Malmnes makes a move

1. Malmnes lies at anchor in Bedford Basin, with Bedford Magazine in the background.

The small self-unloading bulker Malmnes finally made a move this morning after a lengthy repair session at Pier 9A. The Norwegian flagged vessel arrived July 28 and during the last 6 weeks had a major overhaul, which included removal and reinstallation of the unloading boom.

A frequent caller in Halifax for bunkers and repairs, she was also in port for repairs in March.

The ship usually carries crushed stone out of Cape Porcupine, but has been known to carry some other cargoes, such as a load of wood pellets in 2005, and china clay in 2007.

The ship is now anchored in the long term anchorages in Bedford Basin, awaiting the next assignment.

See comment below: Malmnes may well be a victim of the problems at the New Page paper mill in Point Tupper (Port Hawksbury) The mill and its parent company in the US have received creditor protection fom the courts. Citing high power costs, and a depressed world market for fine coated paper, the Point Tupper mill will continue to operate for a time in hopes of finding a buyer. As the major industry in the area, there is grave concern about the future of the mill. The many creditors (which may include the owners of the Malmnes) may have a hard time collecting on their bills if no buyer is found and the mill closes.

There she goes - here she comes.

1. Malmnes passes beneath the MacKay bridge for the Basin.

2. After turning she heads back down the harbour for sea.

Repairs complete at pier 9A the self-unloader Malmnes sailed this afternoon. She was berthed bow north, so rather than try to turn in the Narrows, she sailed out into Bedford Basin, turned there, then headed to sea.

The well named Narrows would be too narrow to turn in without a tug in today's windy conditions.

This move gave a good opportunity to see her self-unloading gear from a couple of different angles.

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Malmnes in for servicing

1. Malmnes at pier 9A with service vehicles alongside, including a suction truck and a welder.
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The small self-unloader Malmnes, a frequent caller in Halifax for bunkers, this time tied up alongside pier 9A. The ship usually remains at anchor and is gone in a few hours. However about once a year it shows up for day or two and has some necessary tank cleaning and other work done.

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Running pretty consistently from the Strait of Canso to southern destinations, it has been a regular since it was built in 1993.

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For other views, and details of the ship, so postings of November 15, 2009 and November 30, 2010. [Enter Malmnes in the Search box to the left.]
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Malmnes, off again

The small self-unloading bulk carrier Malmnes is a regular caller in Halifax for bunkers. The ship often loads stone at Auld's Cove on the Strait of Canso and calls in Halifax to top up her fuel tanks before loading. The ship usually heads south, often to the Caribbean, to discharge her cargo. She has a small slewing boom conveyor mounted amidships, which allows her to place the stone precisely where needed.

Stone is a rare commodity on some of the sandy islands and is used as a base underlay for the construction of foundations, roads, airports and port facilities.

Malmnes is registered under the Norwegian International Register, but is owned by Erik Thun AB of Sweden. It was built in 1993 and measures 5883 gross tons, 9891 tonnes deadweight.

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Malmnes

The small Norwegian bulk carrier Malmnes is visiting pier 9. The ship is a self-unloader, specializing in carrying stone. It often loads on the Strait of Canso and heads for the Caribbean. On its last trip to Halifax in October it headed to Brazil. The ship's own conveyor system is capable of discharging its cargo quite precisely, so it is often used to deliver the stone directly to a new wharf or pier or other marine structure.

Built in 1993 she measures 5,883 gross tons, with a deadweight tonnage of 9,891.

Usually when she stops over for a few days she takes bunker fuel and ties up at the deep water piers, however this time she is at pier 9 because pier 31 will be occupied by Mattea (see above.)

She is shown arriving on November 13.