Geysir - problem solved

A dispute over the cost of a refit to the US flag cargo ship Geysir has been resolved according to an article in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald today.
The ship went into refit at Shelburne shipyard in 2012, but when the owners disputed additional costs, and refused to pay, Irving Shipbuilding Inc, the parent company of the shipyard, suspended work on the ship and had the vessel arrested until matters could be resolved. The press report goes on to say that the matter was settled in August, work has been re-started and the ship may be sailing soon. ( In recent weeks the ships AIS signal has again been activated - also a good sign.)
It should be noted that AIS records show the ship in Norfolk on December 25, 2012, but that is clearly an error. The work started in April 2012 and the ship has been in Shelburne ever since.

1. Geysir on the slip at Shelburne July 14, 2012.

The little ship has had an eventful career, which included a few unscheduled calls in Halifax. It started life at the Equitable Shipyard in Madisonville, LA, in 1980 as one of those rare US built cargo ships.At 2266 gross tons, 2000 tonnes deadweight, and with a capacity of 99 TEU it was originally named Amazonia for trade with Brazil. That service failed and the ship was seized the the US Maritime Administration over unpaid loans.

In 1984 its name became Rainbow Hope  and it began service to Iceland, carrying US military cargoes. This began a long saga, well summarized by Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Geysir
In the late 1990s it went to Norwegian owners and traded as Juno for a short time. It returned to the US flag and took its current name in 2000 with owners TransAtlantic Lines Shipholding of West Palm Beach, FL (they have since relocated to Greenwich, CT). It then resumed trade between the US and Iceland until the US base in Keflavik was closed in 2006. Since then it was been running between Norfolk, VA and the Azores, suggesting some amount of military cargo. That contract was due to expire during 2012.
There is much more detail on the ownership and its history on the Wikipedia site.

On October 31, 2001 it made its first appearance in Halifax, when it came in for repairs. After 12 hours at anchor it was able to sail again.
Then on January 26, 2004 it arrived again, this time to restow a shifted cargo of pipe.

2. A shore crane was brought in to assist in re-stowing cargo below deck.The ship was originally fitted with two 20 tonne cranes, but they had been removed. A lot of ice had to be chipped away to access the hold.

There is also an 8 minute video on You Tube of the ship in Hurricane Danielle in 2010.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqaVFTZub_w

It will be interesting to see what is next for the ship after it leaves Shelburne.

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CCGS Corporal McLaren M.M.V.

The newest Canadian Coast Guard cutter, CCGS Corporal McLaren M.M.V., was registered in Ottawa on October 28, signifying that it has been handed over by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. The boat is still alongside the pier 9B fitting out berth,but it has conducted sea trials and boat trials. The latter involved launching the fast rescue craft and rendez-vousing with a civilian helicopter on October 24. I have never seen this particular trial carried out before.

1. Heading for the Basin, October 24, with the crew readying the fast rescue craft for trials.

2. Non-military, non-CCG helicopter passes over the FRC, which is hidden from the camera, on the other side of the ship.

3. A high speed turn left a standing wake at least two feet high. These boats make an impressive sight at speed.

4, During trials, and before handover, the ship flies the Irving Shipbuilding Inc flag.

CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent - Things that go bump in the ice

The Harper government took a break today from its usual press releases regarding the War of 1812 (isn't it over yet?) by announcing some preliminary contracts for the Joint Support Ships, fisheries research vessels and the new icebreaker to be named CCGS John G. Diefenbaker. The statement released in Vancouver, is short on detail, but amounts to $15.7mn for somebody. Since the construction work will take place on the West coast, that is why the announcement was made there, but if it is design work, we're not sure where it will actually be done.
The announcement including the startling statement that delivery of CCGS John G. Diefenbaker will coincide with the decommissioning of CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, skilfully avoids saying when that will be. It was supposed to be in 2017, but it looks like it may be farther off than that if they are unwilling to give a date in a press release.
Speaking of the Louis, word reaches me that she may now be out of service for a time due a puncture in her bow. This was apparently acquired while assisting the broken down cargo ship Maple Lea somewhere north of PEI.
The ship was outbound from Summerside, PE when it lost all power February 17 and began to drift. The tugs Atlantic Beech and Spanish Mist managed to take the ship in tow, but somehow Louis S. St-Laurent and Maple Lea came into contact resulting in  holes in the ship's stern and Louis's bow.
The whole bunch arrived safely in Sydney last night where the fallout is now beginning to rain down.
It is difficult to get direct news on this story, but it would appear that yet again we have a Canadian government ship with a hole in it in Sydney.
The Louis certainly has battle scars, including that long crease in her starboard side near the stern, that has been there for many years - I've never heard how she got that one, but she will certainly have some downtime after this latest incident, and just when she is badly needed for Gulf ice work.

