Post Blow - lift off

 With the return of calm conditions today the port was able to catch up on most of yesterday's delays. 

Among the arrivals was the first timer Protostar N for Costco's improvised shipping line.

Dissatisfied with the delays in ports and late deliveries from major shipping lines, Costco chartered its own ships and leased containers for its own exclusive use. The first of those ships to call here was the Carpathia on August 23 followed by AS Carlotta on October 15.

The Protostar N was built by Aker, with the forepart at the Warnemunde yard and the rest of the ship constructed and assembled at the Wismar yard in Germany. The 28,007 gt, 37,904 dwt ship has a capacity of 2741 TEU. Initially named Cape Manual, it took  its present name in 2013. The ship sailed from China October 23, passed the Panama Canal  November 13, then stopped in Jacksonville November 19-20, Savannah November 20-21 and Baltimore November 22. It will be interesting to see how long Costco is willing to make non-paying return trips to China with its own empty boxes. 

 The coastal container / RoRo Nolhan Ava over nighted at anchor in Bedford Basin and sailed late this morning.

Taht left X-press Machu Picchu (left background in photo) awaiting its turn at PSA Halifax South End terminal where the 15,128 TEU CMA CGM Chile was monopolizing the berth (sorry no photo.) The Franbo Lohas is also at anchor in Bedford Basin (right background in photo) as is the Polar Circle.

That also left the Skogafoss at anchor in the lower harbour, also destined for the South End Atlantic Hub.

The main event however was the float off of Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel Number 4 from Halifax Shipyard. Yesterday the ship was transported aboard the submersible barge Boabarge 37 and this morning ship and barge were moved to Bedford Basin. In a day long operation the barge was submersed and the ship floated off and was moved back to the Shipyard.

With the barge in position, operators began to flood the ballast tanks to submerge the barge.

With the barge submerged almost out of sight, the ship is finally floating on its own hull and free of the support cradles.

Tugs took charge of the ship and moved it clear of the barge, and it was soon underway for the  Shipyard.

It will be well into next year before the ship is completed and handed over to the RCN. When it is commissioned it will be named HMCS William Hall (1827-1904) for the African Nova Scotian recipient of the Victoria Cross. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hall_(VC)

Another sailing today was USCGC Morro Bay (see November 25) which left the Tall Ships Quay around noon. The vessel is headed for its home port of Cleveland, OH,  but will be calling at Quebec City en route.

 

I mentioned the extraordinary condition of its hull paint in my previous posts - here is an example:

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Return Engagements and a First Date

 It was a return visit this morning (November 25) for the ice breaking tug USCGC Morro Bay WTGB-106 arriving once again at the Tall Ships Quay as it did on May 23 of this year. [See Shipfax of that date] Today however the weather was clear, so there were no dramatic fog effects (visual and auditory).

As noted on its previous visit en route from its base in Cleveland, OH, its hull paint was (and still is) absolutely pristine. This time it arrived from Boston and is returning to the Lakes where its duties will involve icebreaking, which will certainly mar that coating.

 Some "Yokohama" type inflatible fenders should further protect that paint while it is in port. A squad of Navy matelots met the ship and took its lines.

A first time caller this morning was sent to anchor in Bedford Basin where it will await its turn at PSA Halifax. Sailing for Melfi Lines, X-Press Machu Picchu arrived from Italy and Spain en route to Cuba.

Dating from 2006, the ship was built by Naikai, Setoda, Japan as Constantin S for H+H Schepers, then renamed in 2018 when acquired by Paterson Pte Ltd of Singapore. The 27,191 gt, 33,355 dwt ship can carry 2529 TEU, including 300 reefers and is fitted with three 45 tonne SWL cranes - two forward and one aft of the superstructure. It has a number of tank containers on number one hatch, likely empty, which could be used to carry sugar based commodities (for exmple rum), one of Cuba's prime exports.

Another of Cuba's exports was also processed in Halifax this week when off loaded from the Puka at Pier 27. Bagged nickel sulfides in bulk bags will be sent on by rail for primary processing in Fort Saskatchewan, AB.

Renamed as of October 1, the ship was previously named the Trinitas when built in 2007 by Damen Okean, Mykolayiv, Ukraine and completed by Damen Hoogezand, Foxhol. It is an 8999 gt, 12,016 dwt ship with a capacity of 684 TEU (including 80 reefers) and carries two 80 tonne SWL cranes.

