Seven Seas Overnighter

Seven Seas Navigator extended its October 31 scheduled visit to an overnighter and sailed this morning - still into the teeth of a gale.

With The World due to sail this evening that will leave only Emerald Princess to arrive November 1 and  end the Halifax cruise season. The ship spent an extra night en route, sailing to Port Saguenay, then Corner Brook, to avoid storm Sandy. The ship skipped Bar Harbor April 28 and will also skip Newport on its return leg.

Halifax Dodges Sandy

The destructive force of Hurricane/Tropical Depression Sandy bypassed to the west of Halifax, with only high winds and rain felt in the port. At high tide this morning there did not appear to be any significant storm surge, although there will certainly have been minor damage to some wharves due to waves.
Several ship arrivals were delayed, and some ships remained in port.

1. Work on the Richmond Terminal extension continued unabated. Water was just lapping the top of the new caissons, but filling operations were not delayed. The tug Whitby works with the dredge Canadian Argosy at the old "knuckle" of Pier 9C as breakers remove the old pier face and remove old fill material.

The cruise ship Norwegian Dawn remained in port all night and sailed this morning and Kobe Express also sailed this morning at first light, without incident.

2. Chebucto Pilot kicks up some spray inbound after working outbounds and an inbound. The outbounds had remained in port overnight. 

3. By the time the autocarrier Turandot was inbound, the highest gusts had abated but there was still a stiff easterly  wind and some waves in the harbour.

Western Nova Scotia received much heavier winds , heavier rain and higher seas, and the Saint John-Digby ferry service was cancelled for the day.

Hope fades for two from Bounty [follow updates]

1. Bounty in Tall Ships 2012.

Two persons are still missing after the replica of HMS Bounty sank off Cape Hatteras, NC this morning. Both the ship's long time captain, and a direct descendant of Fletcher Christian from the famed mutiny were wearing survival suits, but did not make into the two life rafts when they abandoned ship early this morning.
The other fourteen persons from the ship were airlifted by USCG Jayhawk helicopters in 40 mph winds and 18 ft seas as Hurricane Sandy battered the area.
Bounty was built by Smith & Rhuland in Lunenburg in 1960 for the MGM film Mutiny on the Bounty and was extensively rebuilt after years of neglect. Reports indicate that it had also recently emerged from a refit and was on its way from New Haven, CT to St.Petersburg, FL when it lost power and began to take water on Sunday, and sank this morning.
A regular participant in Tall Ships events in Halifax, the ship had travelled widely, including a visit to the Great Lakes.

2. Bounty in Tall Ships 2009.

Update 2: The body of the missing crew member was recovered this evening, but the captain is still missing.

As The World reTurns

1. The World entering Halifax at dusk with the tug Atlantic Willow making up astern to assist it into pier 23.

The passenger ship The World returned to Halifax this evening. This unscheduled arrival falls three weeks after its last call, and has been brought about by Hurricane Sandy. The category 1 hurricane is working its way up the US eastern seaboard and has caused numerous cruise ship reroutings and schedule changes, some of which will be noticed here.
As it now appears Norwegian Dawn and Regatta will also be returning to Halifax, although  not originally intended to do so. Seven Seas Navigator appears to be planning an overnight stay, and Emerald Princess is now scheduled for November 1 instead of October 30. The www.cruisehalifax.ca web site may have more updates tomorrow.
The World is not a typical cruise ship as I mentioned in my October 5 post, but is a sort of floating condominium, with travellers owning their suites. They can also decide where the ship goes.
I did not note in that post that the ship recently set a record as the largest passenger ship to complete a Northwest Passage. This summer it sailed from the Pacific to the Atlantic, through the arctic, without icebreaker assistance. Because the ship was not on a fixed schedule it spent some time awaiting improved conditions, but was still able to visit several northern sites and take passengers ashore by inflatable boat.
It will be spending tomorrow and Tuesday in port before sailing Tuesday evening.

Atlantic Vision - minor fire in Halifax Shipyard

1. Atlantic Vision at 4:30 this afternoon was in the Novadock floaoting drydock at Halifax Shipyard, but had not yet been raised.

