More Boister

Another boisterous day on Halifax harbour, and there was only one commercial arrival and no departures. Some ships that were due today have delayed arrival until tomorrow when things are expected to calm down.,

In the harbour traffic was limited to the usual ferry crossings between Halifax and Dartmouth, with Halifax Transit's newest vessel Rita Joe doing the honours. The boat was completed by A.F.Thériault in late September and arrived in Halifax ca. September 30. Although it entered service about October 22, it was not officially welcomed into the fleet until a ceremony on October 26.

Passengers enjoy a splashy trip from Dartmouth to Halifax. 

 

It is the last of the five boat replacement fleet built since 2014, and means that Woodside I, built in 1986, has been removed from service. Both Dartmouth III and Halifax III have been sold to Toronto Island Transit Services Inc, with the first named delivered to Toronto last year, and the second still sitting in Sambro, NS awaiting delivery. 

In the murky reaches of anchorage number 2, at the entrance to Eastern Passage, CCGS Sir William Alexander and CCGC Sambro, with a number of CCG RHIBs were conducting a Search and Rescue exercise, well beyond clear camera range from Halifax.

At HMC Dockyard HMCS Windsor was enjoying shore leave so to speak, on the synchrolift. The sub was away from Halifax all summer and is no doubt in need of some maintenance.

A white tent structure erected astern may be related to prop work.

Today's one arrival, San Adriano appears to have moved up a day, to allow for tomorrow's arrival at Halterm, CMA CGM Amazon, a 9288 TEU ship that would be unwieldy to berth in today's windy conditions.

.

Back on Watch

After a week away from Halifax, Shipfax is back on watch. (More on my Quebec trip in later posts)

The autocarrier Hoegh Transporter arrived at noon time today. Although it was built as far back as 1999 I had never seen the ship before. Originally it was named HUAL Transporter for then owners Hoegh-Ugland Autoliners. The ship came from Stocznia Gdynia in Poland and measures 57,757 grt, 21,400 dwt with a capacity of 6500 CEU.

Hoegh bought out Ugland's 50% of the joint venture in 2000 but the ship was not renamed renamed Hoegh Transporter until 2007. Since 2008 A.P.Moller (Maersk) has held a minority share in Hoegh Autoliners.


HMCS Windsor sailed early this afternoon. It had only returned to port June 20th after a five month deployment to the Mediterranean with NATO.

According to press info at that time it had largely been used for training with other navies, but also did patrol and tracking work. It has a crew of 59.Canada's small fleet of four subs will be kept running until the 2030s with major refits planned as a cheaper alternative to replacement.

.

A high level view of proceedings

There was concentrated activity in the harbour for a short period late this afternoon, and I took a high level view.

Outbound at the time was HMCS Windsor:
 

The cruise ship AIDAdiva cleared her berth at pier 20 and moved out into number one anchorage for a compass swing.

Windsor was able to squeak in between the ship and George's Island. (That is Oceanex Sanderling in the background at Autoport, loading for a mid-week trip to St.John's.)

All this activity caused NYK Deneb (Panama flag) to proceed inbound west of George's Island. Although not a large ship by current standards, it did make an impressive sight.

I have not been paying enough attention to the NYK ships of this class. No less than a dozen, all named for heavenly bodies, are NYK's contribution to the G6 Alliance. 
NYK Deneb was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan in 2007. The 4922 TEU ship measures 55,487 grt, 65,600 dwt. It is owned by Sumitomo Finance SMFL and operated by NYK Line.

Once AIDAdiva had completed its compass swing, it remained in the anchorage, but backed north, until the inbound Agios Minas (Liberian flag) had passed en route to Fairview Cove. It was able to take the usual path east of George's.

Built in 2001 as CMA CGM Ravel by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Ltd in Okpo. It is a 73,059 grt, 79,465 dwt ship with a 6627 TEU (including 500 reefers) capacity. It took its present name in 2014 when it returned to International Maritime Enterprise of Athens, after the CMA CGM charter.

Back at ground level again, the Norwegian Dawn was tied up at pier 22 (not pictured) and Celebrity SUMMIT stern in at pier 31.

 .

Mei Hua Hai

The Chinese flag bulker Mei Hua Hai arrived this morning for Asian Gypsy Moth inspection. The big ship came in via the western (deepwater) channel, which comes very close to the shore below York Redout.

The reason for the variation from the standard eastern channel was the arriving HMCS Windsor. To avoid having to overtake the Windsor in the narrow eastern channel, the bulker swung out into the western channel. Because of the dogleg in that channel around Middle Ground it is longer, and so Windsor was able to gain some ground and remain ahead.

It was a placid morning and the eider ducks moved away from the incoming sub,

and the bulker.

Mei Hua Hai was built in 2013 by Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing for Cosco Bulk of Tianjin. It measures 64,564 grt, 115,198 dwt. The ship remained in Number one anchorage for the inspection and sailed at noon for Port Cartier, QC to load iron ore.

.

HMC submarines at strength

The news earlier this week that HMCS Victoria was operational and had fired a test torpedo in February, and that HMCS Chicoutimi was also back in the water - both on the west coast- and frequent sightings of HMCS Windsor on this coast is the first good news on the subject for some time.
The story of Canada's ex Royal Navy subs has not been a happy one generally, but now that three of the four are up and running that focuses attention on the fourth sub. HMCS Corner Brook is probably facing a total rebuild or possibly scrapping after it grounded while submerged. Politically, scrapping would not be good news, so expect that it will be rebuilt - unfortunately draining needed resources from other navy activity.

HMCS Windsor sets out past snow covered Mount Hope, the site of the Nova Scotia Hospital.

For now at least we can enjoy seeing Windsor working out in the Halifax area, as it was this morning putting out to sea.

