Big Sendoff

 The Royal Canadian Navy organized a ceremonial departure this morning as three ships sailed for the Joint Warrior exercises in Europe. The ships went to Bedford Basin first where they formed up in line then made for sea. There was no doubt a formal salute as they passed HMC Dockyard. With helos buzzing about overhead and even an Aurora aircraft from CFB Greenwood flying past, it was a major send off.

HMCS Ville de Quebec was lead ship, followed by HMCS Halifax and the chartered supply ship Asterix.

The ships also passed west of George's Island allowing a close up view for well wishers and families on the Halifax side of the harbour.

It was just a month over thirty years ago when there was another major send off in Halifax. On August 24, 1990 three RCN ships sailed for the Arabian Gulf.  Canada joined a 35 nation coalition in the Gulf War., in retaliation for Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait. Canada's contribution was called Operation Friction and was part of the US lead Desert Shield/ Desert Storm. In addition to aircraft, Canada sent three ships from Halifax, andHMCS Huron from Esquimalt, all on very short notice.

 

 HMCS Athabaskan

 

HMCS Terra Nova

(with salute from CFAV Firebird)

HMCS Protecteur

It was the first time Canada's military has participated in offensive combat since the Korean conflict, so the sendoff was spectacular, with Sea King helicopters in formation, many spectator craft in the harbour including Bluenose II, and crowds lining the shores.

We should hope that it will not be necessary to go to war again, but is important that the Canadian forces remain prepared. Military exercises are part of that effort, so we wish the participants well and a safe return.

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Best Deal in Town

The Best Deal in Town to me has always been a ferry trip across Halifax Harbour. Although the price has increased over the years, the $1.75 one way price also entitles you to a transfer to bus routes for no additional charge.
Today was an exceptional day for the end of January - mostly sunny, little wind and and a temperature several degrees above zero. It was ideal for a quick round trip errand to Dartmouth - over, errand and back in one hour.

I went to Dartmouth on Craig Blake the second of the second generation ferries, completed in 2015.
 

 Among the features of this revised design is the larger wheelhouse, and exhaust stacks.

The new design wheelhouse has more room, but also better visibility of the approaches and the landing stages. (The flag on the left is the Acadian flag, a french tricolour differenced with a gold star.)

 The original 1978 version on Halifax III (which was on the Woodside run today, with Woodside I) had a much smaller pilothouse, which was offset to one side to allow for "eyebrows" on the landing stages. These shelters have now been removed to suit the newer ferries.

I returned on the newest of the second generation boats, Viola Desmond.

 Delivered to Halifax  by the builders, A.F.Thériault + Son Ltd, from Meteghan River June 12, 2016, it entered service July 7.

This was my first trip aboard, so I took the opportunity of photographing the plaque that commemorates the vessels namesake.

There was no passing shipping during my trip, but there were views of ships nevertheless. At HMC Dockyard, HMCS Athabaskan was alongside.

The last survivor of the Tribal class vessels, it is also Canada's only destroyer. By current estimates, when it is decommissioned, the RCN will be without a destroyer, and the command capabilities that go with it, for as much as ten if not fifteen years.

On the Dartmouth side, the former Canadian Coast Guard base, in the process of transformation to an ocean research centre, is the winter berth for several vessels.

The research ships Leeway Odyssey (red hull) and Coriolis II ( blue, white, yellow hull) have been joined in recent days by the Secunda Marine supplier Scotian Sea. It had been working for Shell Oil's exploration program with Stena IceMAX . That programn has been wound up, the drill ship has offloaded all its drill pipe and has now sailed for Las Palmas. en route to its next assignment.

Also tied up at the base are the retired first generation ferry Dartmouth III and the supplier Trinity Sea (out of the not picture to the right).

At the Alderney landing dock the first of the second generation ferries Christopher Stannix (delivered in 2014), was enjoying a day off.  It received its paint scheme before Metro Transit and Halifax itself was re-branded with the cross bar-free letter A. It thus escaped the dazzle paint scheme reminiscent of World War I that its later fleetmates received (see above). I hope the next two ferries - to be delivered in 2017 and 2018 will have another variation, (World War II camo perhpas?)  just because it is nice to be able to distinguish between them.

Astern is the Dartmouth-built trawler yacht Full Steam and alongside the seawall the tug Gulf Spray is laid up for the winter. It will be back at work in April shuttling refuse scows to cruise ships.

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Weekend catch up

Yesterday's weather meant that today was a catch up day for several ships, and for Shipfax too.

The tanker Acadian made it into port last evening, and apparently has not resolved the engine problems it had last week. It tied up at pier 27, not at the Irving Oil Woodside terminal.

