Perils of the North - News and Update

 Following up on my September 12 post entitled Another Grounding :

With diminishing ice in the far north there has been a dramatic increase the amount of shipping activity in the Canadian arctic. All this activity is not without risk and this year there have been at least four instances of ships in trouble in the far north.

The first that I became aware of was the Dutch ship Tiberborg which went adrift in Baffin Bay in mid-August. A 14,695 gt, 21,303 dwt multi-purpose ship, rated Finnish / Swedish Ice Class 1A, it carries four 50 tonne SWL cranes to serve two box shaped holds with full width hatches. Built by Hudong Zhonghua in 2013, it is one of four sister ships in the Royal Wagenborg fleet. It has made several Northwest Passages, and this time had sailed from Baie-Comeau, QC August 4 and Matane, QC, August 8. (Those ports suggest it was carrying paper.)

The ship was taken in tow by the tug Beverly M 1 and towed back to Baie-Comeau, QC, arriving September 9, where presumably the problem was rectified. The ship then sailed from Baie-Comeau September 22, this time by a more southern route, transiting the Panama Canal October 4. It is now due in Osnan, South Korea on November 7. 

The sister ship Thamesborg as reported in the previous post, went aground September 6 (or 7th) off Tasmania Island in Franklin Strait, not a usual route, and seemingly poorly charted.  After lightering off some 5,000 tonnes of cargo to the Silver Copenhagen and the Canadian ship Nunalik it was refloated October 10 using the Estonian flag icebreaker Botnica and the Canadian tug Beverly M 1. Some dewatering of ballast tanks was also carried out. After survey in Pond Inlet, it was reported underway, taking the Bellot Strait, Gulf of Boothia / Brentford Bay route to avoid newly forming ice.

The ship was en route from China to Baie-Comeau, QC with a cargo of carbon blocks, some of which is still aboard. It is now due in Baie-Comeau October 24.

Meanwhile the ship Nunalik which had been on northern supply, and was to return to Bécancour, QC, stopped off in Baie-Comeau to discharge the lightered cargo and was on its way again Ocotober 15. Silver Copenhagen meanwhile (a refrigerated cargo ship, normally serving Greenland, and which may not have appropriate cargo handling gear) is also en route for Baie-Comeau and is due there October 24. The Beverly M 1 is accompanying and is also due October 24.

The Thamesborg sailing under its own power is making its way toward Baie-Comeau at 10.5 knots. On arrival, also October 24, it will presumably use its cargo cranes to off load the Silver Copenhagen. The Botnica is heading for St.John's (the Port of Entry for its Custom's clearance.) The ship had previously been granted a coasting license to assist late season shipping from the Baffinland / Mary River iron ore mine port of Milne Inlet. It will likely be heading back in that direction once cleared.

It is surprising how many other ships were in the vicinity and stood by or offered aid if needed.  Canadian Coast Guard ships that did assist were CCGS Jean Goodwill (which has since returned to Halifax October 3) and CCGS Des Groseilliers. Another Wagenborg fleetmate the Atlanticborg also en route from China (and presumably loaded with cargo), stood by for a time, and arrived without incident in Baie-Comeau October 14.

Also mentioned in the September 12 post was the Canadian flag Rosaire A. Desgagnés which took the ground in Pelly Bay August 23. It refloated at high tide and was given clearance to sail to Las Palmas, Canary Islands, arriving there September 25. Las Palmas is a favourite repair spot for Canadian ships for a variety of reasons.

The latest incident - although not apparently related to northern conditions, was a "mechanical failure" with the tanker Kivalliq W. while delivering fuel to Baker Lake on October 15. A fuel tank was damaged and the ship must go to drydock for repairs. Another tanker has been engaged to pick up fuel product in Lewisporte, NL and complete deliveries to northern communities before ice conditions close in. There was no pollution reported, and it is not clear yet where the ship will go for repairs.

 All this brings up the hazards of shipping in the north, and the pressure to provide better charts. more resources in case of more serious accidents, and oil spills.There have been no incidents involving cruise ships this year, but the number of those ships in the north is also increasing. Then there is the recent announcement of rehabilitation of the port of Churchill, MB for grain export to Asia via northern waters. But that is a topic for another day.

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Quebec Report #3

Sundays are often busy days on the river as ships aim to reach port on Monday. Today, despite some heavy showers, tide and time co-operated for a few photos of the dozen or so ships that passed my vantage point.

The speedy Maersk Penang overtook the slower Strandja as they made their way upriver early this afternoon.

Maersk Penang is a familiar sight in Halifax, one of five ships that maintain a Maersk CMA CGM transatlantic service.  Calling on Montreal Monday, westbound, the ships then stop in Halifax eastbound, usually on Saturday.

Strandja sails for Navigation Maritime Bulgare of Varna, Bulgaria, whose ships have been regular callers on the St.Lawrence for many years. Their tan superstructures make them easily identifiable from a distance. Launched in 2010 by Shanhaignan Shipyard in Qinhuandao, China as Eastward York, it was renamed on delivery Federal Yangtse, but almost immediately renamed Strandja.
The ship measures 19,865 grt, 29,9800 dwt and is a Seawaymax vessel.

As the showers cleared in the early evening a faint rainbow formed the background as Camilla Desgagnés passed close by upbound. The ship is returning from its first northern supply trip of the season.

A veteran of the Desgagnés fleet, the ship is the former Finnish newsprint carrier Camilla, that was salvaged off Newfoundland in 2003. Declared a total loss, Desgagnés bought the ship and installed a crane and carried out other modifications to suit it for work in the north.

The northern supply run is in full swing, with most ships back from their first trips and loading or sailed for the second. It is an especially busy year since the port of Churchill has been cut off by railway washouts and is no longer a staging point. In fact some lines are delivering cargo to Churchill for local use.

Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping, has added a fifth ship to its fleet. It was downbound this morning at the crack of dawn, too dark for a photo. Named Nunalik (meaning "community"), the ship arrived in Sorel July 30 and was registered Canadian August 4. As with the other ships in the fleet, it was acquired from Spliethof's, the Dutch carrier, which company operates the ships in the off season.
Nunalik has a somewhat different history however, as it was not for Spliethof's.
It started life in 2009 at Jiandong Shipyard in China, and was originally named Beluga Fairy, 9611 grt, 12,662 dwt and as a member of the Beluga F class, was fitted with  a pair of 180 tone cranes that can combine for extra heavy lifts. When Beluga failed the ship became HHL Amazon for Hansa Heavy Lift. In 2016 it was renamed Hemgracht by Spliethof's and used by them until needed by NEAS.

The other major northern supplier, Desgagnés has four former Beluga F class ships in its fleet, and has found them especially useful for their heavy lift capability.

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