HMCS Windsor and other navy news

1. HMCS Windsor

When HMCS Windsor put to sea yesterday (see photo) it represented the culmination of a huge refit program conducted by HMCS Cape Scott, the navy's repair arm in HMC Dockyard. The sub entered the Extended Docking Work Period  (EDWP) in 2007 and was expected to emerge in 2009. However virtually every one of the 200 systems aboard the boat required extensive work, and was not until April of 2012 that the sub re-entered the water. The work period ended officially December 13 and last weekend Windsor could be seen in Bedford Basin on the start of work-ups and trials, which include crew certification.
The sub will be fully operational during 2013, possibly as early as the first quarter.
Meanwhile on the west coast, HMCS Victoria is operational, HMCS Corner Brook will start its Extended Docking, with repair to grounding damage in 2013, and HMCS Chicoutimi will be assessed for fire damage and begin its rebuilding in 2013.
It had always been the intention to have two subs operational, one on each coast, and two in various stages of refit. The next EDWP for these subs will begin in 2016 and will extend to 2024, allowing about two years for each sub. By that  time of course we might be aware of more detailed plans for replacement. Discussion is underway, but it will be a long process to try and avoid some of the problems encountered with the acquisition of this class of subs. The long and sometimes sad story of the former Upholder class RN , and now Victoria class RCN subs is worthy of a much longer essay than I can give here. Suffice it to say however, that bringing Windsor back to service is a major milestone and achievement for the RCN.

2. HMCS Toronto ditto

After completing a very brief drydocking at Halifax Shipyard last week end HMCS Toronto has been preparing for its next assignment. This evening it headed for the Static Sound Range off Macnab's Island.  Range work is usually one of the last steps before the ship leaves port.

3. HMCS Preserver calls in civvy tug

HMCS Preserver arrived this evening from sea in gale conditions, with gusts of 40 knots and driving rain. Pilotage operations for commercial traffic were suspended by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority due to the weather, but this does not effect naval vessels who have their own berthing master/ docking pilots.
In view of the previous incident when Preserver allided with the Novadock floating drydock with extensive damage to both, the RCN called in the commercial tug Atlantic Larch to assist navy tugs to berth the ship at Jetty Hotel.
This underscores the need for new tugs in HMC Dockyard, and as reported lately in Tugfax http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2012/12/naval-large-tug-construction-project.html
 efforts are underway, or at least in their early stages, to acquire new tugs, with considerably more power, for events such as this.

4. HMCS Athabaskan

Meanwhile at Seaway Marine and Industrial in St.Catharines, ON, the tugs Ocean Delta and André H. have just departed (1930 AST) the shipyard with Athabaskan in tow for Halifax. Ocean Delta is the lead tug and will carry out the tow all the way to Halifax. It is not clear if André H. will come all the way. It may just assist with the Seaway Locks and river as far as the Cap-aux-Oies area. However with such an important tow, it would seen prudent to have two tugs along all the way.

Sloman Hera - Algoma says not better late than never

The fairly ordinary looking chemical product tanker anchored in Bedford Basin was part of a huge controversy that involved Canada's Algoma Central Corporation, two major German shipowners, a US shipowner and no less than the China Ocean Shipbuilding Industry Group Ltd.
In 2007 Algoma entered into an agreement with Jiangxi Jiangzhou Union Shipbuilding Co Ltd in China to build three product tankers. The ships were to enter the Hanseatic Shipping pool with Sloman Neptune,  Bernhard Schulte and Intrepid Shipping. The ships were of a new design and were to be the first chemical tankers built by the yard. What were termed as "excessive non-permissible delays" caused Algoma to rescind its orders in 2010 and demand return of $35.4mn paid in to the yard. The other partners opted to negotiate settlements on their cancellations and Sloman and Intrepid eventually took delivery of their tankers. As I understand it Algoma's tankers were only in very early stages of construction when cancelled, and so may not have been completed.
Algoma's case was to enter arbitration in September. Results have not been released to my knowledge.
Meanwhile the yard had built several of the tankers and Sloman Hera for example was launched August 21, 2009, but went into long term layup.
The July 1, 2012 date for new ballast tank coating regulations loomed large and Sloman Neptune were able to eventually reach a settlement and take delivery of three sister tankers in June 2012.
In the meantime Algoma walked away from the Hansa tanker pool, placing their one ship in the Navig8 pool instead. Orders for two larger tankers with another Chinese yard were converted to bulk carriers.
This is a much simplified version of all the ins and outs of the matter. It also caused financial distress for the shipyard and the other tanker owners too, and the Hansa pool was wound up.
To get back to Sloman Hera itself, it is listed as built in 2012 (altough launched in 2009) and measures 11,246 gross tons, 16,426 tonnes deadweight and has 14 cargo tanks.It is registered in Antigua and Barbuda, and is operated by Sloman Neptune of Germany.