The Nirint Lines charter Atlantic Pioneer arrived after dark last evening and worked its nickel cargo all


 day today. It has called here with three different names, Atlantic Pioneer, Ongeo Pioneer and now Atlantic Pioneer. I have covered the ship before and the interesting connection one of the those names has with Halifax:

http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2011/03/federal-pioneer-fourth.html
http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2015/11/bumper-to-bumper-at-piers-27-and-28-and.html

The 9034 TEU container ship UASC Zamzam arrived this morning (it would normally have called on a Saturday) and sailed late this afternoon. It held the record for largest container ship to call in Halifax for a brief time this year, but was soon eclipsed by CMA CGM Tage at 9365 TEU - both running for the CMA CGM Columbus Loop service, with COSCO. Owners of UASC (United Arab Shipping Company) saw an opportunity to cash in and  sold the line to Hapag-Lloyd for $5.6 bn earlier this year. It is expected that OOCL will join this loop and UASC will exit early in the new year.

As UASC Zamzam was leaving, the Panama flag auto carrier Oregon Highway was arriving. It was due yesterday, but held off until today.The Panama flag ship, built in 2007 by Toyohashi Ship Building in Japan, measures 57,147 grt, but only 17,699 deadweight.

Meanwhile at anchor, with divers working, Energy Panther made its second call in Halifax in as many weeks. It appears to be in ballast.

There was also an exodus of offshore suppliers today, with Siem Hanne and Scotian Sea sailing.

I normally cover tug, supply and workboats in my Tugfax.

I also recognize that I have been neglecting the Royal Canadian Navy of late. That is not intentional.

I have not mentioned that HMCS Iroquois weill be scrapped in Liverpool. That is not news now, but it is a a sad end to plans that Sorel-Tracy had to use the ship to interpret their lengthy shipbuilding history. It is amazing to think that a ship that so recently been decommissioned was in such deplorable condition that it was not safe to use for public display.

I hope that HMCS Athabaskan is in better condition. It certainly still looked impressive, when it arrived and made a graceful turned around George's Island and put out to sea again last Monday.

I also failed to mention that HMCS Preserver paid off officially October 21. No mention has been made of where it will be scrapped, but there has been talk that some of its cargo transfer gear might be transplanted onto HMCS Queenston, the "interim" supply ship under conversion at Davie Quebec. It was also reported that the gear from HMCS Protecteur would be used, but I have heard no more on that topic. It seems to me however that any such equipment would be easier to relocate directly ship to ship.

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Kuwait liberated 25 years ago

A military ceremony today recognized the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait. The Gulf War - it was then called the Persian Gulf, but is now more frequently called the Arabian Gulf, saw Canada participating in a war for the first time in a generation.
The RCN hastily updated three ships and in a major send off August 24, 1990 they sailed from Halifax. The waterfront was lined with spectators and well wishers and the harbour was choked with pleasure craft. The skies were also busy with numerous Sea Kings flying off.

HMCS Athabaskan, Terra Nova and Protecteur sailed from Halifax August 24, 1990. Note the bow gun has reappeared on Protecteur , It had been removed due to its exposed position when it was damaged by high seas.

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Shipfax unveils its defence policy

My posting on the subject of Mistral class ships for the RCN ( September 22 ) brought in several comments - both agreeing and disagreeing with my opinion - all well reasoned and all civilized. Thank you for that - they were very informative.

Nevertheless I am not publishing any of them, since most were anonymous.

Shipfax is not a forum for discussion - sorry I don't have the temperament to be a moderator, nor the time to reply to comments in any sort of timely manner. There are other places for all that.

Shipfax is a way for me to show some pictures and tell about some ships that interest me. I always welcome correction on facts and will endeavor to update posts that contain errors.

So now that I have published my defence policy, here is a picture.

HMCS Athabaskan storms out of Halifax harbour September 14 - what a great sight - and no outward indication of what a heroic job the crew and Dockyard do to keep the old jalopy running.

P.S. France has sold the two ex Russian Mistrals to Egypt. Bullet dodged.

 

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BIG Changes

It is a time of big changes in Halifax's port and on many other fronts.

To pick up where I left off, the veteran ferry Princess of Acadia was laid up in Saint John after its replacement Fundy Rose came into service. After de-storing by operators Bay Ferries, and their corporate symbols were painted over, it was handed over to owner, the Minister of Transport.

Saint John is not an ideal layup port, due to its high tides, requiring a lot of line tending. On September 11, it arrived in Halifax where it tied up at the old Coast Guard base in Dartmouth. That unused facility is still government property, so presumably there are no berthing fees, and Halifax's feeble tides require very little line tending.

  

Still handsome, but looking bare without its Bay Ferries markings, and still wearing storm shields over the lounge windows, Princess of Acadia awaits its fate. A sale for scrap is almost certain, but it may take a while.

 Halifax Shipyard finally rid itself of the decommissioned Novadock floating drydock. Its Canada registry was closed August 18 and it has been renamed F.D. Novadock under an undisclosed foreign flag, likely St.Vincent and the Grenadines. As reported in Halifax Shipping News, a flotilla of McKeil tugs moved the dock to the IEL pier in Dartmouth, where it has since been cut into two sections.

