John J. Carrick and its companion tug Leo A.McArthur were built in China in  2007 by Penglai Bohai Shipyard Co Ltd. The barge is equipped with boilers to keep the cargo in a liquid state, and the Halifax terminal has a heated pipeline connecting the jetty to the tank storage on the other side of Main Road, about 1500 feet away (crossing to the left and behind me in the photo).

 When McAsphalt Marine Transportation Ltd  took delivery of its new tanker ship the McAsphalt Advantage  [see September 11, 2025 ] I speculated on whether the tug/barge duo would be confined to the Great Lakes / St.Lawrence or whether McAsphalt would be expanding its range with the new ship. It appears that the latter may be case as the McAsphalt Advantage arrived back in Montreal November 7 from a trip to Paulsboro, NJ and Philadelphia, PA - deep in refinery territory. The tanker and the barge are also able to carry other bituminous cargoes including Bunker C and other heavy fuels.

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