Persenk, and other cripples (update and photo added)

It is that time of year again when ships seem to run into trouble. Ice is the worst enemy, but mechanical failures of varies sorts also seem to be more prevalent.
Arriving over night the Bulgarian bulk carrier Persenk anchored in the harbour to take on bunkers, but also for an inspection of its propeller by divers.

Built in Varna, Bulgaria by Bulyard Shipbuilding Industry in 1998, the 10,220 grt, 13,902 dwt bulker flies the Maltese flag, but sails for Navigation Maritime Bulgare, the state owed shipping company of Bulgaria. Vessel tracking indicates the ship was off the east end of Anticosti Island in heavy ice, so may have bent a blade there.
Reports have also reached me that CCGS Pierre Radisson was struck by a ship in the same area, damaging her flight deck right aft.

Meanwhile anchored offshore, the self-unloading bulker Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin arrived last night under escort of the tug Atlantic Fir. The ship was in the Strait of Canso when it experienced a crankshaft problem, and had been lying at Mulgrave since late February. It is now headed to Shelburne for repairs.

The ship was delivered by Chengxi Shipyard in Jiangyin, China in September 2012. Measuring 43,691 grt, 71,406 dwt, it is a Panamax bulker of the new Trillium class, built for CSL.

Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin rolling in swells at the anchorage off Chebucto Head this afternoon. Gales and freezing spray warnings have been issued for this afternoon and evening.

 

 

At about 1930 Sunday evening the ship got underway for Shelburne, giving an ETA of 0800 Monday morning. This time the tug Atlantic Larch is escorting. 

Then off Newfoundland another bulker lost power and drifted aground at Rose Blanche. John I flying the Panama flag, is Turkish owned and measures 24,606 grt, 42,263 dwt. It was economically renamed in 2012 from its previous name John F, and prior to that it carried the name Sarych, except fore the year 1994 when it was called Sarrah. It was built in 1991 by Hyundai Heavy Industry in Ulsan, South Korea. The tug Ryan Leet out of Mulgrave has been dispatched, and CCGS Earl Grey is standing by after a couple of failed attempts to attach a tow line.
It will be much more difficult to salvage the ship now, since all 23 Syrian crew members were evacuated, and there is no one aboard to take up a tow line.
My previous rants about the need for a rescue tug in the Cabot Strait at this time of year fell on deaf ears. Maybe this year's experiences will heat up the debate again.

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Fairview Cove - back in business

The Fairview Cove container pier was back in business at 0800 today after a lockdown of over 30 hours due to a radiation scare.

 

Fairview Cove terminal from  above the Rockingham rail yard.

At about 2200 hrs Thursday, the bottom "fell out" of a container carrying uranium hexafluoride canisters. The container dropped about 20 feet onto the deck of the Atlantic Companion and became wedged between some other containers.

Atlantic Companion from Memorial Drive 

Cerescorp, operators of the terminal, instituted emergency procedures and halted all work. Halifax Fire + Emergency Services responded and tested workers and the work area. When no workers were found to be contaminated, they were sent home and the terminal was locked down. Cerescorp also halted work on the adjacent ship, London Express.

Emergency teams from New Brunswick (where there is an atomic reactor near Saint John) and from Ontario were also called in.

A small work area around the dropped canisters was sealed off and found to have higher than normal radiation levels, but the levels were well below danger levels according to the experts. The canisters were not ruptured, and there was no release of radioactive material.

Loaded rail cars were held in the terminal, and inbound cars were held in the Rockingham yard.

By 0800 Saturday March 15 workers were called back and work resumed. The dropped canisters still had to be recovered but once that was done, the Atlantic Companion could resume normal loading and unloading.

Because work on London Express was delayed, the next due ship, Dalian Express anchored in Bedford Basin, ready to move into the west berth when London Express sails this afternoon.

Dalian Express anchored in Bedford Basin. 

The canisters, called type 30B, consist of a flask carrying the granular uranium hexaflouride, surrounded by concrete and encapsulated in a cylindrical steel shell. Four of the cylinders are secured in a container called a PCP3 platform or flat rack. It is similar to a standard container, but without a top or side walls. The end walls are hinged to fold flat to save space when empty.

These particular cylinders are en route from an enrichment facility in the UK to South Carolina for use in a nuclear power plant. They were to be trucked from Halifax by specialist carrier RSB Logistic of Saskatoon.

In October 2013 a driver from RSD Logistic affixes radiation warning placards to a container carrying radioactive material. This is the same type of container and cylinders involved in Thursday night's accident.

One might well ask why these cargoes cannot be landed in the US, closer to their destination.  I suspect it is because the US does welcome such cargoes arriving by sea, but much prefers them arriving by land where they can be more closely monitored.

London Express sailed early in the afternoon (in heavy rain and fog) with Dalian Express taking its berth immediately. Atlantic Companion sailed at 16:30.