Novadock was originally built in two sections (not the same two sections which it now appears) by Marine Industries Ltd in Sorel and Ferguson Industries in Pictou, for the government of Nova Scotia. It was intended to bring Panamax ships to Halifax for repairs. It certainly did that, and when Irving Shipbuilding took over the yard, they also gained ownership of the Novadock.

Following award of the  National Shipbuilding contract for naval vessels, Halifax Shipyard rapidly lost  interest in ship repair in Halifax. (Irving Shipbuilding Inc still operates its smaller repair yard in Shelburne.)
With demolition of its older facilities and during construction of the new assembly building, the yard had no facilities available for ship repair anyway. The Novadock will not be replaced per se, but a new launching dock will be required for the new construction. No announcement has been made on where it will be procured or when.

With Novadock gone from the Shipyard, the full extent of the mammoth new building is revealed in all its splendour.

Steel has now been cut for the first hull under the new shipbuilding program and the first module is underway.

More work remains to the roll out area to the north, where the new Pier 6 cope wall is now under construction, and work has started on the huge roll out pad.

Changes are also underway at the Angus L. Macdonald bridge where the deck replacement project is about to begin in earnest.

Atlantic Cartier [see below] passes beneath the bridge, denuded of its walkway and bike lane and fitted with a traveler for the work, the bridge is ready for its first new deck section starting next weekend.

 The Cherubini dock is all set up to transport the sections with their giant crane and chartered barges.

Atlantic Container Line has started the process of retiring its G3 ships, with Atlantic Concert the first to go. It arrived off the Bhavnagar anchorage in India September 5. The first new G4 ship, Atlantic Star, was registered in England September 1. It is still at the shipyard Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai, but is due for imminent delivery, followed every two months by is four sisters.

ACL'S schedule still shows Atlantic Concert's next call in Halifax on October 18, so that is the likely arrival date for the first new ship.

A sight soon to be no more, Atlantic Cartier  clear of the Narrows and heading on a course to pass east of George's Island.

More big ships are coming. Ships of the size of  Ningbo Express and OOCL Southampton are joined by CMA CGM ships as lines try to increase efficiency and as the "superships" displace the merely big or not so big on the main trade routes.

Some other changes noted after my return from my August vacation:

McNally Marine has started work on the new HMC Dockyard Jetty under the Macdonald bridge, to accommodate the Arctic Offshore patrol vessels.

Work continues on the new Irving Oil dock in Woodside, also by McNally. Irving Oil has taken delivery of the refurbished Acadian now fitted with an exhaust gas scrubber, just like sister East Coast, both under Canadian flag. As soon as the new dock is completed, Irving ships will  no longer call at the Esso docks.

Of the Marshall Islands pair of the Irving quartet, Great Eastern has now gone to Gibraltar for its similar refit and New England has a Canadian coasting license until September 26.

The navy has revealed the desperate condition of the Athabaskan (no surprise) but it has gone to sea again in recent days.

With no operational supply ship to support its fleet, the RCN is turning to Davie to rebuild a container ship as an interim supplier. Preserver is now a floating feul depot in the Dockyard, no longer moving under its own power when it shifts from one berth to another.

There are other changes too, but perhaps the more relevant here is the upcoming change to Shipfax as I transition to a more relaxed format, but more on that later.

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HMC Iroquois and Athabaskan (correction Algonquin) , the final indignity (almost)

It was announced that HMCS Athabaskan Algonquin* and Iroquois will be paid off May 1. Neither ship will be given a traditional sail past, nor the opportunity to fly a paying off pennant. Instead the ships will remain firmly moored to their piers. There will be a parade and some other ceremonies shoreside.

This is certainly an indignity and is not in the tradition of the RCN, and has offended not just traditionalists, but many who have served on the ships. Saying goodbye to a a ship that has served well is important. Once paid off the ship becomes an inanimate object awaiting its final indignity, which usually involves towing it away to a scrap yard. Before that happens however, sailors believe that, like the crew, the ship must be paid off properly, parading (in the form of a sail past) and saluting the Admiral and other worthy dignitaries.In taking the salute, the Admiral on behalf of the entire navy shows respect for the ship and its contribution.

HMCS Fraser flying a paying off pennant that extended well beyond the ship's stern, glides up and down Halifax harbour accompanied by a Sea King helicopter and the fireboat, had a proper paying off sail past October 5, 1994.

Her decks crowded with former crew and families, Nipigon pays off July 3, 1998.

It would be a shame if we were not to see this ceremony again in Halifax. Perhaps there is unwillingness to draw attention to the fact that we will have a destroyerless navy once Athabaskan  Algonquin* and Iroquois are gone.

Halifax has seen a lot of paying off ceremonies, all to few of which I was able to witness,  but I have seen most of the tow outs to scrappers, and I have assembled a Tugfax post on the tugs that were given that grim task. It will appear in a few days.

I stand corrected: It is Algonquin on the west coast that s being decommissioned - not Athabaskan. In fact that ship will be participating in Caribbean Ops, but is being kept going with cannibalized parts from Iroquois.

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