Marine Atlantic's North Sydney/ Argentia ferry Atlantic Vision arrived at Halifax Shipyard today for drydocking. While preparing to be lifted a fire broke out on the ship at about 3 pm. It was quickly put down, but two persons were taken to hospital by ambulance with smoke inhalation. A spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Municipality Fire & Emergency Services was quoted on new reports stating that the ship's crew extinguished the blaze and a spokesperson for Irving Shipbuilding called the incident a "backfire."
There were no outward signs of the incident an hour later, but the ship had not been lifted yet.
Built in 2002 in Germany as Superfast IX, the ship was intended for Baltic service, and operated between ports in Sweden, Germany and Estonia until chartered to Marine Atlantic in 2008.
It operated from 2008 to 2009 under the Cypriot flag, but was but was registered in St. John's June 6, 2009. It operated for time on the North Sydney to Port aux Basques run but it was always intended for the Argentia run, which it took over when Marine Atlantic's Blue Puttees and Highlanders entered service.
At 30,285 gross tons, it is Canada's largest ferry, carrying 728 passengers at speeds up to 30 knots. It is also ABS ice class 1A super.
Today's arrival is the ship's first visit to Halifax.

2. The ship was lifted over night.

Queen Mary 2 and cruise season winding down

1. QM2 passes Meagher's Beach inbound this morning.

With the end of the cruise season in sight on October 30, and after today only three more ships, it was as usual an impressive sight to see Queen Mary 2 arriving in brilliant sunshine. That sun unfortunately made photographing the ship (again) a challenge since shooting was directly into the sun.

2. The ships turned and backed in to pier 22, astern of Crystal Symphony.

Also unfortunately the ship turned and backed in to pier 22, depriving us of a close up view.
On her first visit September 25-26, 2004, the ship obligingly passed east of George's Island and made a triumphant sail past the Halifax waterfront - a truly memorable experience.

3. On her first arrival in Halifax in 2004 she sailed along the Halifax waterfront , which was lined with spectators, and the harbour was choked with pleasure craft.

4. Sailing the next day, the ship has just dropped her pilot off Chebucto Head and is picking up speed. Her first paint job was already in the process of a major touch-up.

At 151,400 tons the ship is still among the largest passenger vessels in the world, and still holds the spot as world's largest transatlantic liner, if only in name, but is certainly the most impressive.
After a short stay in port, the ship was due to sail at 7pm this evening.

Statengracht and Spleithoff's S-class

1. Yesterday at pier 31 Logistec Stevedoring was using their large mobile crane to load crawler crane components on to Statengracht.

The Dutch flag Statengracht is a member of the ubiquitous Spleithoff's fleet of ships that travel the world looking for unusual cargoes to carry. The ships are fitted for heavy lifts, moisture controlled bulk or break bulk cargoes, or cargoes of unusual size or shape.

On a previous visit the ship loaded wood pellets, going to the Netherlands to be used as fuel, and required humidity control during transit. These ships are able to do that with sophisticated controlled ventilation systems. They are adaptable to many kinds of forest products including lumber and paper too. Special sideloading doors and elevators allow for speedy and weather protected cargo handling for rolls of paper and other forkliftable cargoes.

On this visit the ship loaded a number of heavy components for a crawler crane. The largest pieces arrived by rail on special heavy weight cars. The ship's hold is designed to carry heavy cargoes (20 tonnes per sqaure meter on the lower deck) and the ship carries equipment to brace and secure these types of cargo. Although the stevedores used a shore based crane this time, the ship is also fitted with three heavy lift cranes, rated at 120 tonnes each, allowing it to load an unload where shore based equipment is not available.

These ships are also set up to carry windmill components and other large/long cargoes that would not fit on a normal ship. The holds are equipped with removable 'tweendecks that permit a variety of configurations for different loads..
To see an excellent video on the "S class" ships of the Spliethoff fleet, go to their website at:
http://www.spliethoff.com/

2. Statengracht sailed early this afternoon.The large shapes on ship's starboard side are the elevator housings and side loading doors.