Departures

It was mostly a day of departures as far as my camera was concerned.

The auto carrier Bishu Highway, I beliewve oin its first visit to Halifax, arrived in fog and sailed into fog, but it was clear while making its way out of Eastern Passage into the lower harbour.

Built in 2009 by Shin Kurushima in Toyohashi the 56,978 grt ship is operated by K-Line under the Japanese flag.

Fog lingered off Meagher's Beach and the ship soon disappeared from view.

Another Japanese owned first time caller was NYK Romulus, which also arrived in fog and sailed into fog. Its outbound passage through the harbour was clear however.

It flies the Singapore flag for NYK Line and was built in 2009 by Hyundai in Samho, South Korea. It is a 55,487 grt, 65,883 dwt ship with a capacity of 4922 TEU , including 330 reefers.

The last sailing before fog really took over the harbour was Stadt Cadiz which finally got underway from Bedford Basin after five weeks in port for main engine repairs.

During that time the crew managed to do a lot of painting, but only got about halfway aft on the starboard side. The ship is givning Brooklyn, NY as its next port of call.

Also in the fog-free north end of the harbour is the cargo ship BBC Skysails is unloading large diameter gas pipe at pier pier 9C (I still think it should be called pier 9D).

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CCGS Samuel Risley from the Lakes

The Canadian Coast Guard Atlantic region is down two ships, with CCGS Ann Harvey in repairs from a grounding in April and CCGS Earl Grey in mid-life refit in Quebec. CCGS Edward Cornwallis has been sent to Labrador for buoy work that would normally be done by the Ann Harvey, leaving Halifax short.
Therefore the Great Lakes based CCGS Samuel Risley has been sent in to assist and it arrived at the Bedford Institute CCG base today.

Tied up together with CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent and CCGS Hudson at BIO this evening. One hundred and thirty years represented in just three ships.

A type 1050 class vessel, it is ostensibly a sister ship of CCGS Earl Grey, but is different in many respects. While Earl Grey was built in Pictou, NS the Risley was built by Vito Steel Boat+Barge Construction Ltd in Delta, BC. Each ship has four main engines geared to twin controllable pitch props, and water jet thrusters fore and aft.While the Earl Grey has Deutz engines totaling 8836 bhp (which are being replaced in the current refit) the Risley has Wartsilas totaling 8644 bhp. Both ships are classed as light duty icebreakers, and the Risley is very busy in winter breaking ice and clearing ports in the United States and Canada as part of the joint efforts of the CCG and USCG.

Built in the style of  offshore supply ships, they have the working deck aft, with low freeboard .They also carry a 15 tonne SWL Liebherr deck crane for buoy work.

The Risley has spent most of its time in fresh water. Aside from its delivery trip in 1985 via Panama, Norfolk, VA and Pictou, NS it had one refit in salt water at Shelburne, NS in October/November 2004. It was initially based in Thunder Bay, ON but now calls Parry Sound, ON its home port. In winter it ranges from Port Colborne to Sault Ste.Marie for icebreaking work, and during the ice free part of the year, extends its range to Lake Superior..

At thirty years of age the ship is a juvenile compared to its dock mates at BIO this evening. Louis St. Laurent (which will be sailing soon for the north) was built in 1967 and  Hudson in 1963.

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Fundy Rose sailing today, but....

The "new" Digby to Saint John ferry Fundy Rose sailed from Halifax for Saint John this afternoon, but there is no word on when the ship will actually enter service. Bay Ferries have stated that there will be at least a week of trials in both ports as well as crew orientation and training before the ship could replace the venerable Princess of Acadia.

Fundy Rose took off from pier 9B like a race horse this afternoon.

The replacement process was initially delayed when the former Blue Star Ithaki was not available in the fall of 2014. It finally did arrive in Halifax on December 5, 2014 as Canada 2014 and was idle for a time until the refit actually began. Since then it was been a beehive of activity up to the time of its sea trials. I assume that work was being conducted under the direction of the federal government - actual owners of the ship. At some point after the sea trials June 9 and 10 it was handed over the Bay Ferries for their own work and that has involved a smaller number of workers. The estimate of the refit time was correct, but it started too late to hit the peak tourist season, which is right now.

Absolutely spotless in appearance the ship made for sea.

 

When the ferry enters service, perhaps later this month, there will still be the issue of whether it can handle the expected truck traffic during the busy fishing season in southwest Nova Scotia. The Princess of Acadia can handle 21 trucks, but the Fundy Rose can only handle 14. Although the operators have promised extra trips to meet demand, it is more a question of timing since fish products must arrive in the Boston market at a specific time. All that aside it will be good to see the handsome ship in operation.

What the future holds for the Princess of Acadia has not been announced, but expect to see it laid up for a time before it is sold for scrap.

Delays at Imperial Oil

Two tankers arrived for Imperial Oil early this morning, but only one was able to dock immediately.

The attractive grey hull appears freshly painted.

The sharp looking Mariposa tied up at number 3 dock and began to discharge its cargo. Built in 2010 by Onomichi Zoshen, with tonnages of 28,418 grt, 50,120 dwt. It is operated under the Bahamas flag by Samos Steamships of Athens.