.

HMCS Windsor - heading south perhaps

We hear that HMCS Windsor is heading south for winter exercises and some repairs in the balmy climes of Florida. Today would be the perfect day to go - sunny, cold, with a major snow storm due tomorrow.

This morning Windsor was out in the midst of Bedford Basin, with the remnants of sea smoke lingering around her. I assume she was doing compass calibration in preparation for sea.

 
By mid morning Windsor was outbound for sea, still with a ring around the collar of frozen spray on her hull and tail fin. If she is heading south that will not last for long.

.

HMCS Windsor -carrying on, and RCN too

Canada's east coast submarine HMCS Windsor is exercising around Halifax, due to a restriction on activities.  It has been reported that the sub is confined to Canadian coastal waters due to a faulty generator. One of the boat's two generators has packed it in and must be removed and replaced. The restriction means that Windsor cannot participate in exercises in the south.
Windsor arrived this morning for a PAX transfer and sailed, just as the two cruise ships were arriving.  It returned later this afternoon, for another PAX transfer, then proceeded up west of George's Island to Bedford Basin.
And from correspondents:

•  Canada's west coast sub HMCS Victoria caused some excitement last week when it had to evacuate someone by CCGS lifeboat off Powell River. A SAR helicopter also responded. It has a hull dent acquired before joining the RCN, and is not able to fire torpedoes. Sorry - she can and does fire torpedoes. Contributed photo

•  The little RCN fleet visiting the UK has generated a lot of interest, particularly HMCS Preserver, with photos posted on numerous sites, and this video on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi1iK4bQLAc  She is sailing in company with HMCS St.John's and HMCS Iroquois.

 .

HMCS Windsor to the Basin with Sea Kings

HMCS Windsor made a jaunt to the Bedford Basin Friday afternoon to work with a pair of Sea Kings.

She has hoisted a white pennant about 6 feet long, with a red maple leaf on it, superior to the Canadian flag.

As one Sea King makes a closer approach a second flies around in a holding pattern.

HMCS Windsor and other navy news

1. HMCS Windsor

When HMCS Windsor put to sea yesterday (see photo) it represented the culmination of a huge refit program conducted by HMCS Cape Scott, the navy's repair arm in HMC Dockyard. The sub entered the Extended Docking Work Period  (EDWP) in 2007 and was expected to emerge in 2009. However virtually every one of the 200 systems aboard the boat required extensive work, and was not until April of 2012 that the sub re-entered the water. The work period ended officially December 13 and last weekend Windsor could be seen in Bedford Basin on the start of work-ups and trials, which include crew certification.
The sub will be fully operational during 2013, possibly as early as the first quarter.
Meanwhile on the west coast, HMCS Victoria is operational, HMCS Corner Brook will start its Extended Docking, with repair to grounding damage in 2013, and HMCS Chicoutimi will be assessed for fire damage and begin its rebuilding in 2013.
It had always been the intention to have two subs operational, one on each coast, and two in various stages of refit. The next EDWP for these subs will begin in 2016 and will extend to 2024, allowing about two years for each sub. By that  time of course we might be aware of more detailed plans for replacement. Discussion is underway, but it will be a long process to try and avoid some of the problems encountered with the acquisition of this class of subs. The long and sometimes sad story of the former Upholder class RN , and now Victoria class RCN subs is worthy of a much longer essay than I can give here. Suffice it to say however, that bringing Windsor back to service is a major milestone and achievement for the RCN.

2. HMCS Toronto ditto

After completing a very brief drydocking at Halifax Shipyard last week end HMCS Toronto has been preparing for its next assignment. This evening it headed for the Static Sound Range off Macnab's Island.  Range work is usually one of the last steps before the ship leaves port.

3. HMCS Preserver calls in civvy tug

HMCS Preserver arrived this evening from sea in gale conditions, with gusts of 40 knots and driving rain. Pilotage operations for commercial traffic were suspended by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority due to the weather, but this does not effect naval vessels who have their own berthing master/ docking pilots.
In view of the previous incident when Preserver allided with the Novadock floating drydock with extensive damage to both, the RCN called in the commercial tug Atlantic Larch to assist navy tugs to berth the ship at Jetty Hotel.
This underscores the need for new tugs in HMC Dockyard, and as reported lately in Tugfax http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2012/12/naval-large-tug-construction-project.html
 efforts are underway, or at least in their early stages, to acquire new tugs, with considerably more power, for events such as this.

4. HMCS Athabaskan

Meanwhile at Seaway Marine and Industrial in St.Catharines, ON, the tugs Ocean Delta and André H. have just departed (1930 AST) the shipyard with Athabaskan in tow for Halifax. Ocean Delta is the lead tug and will carry out the tow all the way to Halifax. It is not clear if André H. will come all the way. It may just assist with the Seaway Locks and river as far as the Cap-aux-Oies area. However with such an important tow, it would seen prudent to have two tugs along all the way.

HMCS Windsor - afloat once again

1. In February the cocoon that covered the sub all winter began to come off.

2. Once afloat in the synchrolift slip there was a fly past by a Sea King helicopter.

3. Tugs gingerly moved the sub around the end of the synchrolift to bring it alongside its fitting out berth.

4. Despite my secret camouflage vantage point, there was no avoiding power lines and wires.

After an age on the synchrolift HMCS Windsor is back in the water again today. The former HMS Unicorn, acquired by the RCN in 2001 and commissioned in 2003 has been in refit at HMC Dockyard, and out of the water, since 2007.

It may re-enter service by the end of 2012.

The slow process of lowering the boat down into the water and easing it out and alongside a jetty took all morning, and was ably handled by three Dockyard tugs.

.