It was renamed Nirint Hollandia on delivery, then in 2012 became Hollandia before reverting to Trinitas in 2019. It has continued to sail for Netherlands based Nirint since new, and has called in Halifax under each of its names.

(March 25, 2022 photo)

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USCG Morro Bay

 The United States Coast Guard's Bay class icebreaking tug Morro Bay WTGB-106 arrived this morning May 23 and tied up at the Tall Ships Quay. 

There was very thick fog in the harbour, but as usual the camera (wiith a little photo editing) sees better than the human eye.

The glassy looking water made for excellent reflections, as there was not a breath of wind.

This is not the vessel's first call in Halifax. It was here in September 2015 and June 2013.

 USCGC Morro Bay was built in 1980 by Tacoma Shipbuilding, and commissioned in 1981. Although named for a bay in California, it was stationed in northeastern US ports until 2014 when it was transferred to Cleveland, OH. It exited the Great Lakes through the St.Lawrence Seaway on May 16 and is likely bound for the USCG's maintenance base at Curtis Bay in Baltimore. However the almost perfect condition of its hull paint would suggest it is not due for a refit any time soon.

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Sunday round up: Autoport's safety valve, ACL's substitute, and please take a bow - any bow

With four autocarriers due in Halifax in the space of two days, Autoport needed congestion relief. As it turned out there was relief in sight.

Cattleya Ace ready to sail from Autoport, with tug alongside.

While the larger Cattleya Ace  took up the usual Autoport berth, Glovis Century made the transit up to Pier 9C  where it quickly began to unload a dock full of Italian built Jeeps (Fiat owns Chrysler owns Jeep) North American export cars including Fords, Chryslers, and Jeeps.

 Glovis Century ties up at Pier 9C. It is the first autocarrier to use the multi-functional pier, which was just completed this year. The pier face is 1640 ft long and has a minimum 45 ft depth of water alongside and 450,000 sq ft of open area.

 A portion of Pier 9C is already filled with cars after 4 hours of unloading.

Glovis Century has a phantom crew member posted adjacent to the stern ramp control house.

It will be interesting to see how these cars will be shipped on from Halifax. They may well be transported overland to Autoport for prep work before leaving by rail. The cars are to be stored at Pier 9C while the ship goes to Montreal to load a military cargo. The fully loaded ship would draw too much water for the St.Lawrence River, so it was decided to offload here where there was available space. The ship will return for the cars in ten days or so.

Glovis Century 58,288 grt, car capacity 6,000 units, built 2012 by Hyundai, Ulsan for Hyundai Glovis, Panama flag.

Cattleya Ace 60,975 grt, car capacity: 6400 units, built 2011 by Shin Kurushima, Toyohashi, for Mitsui OSK Lines, Cayman flag.

 
With Atlantic Container Line transitioning into its new fourth generation ships, it is using the conventional container ship Northern Delegation to cover a spot in the rotation. It does not carry RoRo cargo, and appeared to be lightly loaded on departure today.

As it made the sweeping turn past the knuckle between Pier 9 and Pier 9A, it set up a miniature standing wave with its bulbous bow. The tug Atlantic Oak is providing tethered stern escort by regulation.
Ships details: http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2015/07/northern-delegation.html

Featuring a different kind of bulbous bow, that began to makes its first appearance in the past year or so, Equinox Star shows a non-projecting bulb. This is similar to the original bulbous bows of the 1940s and 1950s, and is more suitable for bulkers and tankers that do not require great speed.

After bunkering, the ship sailed in ballast for Lower Cove, NL to load aggregates. It carries four 30 tonne cranes and four 12.5 cubic meter capacity grabs (they are the yellow objects lashed on deck) for discharging cargo.

Equinox Star 33,232 grt, 58,600 dwt, built 2011 Nantong COSCO KHI, Nantong for Equinox Maritime Ltd, Athens, Cayman flag.

Speaking of bows, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir William Alexander sailed this afternoon. Equipped for buoy laying it also has an icebreaking bow and is classed as a light icebreaker.

Also sailing today was the United States Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay. It is also classed as an icebreaker and was built to serve the USCG on such bodies of water as the Hudson River and the Great Lakes. It was already pitching as it left the harbour. Its bluff bow and egg shaped hull are not built for deep sea work, but each year one or more of these craft sail to and from the Great Lakes. They often stop over in Halifax for a day or two en route.
Although its AIS gave its destination as Boston, I believe it is headed to the Lakes to replace USCGC Bristol Bay, which exited the Lakes in August.

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