Saudi Abha bows out

1. Saudi Abha dwarfs the tug Point Halifax while arriving in 1995.

I am reliably informed that we have seen the last of the container ship Saudi Abha. Its December 10 visit  was the final one in a lengthy history with the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia. The line was founded in 1979 and the ships have been calling here since the early days.
The company, which appears to be rebranding itself as "Bahri ", is expecting imminent delivery of the first of four (with an option for two more) modern RoRo container ships. Designed by Knud E. Hansen of Denmark, they carry a modest 364 TEU of containers, have two heavy lift cranes, and provide large RoRo space amounting to 24,000m2 on several decks. Deadweight tonnage will be in the 26,000 range. They will be 222m loa, 32.3m breadth and maximum 9.5m draft. Delivery of the first of the $100mn ships from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co in South Korea is expected any time now.
Saudi Abha, name ship of the four ship class currently working for NSCSA, was built in 1982 by Kockums AB of Malmo, Sweden. A ship of 44,171 gross, 42,600 deadweight, it has a 2310 TEU capacity and can carry 534 cars. The car decks are served by a massive 400 tonne capacity stern ramp, 49.3m long x 12m wide. The ship's dimensions are 248.72m loa x 32.31 breadth x 11.14m draft.
The other four ships Saudi Diryah (1982), Saudi Tabuk (1983) and Saudi Hofuf (1983) will be retired as the new ships come on line, likely quarterly.
For a look at the new ships, see Knud E. Hansen's web site: http://www.knudehansen.com/News/News-from-the-Company/Mar-15-2011/
But also look at NSCSA's own website for the rebranded Bahri look (which will not appear on the present ships, despite the artists impression): http://www.bahri.sa/home

2. The ship displays her huge ramp back in 1987.

CCGS Corporal Teather C.V. takes to the water

1. A crew from Connors Diving assists in the launch from a small boat.

The patrol vessel CCGS Corporal Teather C.V. took to the water this morning. It was a cold and windy day, and as with the launch of the first boat in the Coast Guard's Hero class, this one hung up on the end of the launch way for time. I stand corrected- the cradle did not hang up. The launch was stopped before the ship hit the water, so that the lines securing the cradle to the hull could be released, and the hull checked for water tightness. When all was well, the ship was launched without incident. The first Hero launch did hang up, but not this one
A crew from Connors Diving in a small boat, and the two tugs Atlantic Oak and Atlantic Willow soon had the matter in hand assisted and the ship was safely afloat [see also Tugfax]
This is the third of nine Hero class boats built by the yard, and it will fit out at pier 9B.
The internet has many accounts of the heroism of RCMP Corporal Robert Teather, but one interesting one can be found on the RCMP Veterans Association web site at: http://www.rcmpveteransvancouver.com/cpl-bob-teather/?doing_wp_cron=1355579876.4581770896911621093750
The ship will enter service early in 2013.

2. With tugs fore and aft, Corporal Teather C.V. moves toward pier 9B.

3. Atlantic Oak handles the bow line.

Halifax Grain Elevator - going full tilt

[Note: computer glitch delayed posting this on December 11 when both ships were still in port.]


It’s not often that ships are seen unloading and loading to the Halifax grain elevator at the same time. The massive grain handling facility in Halifax has been underutilized in recent years, but has been experiencing a bit of resurgence in the last few weeks. That is a blip however, and it is expected to return to its quiet ways with the end of the St.Lawrence Seaway season in a few weeks.