The other tanker is STI Texas City, and it had to go to anchor awaiting its turn at number 4 dock.

STI Texas City waits its turn at anchor.

That spot was occupied by Dara Desgagnés, which had been scheduled to leave  but was delayed several times. Finally it got under way at 1900 and crept out to an anchorage.

Dara Desgagnés was built in Wismar, Germany in 1992 as Elbestern. In 1993 it was transferred by its owners Rigel Schiffs. to a Canadian subsidiary and renamed Diamond Star. In 1993 management was transferred to Transport Desgagnés subsidiary PétroNav and chartered to Ultramar (now Valéro) and renamed.

Once the berth was clear STI Texas City was then able to move in to number 4 dock.

Flying the Marshall Islands flag for Scorpio Ship Management of Monaco, the ship was built in 2014 by SPP Shipbuilding Co in Sacheon, South Korea, and measures 29,732 grt, 49,990 dwt. It was last in Halifax May 25.

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Saturday in the port

After last evening's extravaganza with Queen Mary 2, it was difficult to get too enthusiastic about today's activities, but there were some movements of interest.

The former Algobay (at least in parts) clears the A. Murray MacKay bridge outbound from Bedford Basin.

Radcliffe R. Latimer sailed with its load of gypsum. Although its departure was a bit later than expected, it did get underway at noon time. If you track the ship on AIS you will be amused to see that its name has been garbled and shows at "Riffadcle R Latimer".

BBC Skysails is sail assisted, but only when well out at sea.

Late this afternoon there were two arrivals in close order. First in was BBC Skysails. Its name describes it to a degree. Built in 2008  for the doomed Beluga Shipping Co as Beluga Skysails, it was fitted with a short mast in the bow which is the mooring point for a large para sail.  When Beluga failed in 2011 the ship was taken over by Briese Schiffahrts, renamed with the BBC prefix, and continues to use the sail when at sea, giving a boost of a knot or two. Whether the investment has paid of is unknown, but since the ship still carries to sail function it must have a measurable benefit, even if it is not used all the time.

 The black structure forward is a mast that secures the para sail .

The 6312 grt, 9747 dwt ship went to anchor in Bedford Basin awaiting orders. Vahali shipyard in Belgrade started construction of the ship, which was then delivered as a hull to the Volharding yard in Foxhol, Netherlands where it was completed.

 Foresight keeps its midship hatches clear to access its cargo.

Following close behind was a another former Beluga ship. Beluga Foresight came from the Qingshan yard in Wuhan in 2008, as a typical "F" class Beluga ship of 9611 grt, 12,669 dwt, with with a pair of heavy lift cranes. The German company Peter Doehle took over ownership in 2011 and simply dropped the "Beluga" suffix..
The ship initially went to anchor for CFIA inspection for Asian gypsy moth. It will move to pier 31 to unload its cargo of nickel concentrate from Cuba for Nirint Shipping. It will then proceed to Matane,  QC to load paper pulp and head for Rotterdam. It appears to be on a one trip spot charter to Nirint.

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Queen Mary 2 - magnificent send off

It was a perfect summer evening, the waterfront thronged with people, the harbour crowded with pleasure craft and then the magnificent bellows of Queen Mary 2 announced her departure from pier 22.

The big ship eased away from the berth effortlessly, and glided up harbour to the widest part of the lower harbour off HMC Dockyard.

There she made a slow turn directly in line with the former residence of Sir Samuel Cunard. Had he still been home, he would have had a prime view of the ship.

She was met by the tug Atlantic Oak pumping her water cannons, and Theodore Too. Once turned , HMCS Montreal fell in astern.

 As the ship came abreast of the of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, it came to a halt.
 

Taking a cannon salute from Sackville, she returned the favour with three+two prolonged horn blasts, then a final single blast. Boats, ferries and tugs in the harbour joined in on the cacaphony. Many of the shorebound spectators cheered as well as passengers jamming the rails of the ship.

Then it was lights on for the ship, as it picked up speed and headed for sea. Quite an event.

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What's in a name

Ship naming can be contentious, as you are no doubt aware if you have read my various rants on the subject in these pages. No matter the appropriateness of the names, they often tell a story.
Three arrivals in Halifax today all have names which do tell stories.

QUEEN MARY 2

Today's arrival of the Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 marks the 175th anniversary of Halifax native Samuel Cunard's first transatlantic mail ship, Britannia. The obvious success of that venture will be celebrated during the day today and on the ship's departure at 2000 hrs, with an escort of harbor craft and HMCS Montreal.(decent pictures may be difficult.)

This is the second Queen Mary in the Cunard fleet. The first, which still exists as a static display in Long Beach, CA was one of the great transatlantic liners of the steam ship era. While it may not have been the greatest (Cunard's first Mauretania probably takes that honor) it was certainly worthy of commemorating by naming another ship after it.

Cunard historically just re-used names, Mauretania being just one example, but in 1967 when planning a new liner, (project name Q.4), they made the revolutionary decision to append the numeral "2" to the name Queen Elizabeth. The move horrified purists and old fogeys (I wasn't one then, but may be one now).