It was also revealed today that Halifax Shipyard will be allowed to bid on major refits of CCGS Earl Grey, Edward Cornwallis and  Sir William Alexander. It was originally thought that being awarded the big contract would make the yard ineligible for work on smaller ships. Is this a subtle way of telling Irving that maybe the contract isn't going to be as full as it once was?
Since all information on the shipbuilding contracts is now being released by the government only, and both ISI and Seaspan are under strict gag orders, only time will tell.

Halifax Shipyard - No Good News

CCGS Labrador in Halifax Shipyard's graving dock.

The first RCN vessel to transit the Northwest Passage, it was the navy's last arctic class ship when decommissioned in 1957 and handed over the Department of Transport.

A noted defence analyst sounded warning bells in today’s local newspaper about the much touted naval shipbuilding program at Halifax Shipyard.


Irving Shipbuilding hasn’t had much good news to report recently. With their Georgetown (Eastisle) yard shut down and little work in Shelburne (Shelburne Ship Repair) and much of its workforce now laid off, and the sudden departure of Halifax Shipyard’s CEO, the signing of a new labour agreement in Halifax with the CAW union should have been a bright spot this week.

However it is overshadowed by the possibility that a big change may be coming in the much touted Defence Procurement program.

The big shipbuilding agreement saw Halifax “the winner” with the award of the arctic patrol vessels (up to eight ships) and the frigate replacement (12 ships) but it now seems that the arctic patrol component may be canned.

In recent rumblings in Ottawa, from the Minister of National Defence among others, it seems that the Canadian Coast Guard will become an Armed Force, and will given the defence of the arctic - something the navy has had no experience with since the 1950s. At that time their icebreaker HMCS Labrador, was yanked from them and handed to the Department of Transport (later becoming the Coast Guard.) Powerful factions in the RCN have always shunned the arctic as beneath their dignity, but creating a new Armed Force seems an extreme way of dealing with these snobs. It seems more likely that political pressure from the US for border security and all sorts of environmental/ sovereignty/ and arctic navigation issues are at the root of the “armoring up” of the CCG.

This would mean cancellation of the Navy’s arctic patrol vessels in Halifax Shipyard, and adding ships to the Polar icebreaker program with Vancouver’s Seaspan Shipyard. The boats planned for Halifax were compromise ships, with reduced endurance/ice capability to offset the need for speed, weight of armour and weapons. The CCG wants long endurance heavy icebreakers that could work year round in any conditions, and with relatively light armament. This would be easy to achieve by building more Diefenbaker class icebreakers (only one had been planned originally.) With the USA in severe compromise for heavy arctic ships, and extended navigation in the arctic, this would make excellent sense.

But what a kick in the pants for Halifax!

So what will happen? According the analyst, Halifax will need a lot of work to make up the gap between the end of the Hero class and the ramp up to the start of the frigates, but there is no sign of anything yet. Much scrambling is in order, and much uncertainty is ahead for Halifax-in my prediction, lasting for two or three years at least. Worst case scenario - a major strategic alliance with a proven foreign hi-tech shipbuilder and the farming out of the really lucrative work.

Best case scenario? Nothing in sight.
\
Too bad.

Big Day

So today was the big day for the Federal Government's $35 billion shipbuilding announcement. The announcement came just after 5 pm Halifax time (ADT).