The elevator, consisting of 365 silos, with a total capacity of 5, 152,000 bushels was built in four stages: 1925, 1929, 1958 and 1963. The first stage was but to replace the previous elevator destroyed in the Halifax explosion. Later stages were prompted by amendments to Crow’s Nest Pass Agreement. That 1897 deal, between the Canadian government and the Canadian Pacific Railway gave the railroad access to valuable mineral properties in exchange for reduced rates to haul grain and flour eastbound - in perpetuity. Well perpetuity for governments is not for ever! The rate was suspended during World War I, and was revised in 1927 (after the government ha formed the Canadian National Railroad) and then applied to grain only and to all rail lines. The CPR deal had favoured the Port of Saint John, but with the new CNR serving Halifax, a bigger gain elevator was warranted.

From the 1903s through the 1960s Halifax was a major grain exporting hub. In those days the entire St.Lawrence River closed for the winter and Halifax stockpiled grain and shipped it from January to April in huge quantities. Often the elevator was full. The port of Halifax owns the grain elevator and leases it to operators Halifax Grain Elevator Ltd.

As I said perpetuity does not mean forever with governments and the rate was adjusted in 1984 by the Western Grain Transportation Act, but it was capped. In 1993 it was eliminated completely and the grain trade for Halifax fell away dramatically. Traffic had been eroding anyway with the opening of the St.Lawrence Seaway, winter navigation on the St.Lawrence and better connections to the Mississippi and the west coast, but NAFTA was really the final nail in the coffin - or so we thought.

This year’s resurgence however is thanks to nature, not to any act of government. Historic low water levels on the Lakes and St.Lawrence River mean that ships have not been able to load to full draft in that area and have come to Halifax to top off their loads. Low water on the Mississippi has also slowed exporting in that direction. The usual west coast grain backlogs have not really been a factor.

In the late 1960s Halifax got its first flour mill, Dover Mills (which is now P&H) and became a customer for grain. Situated adjacent to the grain elevators it can receive grain by pipeline from the elevator. It can also receive grain by rail, so is not tied exclusively to the elevator. Also regional farmers and feed mills receive feed grains (including corn) which has been shipped from the Great Lakes and stored in the elevator until needed.

Thus it was that this week we saw Algoma Mariner with a load of grain from the lakes unloading at pier 25. The Canadian flagged ship was built in China in 2011 for Great Lakes service. It sailed during th evening of December 11.

Meanwhile at pier 28 the Cyprus flagged Tundra was taking a top off load. It had loaded soy in Hamilton, ON to maximum allowed Seaway draft, and is now loading to its deep sea mark. Built in 2009 in measures 19,814 gross tons and 30, 892 deadweight tonnes. It is operated by the large Canadian operator Canfornav (which owns no ships).

Tundra ran aground on a mud  bank outside of the shipping channel just downstream from Sorel-Tracy, Qc on November 28. It took the lightering off of some cargo and the combined efforts of four tugs to free the ship on December 5. There was no apparent damage, the cargo was re-loaded at Trois-Rivières, and the ship was on its way the next day.

Rascal rides again

The unfortunate Rascal was raised from the bottom of the Northwest Arm in October, see
http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2012/10/way-hay-up-she-rises.html
It left Halifax December 5, this time on a truck belonging to Sealand Industries of Chester Basin, NS.
The boat was raised by the Halifax Port Authority when its owner would not raise it, and it has now been sold to defray the salvage costs. After being submerged for several months it was pretty much a mess. It has since been on dry land, and has had a chance to dry out a bit. Let's hope her new owner is able to restore her.

HMCS Toronto

It is rare to see a Canadian frigate in the Novadock floating drydock at Halifax Shipyard. The HMC Dockyard is normally able to drydock its own ships on its synchrolift for minor work, and only major refits occur at the Shipyard. The ongoing FELEX program is currently occupying the graving dock at the Shipyard, and the yard currently has only one other drydock.
HMCS Toronto is on the Novadock for some minor work, but which may require some extra TLC. The ship is due to depart in the New Year for an extended overseas assignment and the RCN opted to go with the Shipyard for the work.
The ship is berthed in the south end of the dock, so that her props and rudders are easliy accessed from the land, and so it is only the ship's bow that is visible from the shore at pier 9.