The Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has been the largest container shipping company in the world since it eased past Maersk in January 2022. Topping 4 million TEU at that time it has since exceeded 6.4 million TEU, with 900 ships servicing 320 routes.
It probably shouldn't be a surprise when I saw three of its ships in Halifax on the same day, but it is still worth noting.
The MSC Clarita III arrrived yesterday September 12 on the Med-Canadian service from Italy and Spain and bound for Montreal. The ship docked at PSA Fairview Cove mostly to offload cargo and reduce draft for the St.Lawrence River, which is experiencing very low water levels due to dry and arid conditions in eastern Canada. On sailing this afternoon (September 13) it was showing lots of boot topping. AIS reported a draft of 10 meters which seems incorrect since the port of Montreal currently restricts draft to 8 meters (and that is in fresh water).
MSC Clarita III is a 32,968 gt, 38,608 dwt ship, with a capacity of 2867 TEU and was built in 2006 by STX Shipbuilding Co in Jinhae. Launched as
HS Amundsen it was renamed on delivery as
Ital Onore, becoming
Hs Onore in 2014 and
As Clarita in 2017. It became the
MSC Clarita III in 2024.
Also arriving yesterday, but at PSA Atlantic Hub (Southend Container Terminal) the MSC Mexico V is serving the Indus Express, sailing directly from Nhava Sheva (August 15).
The harbour tour schooner Silva of Halifax shares the main channel with the MSC Mexico V sailing this afternoon.
The third MSC ship had to wait its turn loitering off Halifax all day until there was a clear berth at PSA Atlantic Hub. (I don't know why there have been so many delays over the past few days, but most ships took much longer in port that initially scheduled.)
In the meantime the cruise ship Mein Schiff I sailed, looking ever so much like a graffiti covered wall waiting for a clean up.
While it made its way out to sea, en route to Quebec, it met the inbound
ONE Madrid.
And following the ONE Madrid was the MSC Sena. (Also sailing from Pier 41-42 was the Pictor on Eimskip service, but not picture here.)
In rapidly fading light, the
ONE Madrid made its way to PSA Atlantic Hub, berth 41,
MSC Sena slow steaming until the
ONE Madrid was secure then tied up at berth 42.
The ONE Madrid was built by Imabari Zosen, Mihara, Japan as Madrid Bridge,
152,068 gt, 146,778 dwt with a capacity of 13,900 TEU. The ship's
owners, K-Line, joined the other Japanese container Lines, NYK Line and
MOL to form Ocean Network Express (ONE) in 2017 and began the process of
renaming their ships and giving them them the "cherry blossom" hull
colour. Madrid Bridge was renamed in 2023.
did not get close enough for a good photo by the time the light was gone. Built in 1996 by Halla Inchon, and completed by Halla Samho, it started life as the
ZIM Sydney, and was renamed
Rhein in 2000,
E.T.Albany in 2002,
CMA CGM Egypt in 2004,
MacAndrews America in 2006,
E.R.Albany again in 2007 and finally settled on
MSC Sena in 2013. It is a 30,280 gt, 44,215 dwt ship with a capacity variously reported as 28111 to 2825 TEU. It is on the Canada Express service,
and will also lighten draft before proceeding to Montreal. (Unlike the other two MSC ships it has not had a Roman numeral appended to its name indicating container capacity range.)
Although not qualifying as a ship, there was another watercraft to add to the mix. A determined camper dressed all in black, hand pumped up a "rubber boat" on Black Rock Beach and set out for Macnab's island, loaded to the gunnels, threading their way between the ONE Madrid and MSC Sena warranting a warning toot from the latter (which appeared to have been ignored). I was concerned by the proximity to the tugs' wakes when they beganto push hard, but I lost sight of the boat in the fading light. I hope they made it to shore. [Note the use of the ungendered pronoun which I normally don't need to do].