Atlantic Companion passing east of George's Island, seen from a high building in Halifax

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Pioneer propulsion problems -update #2

The gypsum carrier Pioneer is stuck in Halifax with propulsion problems. It was due to sail from National Gypsum after bunkering on March 11, but remained alongside. Once CSL Metis sailed this morning, pier 25-26 became available for the ship to layby during repairs. It is now much more accessible than it would be at the National Gypsum pier.
By the time Pioneer moved it was ballasted down by the bow to allow work on the stern, and it was  moved as a "dead ship" [ really a cold move, since it had a crew on board, but no use of its engine].

It is not unusual to see ships ballasted down by the bow for rudder or prop work, but usually they are safely tethered alongside. It is very odd to see a ship in such trim moving through the harbor.

To add to the interest is the unique stern arrangement of Pioneer . It is fitted with a controllable pitch prop, and twin rudders installed originally to make it more maneuverable in the St.Lawrence Seaway locks.

As I save posted before, the ship was built as Canadian Pioneer in 1981, but in 1988 it was flagged out to Vanuatu and renamed Pioneer. It and has been in ocean trades ever since, except for a trip up the Sea/way with coke from Baltimore to Port Colborne in 2002.
Ownership has evolved over the years from Upper Lakes Shipping through the purchase of its Marbulk subsidiary by CSL50% Algoma 50%, then to 100% Algoma. It continues to work in the CSL Americas pool of self-unloaders and is a frequent visitor in Halifax for gypsum, running up and down the eastern seaboard and Caribbean.

Update#1: March 15
On Saturday morning workers were placing absorbants around the stern of the ship.

In close up it was apparent that all the controllable pitch prop blades had shiny new bolts, recently installed. There was still some frozen spray around one of the rudders and some of the prop blades.

Update#2: March 15



 

By early afternoon, workers had rigged a companionway and work float under the stern and place a containment boom around the area, despite driving rain.

Later in the afternoon a crane, with a very long boom was brought to the site.



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CSL Metis underway after refit

The self-unloading bulker CSL Metis sailed this morning for Mobile, AB after a lengthy refit period alongside pier 25-26.

CSL Metis on March 12.

 

The ship was ready to sail a couple of days ago, but held off due to stormy weather. Its departure this morning was delayed for a few minutes until HMCS Athabaskan passed the pier. The ship then went to a position south of George's Island to do a compass swing before heading for sea.
For more on CSL Metis see: 
http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2013/12/csl-metis-interesting-ship-no-visibility.html

IT Intrepid returns

The cable ship IT Intrepid made a brief call in Halifax Match 5 to 6  to pick up gear and do an ROV trial then set out to repair a broken fibreoptic cable between Argentia and Spanish Room, Newfoundland.
The ship returned to port today, although its arrival was delayed by several hours when the pilot boat was taken off station due to high winds and seas.

IT Intrepid at pier 9 late this afternoon. Security gates are closed since the ship is foreign flagged.

 

The ship's operators, IT International Telecom, maintains its pier 9 base to install and service various cables in the area, and applied for a coasting license for their Barbados registered ship to recover and repair the cable between March 4 and March 27. It is possible that the ship returned to port due to the bad weather and will return to the site to complete the work once the current storm passes.

 

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MCT Matterhorn - same except for the sunshine

The last time I photographed MCT Matterhorn was on January 6, 2011 at pier 27. It tied up in exactly the same spot today, and I took essentially the same photo, minus the sunshine.

Aside from a shrink wrapped Saudi military vehicle in the foreground, and a lack of sunshine, this is the same as the photo I took in 2011.

 

See the previous photo at: http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2011/01/its-swiss-again.html

 

This time the ship is coming from Quebec City instead of heading to Quebec City. The 12,7776 grt, 20,677 dwt chemical/product tanker flies the Swiss flag for Mega Chemicals Schiffs. of Zurich. It was built in 2006 by Qingshan Shipyard in Wuhan, China.

It does not handle cargo at pier 27, so may be in for stores or repairs.

 

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Sinker in Bridgewater

A Halifax built trawler, which dates back to 1966 sank alongside the town wharf in Bridgewater last night and has the citizens up in arms due to a spreading slick. The wharf has long been a resting place for out of work and abandoned ships, and has been a cause for annoyance due to the unsightliness of the old craft.

Launched December 3, 1966 by Halifax Shipyards, when it was still part of the Dominion Steel + Coal Co, the boat was originally named Cape Rouge. It was completed in 1967 for National Sea Products Ltd, and was among the last of the old style side trawlers built for the company. They were already building stern trawlers, but this boat and its sister Cape Keltic were considered throw backs at the time. However some of Natsea's plants were only set up for side trawlers and crews were accustomed to them.
In 1970 there was a serious fire aboard Cape Rouge while in Sydney, NS, but it was rebuilt, and I believe it fished primarily out of Louisbourg in its later years.
When National Sea Products sold off its fleet, Cape Rouge was renamed Ryan Atlantic II for new owners Clearwater. It was laid up in Shelburne for a time, and was sold to a private buyer in Halifax and moved to Bridgewater.
I expected that the trawler would be scrapped following this last sale, but apparently the owner hadn't got around to that yet, and so it sat until the other day. Obviously a hull fitting failed either due to corrosion or freezing and the ship has sunk by the stern at the dock.
It should be possible to refloat it, but it remains to be seen what will happen to it then.

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