Big Ship Day

 Today was a day (May 26) for big ships to arrive and sail from Halifax.

The first departure this morning was the heavy load carrier GPO Emerald, which arrived yesterday and berthed at Pier 27-28. It is carrying some wind generator pylons, en route to the Empire Wind 1 project off New York City.

The GPO Emerald is one of four sister ships built by the China Shipbuilding Corp in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. All but one of the ships called here previously with similar cargoes for the Vineyard wind project. Although not large in terms of tonnage, at 46,091 gt, 63,581 dwt, they can carry very large deck cargoes - as it is was doing today.

When it was in Halifax August 22, 2023 [https://shipfax.blogspot.com/2023/08/gpo-emerald.html] it was in a much more photographical position.  

A noon time arrival was the Capesize bulk carrier AM Tarang, which went to anchor in the lower harbour for Canadian Food Inspection Agency examination.
 

 The ship dates from 2019 when it was delivered by Shangahi Wai Gao Qiao Shipbuilding Co Ltd with the name True Valour. It was very soon after renamed AM Tarang. Its China based ship finance company owners placed it under the management of Synergy Maritime of Singapore. It is a 94,408 gt, 180,885 dwt ship of 292m length and 45m depth. With the recent enlargements to the Suez Canal it may now be able to use that waterway, but it is the current political climate that will force it to seek safer routes.

In March it loaded iron ored in Dalrymple, Australia and was next reported May 5 to 10 in Fos, France, then Musel Arnao (Gijon) Spain, May 17 to19. 

After receiving clearance the ship sailed late this afternoon for Port Cartier, QC, where it will likely load iron ore.

The only other arrival of note was the CMA CGM Lapérouse on the Ocean Alliance's Asia-North America service. Its last port was Colombo and it also sailed here via the Cape of Good Hope.

The ship was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co Ltd in Geoje, and registers 151,446 gt and 162,422 dwt with a capacity of 13,830 TEU. It has 800 reefer points on deck for 40 ft containers.

To complete the day's ship movements the autocarrier Marvelous Ace also sailed. It was covered fully in yesterday's post when it arrived from Emden with a cargo of cars from the Volkswagen family. See https://shipfax.blogspot.com/2025/05/you-look-marvelous.html

 .

 

CMA CGM arrives and CCGS sails

 The large container ship CMA CGM Lapérouse arrived today on the Ocean Alliance service from Colombo via the Cape of Good Hope. This is not the ship's first visit to Halifax, but due to its size it was still a noteworthy visitor. [See also: July 20, 2022 and March 25, 2023.]

As usual for large ships, it took the deep water, western channel inbound and had three tugs - two as tethered stern escorts (Atlantic Beaver and Atlantic Bear) and one well forward (Atlantic Oak) . The tugs could be seen assisting the ship to make the dog leg turns in the channel and also to turn the ship off the berth.

 Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co built the ship at Okpo in 2010. At 151,446 gt, 165,422 dwt, it has a capacity of 13,800 TEU. 

CMA CGM is the name of the ship's owners and the initials form part of the ship's name.

On the other hand CCGS stands for the Canadian Coast Guard Ship and vessels of that fleet are given the "CCGS" title in recognition of government service, but it forms no part of the ships' actual names.

The largest ship of the CCG fleet is CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent which has been at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax since June 19 following a refit at the Davie shipyard in Lévis, QC. It sailed today as the CMA CGM Lapérouse was arriving. It is likely preparing for arctic operations but may also be testing some scientific equipment as the ship usually carries out reseach while in the far north.

The tug Atlantic Bear works to swing the stern of the CMA CGM LaPérouse as the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent slips by outbound for sea.

.

CMA CGM Lapérouse

The Ocean Alliance / Columbus JAX service brought in another Ultra size ship to PSA Halifax's Atlantic Gateway today, March 25. This time it is the CMA CGM Lapérouse, a 13,880 TEU ship, with reefer plugs for 800 TEU.