The method of naming was done to make it clear that the ship was not being named after the reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II, but after a preceding ship, Queen Elizabeth. It was the last of Cunard's great transatlantic steamers, distinguished in war and peace, and regrettably outmoded by air travel and withdrawn from service in that year. People got used to the "2" and QE2 became probably the best known ship in the world.

Therefore no surprise that when QE2 was up for replacement, we got QM2. Queen Mary 2 shows every sign of equaling or surpassing Queen Elizabeth 2's fame. Its arrival in Halifax after a transatlantic crossing reminds us that, names aside, there is still something wonderful about a big Cunarder "steaming" across the Atlantic Ocean, and thanks to the inspiration of Sir Samuel Cunard all those years ago that image is still alive today.

Two other ships that arrived today have names that tell stories, even though the ships themselves may figure farther down the food chain than a transatlantic greyhound.

NOLHANAVA

Still in its first month of service running from Halifax to St-Pierre et Miquelon, after a ten year absence, the former Shamrock now carries the tongue twisting name  Nolhanava. In my last posting on the ship I admitted to being stumped by the origin of the name, but thanks to an anonymous reader I am told that it is an amalgam of two names, Nolhan and Ava -the the children of the ship's owner.
Naming ships after people, and particularly family members, is a long tradition, particularly with local fishing and coastal craft. It results in distinctive names, unlikely to be used by others,  and often memorable.

RADCLIFFE R. LATIMER

Arriving in Halifax, possibly for the first time under that name, the self-unloading bulk carrier has called here many times under its previous names Algobay and Atlantic Trader.

Built in 1978 as a maximum size St.Lawrence Seaway bulker, but with coastal capability, it has brought grain to Halifax and taken away gypsum since its original construction as Algobay.
It has been a regular caller for gypsum at Little Narrows in Cape Breton, and has carried salt from Saint John, NB and other commodities to smaller Maritime and Newfoundland ports. It was rebuilt to a higher classification which allowed it to operate internationally under the Liberian flag from 1990 to 1993, and also did a stint on charter to Canada Steamships Lines as Atlantic Trader from 1994 to 1997.

After years of hard service, the ship was laid up in 2002. It was due for replacement, but at the time the Canadian shipbuilding industry was in no position to build such a ship, so owners Algoma Central Corp opted for a rebuild. This was to take place in China, with the Chengxi yard building a new forebody, re-using  the aft section of the existing ship. Even that portion was to be heavily rebuilt, with new engines and refitted accommodations.

The ship was towed to China, via the Mediterranean and Suez Canal.[see footnote]
Once the rebuilding was completed in 2009, the ship was reinforced sufficiently to sail back to Canada - but this time on its own via the Pacific Ocean and Panama Canal. It therefore became one of the few Great Lakes ships to have circumnavigated the globe. It loaded gypsum in Halifax in 2010 and brought a cargo of grain in 2011.

In 2012 Algoma wished to honour the retiring Chairman of their Board of Directors and renamed the ship Radcliffe R. Latimer. Under Mr. Latimer's guidance the company had become the largest shipping company on the Great Lakes. The ship itself represented the beginning of a larger fleet replacement program, called the Equinox project, where entire new ships were to be built in China for Great Lakes service. Mr. Latimer was also instrumental in that process.

Great Lakes ships often carry the names of important figures in the business of shipping, banking, steel making, grain trading and other industries that support trade on the inland waterway. Although not unique to the Lakes, this naming tradition has been much more prevalent there, with scores of ships named for leading and lesser lights of mercantile history. Someday a woman's name may appear on one of these ships - that would be a welcome break from tradition, which even old fogeys would be wary of decrying..

Forming a floating Who's Who, Great Lakes ship's names also offer a free history lesson for those who care to look up the names. Several interesting books under the general title of Namesakes of the Lakes are worth a read if you can find them.

Footnote:
For a more detailed history of the ship see Boatnerd's account, which aside from some missing details about the tow to China, is very thorough: http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/RadcliffeRLatimer.htm

More on the Algobay tow:
It began in Hamilton, ON, May 13, 2008 with the tugs Lac Manitoba (which sank last month off Cornwall, ON), Vigilant I (the former navy tug Glenlivet II) and Commodore Straits (built in Halifax, which sank last winter at Trois-Rivières). At Montreal the tow was passed to the Greek tug Hellas (which went on to infamy when it lost the tow of Miner off Scatari Island, NS in 2011-the wreck was finally cleared just this month) and sailed May 25.
In mid-June the tow was taken over by Simoon (a frequent caller in Halifax towing oil rigs) off Gibraltar and proceeded to Suez, where there was a one week delay in getting canal clearance. Four canal tugs were needed to escort it through that narrow body of water. In late July Simoon was experiencing engine troubles off India and another tug, Seahorse 7 was chartered from Korea, finally arriving off Shanghai September 7, 2008.
Simoon was sold to Greek owner, renamed Panormititis and was broken up itself in 2012. It towed several lakers to breakers in Turkey and as far away as Bangladesh during its career.
Seahorse 7 originally Japanese, was broken up in 2013.