At first it was reported that the announcement would be made following the close of the stock markets - not sure why this should be - oh, yes, Seaspan is a publicly traded corporation. Irving Shipbuilding is privately owned, and Davie is, well, under creditor protection. Davie's new parents Daewoo and Upper Lakes Group are not publicly traded as far as I can determine, and the yard is under creditor protection until the end of October.
In a very dry pronouncement the bureaucrat tasked with reporting on the selection process finally got to the point:
Irving Shipbuilding (Halifax Shipyard) gets the plum contract, the construction of the combat vessels- namely 3 destroyers, 12 frigates and 3 arctic patrol vessels.
Seaspan (Vancouver Shipyard) gets the non-combat portion of the work, namely two support ships (with an option for third) a polar icebreaker, a hydrographic survey ship, etc.,
Davie Quebec is out of the running, but eligible for other contracts for the Coast Guard, fisheries, etc., from which the other two yards are excluded.
This is wonderful news for Halifax of course, and seems to be the most reasonable one too- and apparently free from political interference.

By coincidence the Icelandic patrol vessel that visited Halifax over night left early this afternoon.
The Canadian three ship arctic patrol vessels will look very similar, and they are expected to be the first ships to be built by Halifax.
Although they will be even larger, they will be of a similar configuration to Thor.
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Ottawa Press Release-printed verbatim

Results of Shipbuilding Qualification Process


For immediate release


OTTAWA, Ontario, October 8, 2010 – On behalf of Public Works and Government Services Canada, the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy Secretariat today announced the results of a Solicitation of Interest and Qualification process to build large vessels for Canada under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. Five Canadian shipyards have been short-listed to build these large vessels. They are:

Davie Yards Inc., Lévis, QC
Irving Shipbuilding Inc., Saint John, NB
Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd., North Vancouver, BC
Kiewit Offshore Services - a division of Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co., Milton, ON
Seaway Marine & Industrial Inc., St. Catharines, ON

These shipyards will be invited to participate in the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, and will meet with the National Shipbuilding Procurement Secretariat on Tuesday, October 12 in Ottawa. Canada will establish a strategic relationship with two Canadian shipyards: one yard will be selected to build combat vessels while the other yard will build non-combat vessels, creating jobs in various regions of the country.

The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy is the result of extensive consultations with the Canadian marine and shipbuilding industry and will help to revitalize Canadian shipyards and build ships for the Navy and the Coast Guard here in Canada. It was launched on June 3, 2010.
To ensure the fairness, openness and transparency of this procurement process, two industry days have already been held and a first meeting with the short-listed shipyards is planned for October 12, 2010. In addition, a fairness monitor is participating in the selection process and an internationally recognized third-party expert will benchmark the capability and performance of the short-listed Canadian shipyards. Finally, a leading consulting firm has been engaged to provide expert advice on the procurement process. The selection of the two winning shipyards is expected in spring 2011.

More information about the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy is available at: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/sam-mps/snacn-nsps-eng.html.

Scotiadock II: glug, glug, glug.......

1. Today-on the bottom. (That is HMCS Iroquois visible in the background.)

2. April 30, 2010 - happier days.

3. June 9, 1998 arriving Halifax for the first time. Front left: Atlantic Cedar, front right: Atlantic Oak, stern: Atlantic Hemlock. Off to the left: Slipway II.

It's not unheard of, but it is most unusual, that a floating drydock ceases to float and sinks -to the bottom. This is what happened today to Irving Shipbuilding's Scotia Dock II floating drydock.

Moored in its usual position at Halifax Shipyard, the drydock went down to where its top rails are just below the surface. When the top picture was taken the north end of the top rail was just clear of the water, but it later was seen to be underwater.

Although the dock is boomed off, salvage operations have yet to begin in earnest. It will be interesting to see how this is accomplished.

Scotia Dock II (as it appears in the register, but commonly referred to as Scotiadock II) was built in 1958 by Canadian Vickers Ltd in Montreal and served that once important shipyard until it closed in 1986. It was named General Georges P. Vanier, for Major General Georges-Philéas Vanier (1888-1967) war hero (MC and DSO), diplomat and Governor General of Canada (1959-1967.)

The drydock was towed to Halifax in 1998 by Atlantic Cedar (i), Atlantic Oak (i) and Atlantic Hemlock, stopping over in Gaspé June 5 and arriving in Halifax June 9.

It was refitted and re-measured to its current 15,692 gross tons and renamed. (A previous drydock was called Scotiadock.)

Since then it has docked its share of ships, but has been idle for several months. It is understood from previous press accounts that its cranes were to be modernized as part of a major project at Halifax Shipyard. In fact its cranes had just been repainted. (April 30 photos shows one in the orginal blue and one in yellow)

Stay tuned for further developments.