 

Built in 2010 by Daewoo SB + ME, Okpo, it is a 151,446 gt, 165,442 dwt ship, and as usual with ships of that size has the split superstructure with bridge and accommodation forward of midships.

The ship is named for the French naval officer and explorer Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse (1741-1788?). In his early naval career he was on re-supply ships to Louisbourg in 1757 and 1758 and in 1782 he captured Fort York and Fort Prince of Wales in Hudson Bay.

However he was better known for his expedition to the Pacific in which he was never seen again after sailing from Australia in early 1788. His disappearance was the mystery of the century and it was not until 1826 that some wreckage of his ships was found on the Vanikoro Islands  in the Solomon Islands. More was learned in expeditions of 1964, 2005 and 2008. It is believed that some members of the expedition survived for an extended time, but probably died in conflict with the local population.

The Lapérouse mystery was on many minds, including that of King Louis XVI who, on the day of his execution, January 21, 1793, is reported to have asked "Any news of Lapérouse?"

.

Sunday Round up

 After postponing its arrival yesterday, the Ultra size container ship CMA CGM Lapérouse arrived today (October 16) at PSA Halifax's Atlantic Hub. 

Built in 2010 by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co Ltd in Okpo, South Korea, it is a 151,446 gt, 165,422 dwt vessel with a capacity of 13,880 TEU, including 800 reefers.

The ship is named for the famed French naval officer and explorer of the South Pacific Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse. He vanished and was presumed killed in the Solomon Islands in 1788. It is perhaps less well known that Lapérouse had a Canada and even a Nova Scotia connection. In 1757 and 1758 he was on supply ships from France to Louisbourg and in 1759 was wounded in the Battle of Quiberon Bay (in Brittany) taken prisoner by the British and exchanged for the release of emprisoned British. It was this battle, two months after the fall of Quebec, that gave Britain naval supremacy and prevented France from invading England.

In 1782 he captured Prince of Wales and York forts in Hudson Bay. His disappearance in 1788 while retracing Captain's Cook's South Pacific trips was one of the great enduring mysteries in French exploration history- rivalling that of Franklin in British history. Expeditions in 1826, 1964, 2005 and 2008 finally determined that he was shipwrecked on Vanikoro Island but the actual location of his death (likely at the hands of the local population, but possibly from starvation) will likely never be known.[Pardon this lengthy diversion, but I have been fascinated by the Lapérouse since childhood.]

Frustrated by awkward photo angles of the ship Iberian Bulker at Pier 28, (see previous posts) I was finally able to get an underway view as it sailed just at dusk this evening. It gave the River Tyne as destination for its cargo of wood pellets.

The ship's lights were on, including illumination over the pilot ladder, just below number four crane. Earlier in the afternoon I was able to get a good view of the Lauritzen funnel mark - a very distinctive design of long standing.

The Danish firm of J.Lauritzen traces its origins to 1884 when Ditlev Lauritzen started a shipping company to carry timber for his father's lumber and building supply business. Ditlev was still a minor at the time, so the company was incorporated under the name of his father Jøhan. Since then the company has been involved in arctic shipping, fishing, refrigerated cargo, bulk cargo, tankers (including LNG), passenger ferries (DFDS) and many others. It is still privately held by a family foundation.

Also sailing today was the tanker Algoterra. After unloading product at Imperial oil, it moved this morning to Pier 9C where it refueled from trucks.

Once topped up, the ship headed out into Bedford Basin, turned round, then made for sea, giving Sept-Iles, QC as it next port of call. 

The ship shows lots of "lock rash" from frequent St.Lawrence Seaway trips. Its orange hull paint is gradually becoming shabby. As mentioned in some previous posts the ship was built in 2010 by Jiangnan, Shanghai as the 11,889 gt, 16,512 dwt Louise Knutsen. It carried the name Louise K for a time in 2019 when  it was sold to Algoma Tankers, and before it was renamed Algoterra. ("Terra" for Terra Nova aka Newfoundland)

The orange hull paint is the Knudsen Product Tanker company colour and is likely to last to the next scheduled drydocking.

.