Another Busy Day

It was a three cruise ship day (Maasdam, Seven Seas Navigator and Regal Princess) and three merchant ships working at the deep water piers.

Algoma Mariner will complete unloading its grain cargo this evening and will sail at midnight..

Torino made a stopover at pier 31 en route to Autoport. It unloaded a score of timber harvesting trucks and other oversize cargo.

The ship's particulars were given here on its last call May 28.

Meanwhile at pier 28, BBC Maple Lea arrived with an unsual deck cargo of several yachts. They do not appear to be for Halifax however, since the cargo being unloaded is coming from a hold. Numerous large crates and several metal fabrications were quickly off loaded to a dozen or so trucks.

BBC Maple Lea is one of those ubiquitous former Beluga ships. Built as Beluga Flirtation in 2007. When Beluga collapsed, it became Thorco Horizon in 2001, then Maple Lea in 2012. It received its current name in June of this year. Qingshan, Wuhan, China turned out the ship and fitted it with a pair of 120 tonne cranes that can combine for a 240 tonne lift. The ship itself measures 9611 grt, 12,719 dwt. [See Footnote 1]

 Later this evening some cargo will be off loaded to the barge NT 1509 which arrived in tow of the tug Keewatin October 8 see: Tugfax


Meanwhile there were two tankers at Imperial Oil:

STI Seneca is a nearly new tanker, emerging from the Hyundai Mipo yard in Ulsan in June of this year. Of typical handy size it measures 29,785 grt, 49,990 dwt.Owners Scorpio Tankers are based in Monaco. Tye operate more than 75 owned tankers, totaling in excess of 4.9 mn dwt. They operate another 17 tankers of more than 1mn dwt and have several more on order. More on them here: Scorpiotankers.com

At the number 3 dock next astern, is the Irving charter East Coast ex Nor'Easter. Also a product of Hyundai, Mipo, but in 2005, it now sports an exhaust scrubber (previously covered here .)

Last arrival, at dusk, was the tanker Acacia Noir. The appropriately named ship is carrying a cargo of asphalt for McAsphalt Industries. It used the western channel inbound, giving the straighter eastern channel to the outbound Maasdam, and thus a rare starboard to starboard passing.

One of the smallest tankers to visit Halifax at 3,923 grt, 5,895 dwt Acacia Noir was built in 2004 by Selah Makina in Tuzla, Turkey. It is operated by Wisby Tankers AB of Lidkoping, Sweden. Built as Mar Paula, the ship took its present name in September this year. Its last port was Paulsboro, NJ, home of the independent PBF Energy refinery.

Footnote 1

On February 17, 2013 the ship, then called Maple Lea had mechanical problems off Cape Breton and was taken in tow. It then became stuck in ice. While breaking ice around the ship CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent "made contact" and both ships sustained hull damage. The owners took action in the Federal Court against the Crown. I have not heard if the matter has been resolved.

Big Sunday

With ten arrivals and six departures, today was an unusually busy day for a Sunday. Tomorrow, although it will be a holiday, Canada's Thanksgiving Day, the port promises to be even busier, so I will cram much of today's activities into one post.

The early riser was rewarded with an impressive sunrise, even though cloud cover actually blocked out direct sunlight for the rest of the day. I like sunrises, but don't usually see them unless they coincide with ship arrivals.

Eurodam leads the inbound parade at sunrise.

A triple arrival at sunrise was worth getting up for, so I took it in this time. In the lead, Eurodam was followed by Albatros and finally CMA CGM Tancredi.

Eurodam is a regular caller in cruise season, but on departure passengers were given a pair of treats. First was Atlantic Oak going full speed in reverse. The tug was outbound to meet the arriving OOCL Washington (see later) and because of that timing, Eurodam took the western channel, giving the second treat coming close to the shore off York Redout.

  

 Next inbound was Albatros.

Albatros came in east of George's Island to tie up at pier 20.

Albatros has now reached the veteran status. Built in 1973 by OY Wartsila, Helsingfors as Royal Viking Sea, it was lengthened in 1983, adding a new 93 foot long mid-section. It became Royal Odyssey in 1991, Norwegian Star in 1997, Norwegian Star 1 in 2001, Crown in 2002 and Albatros in 2004.
 

Royal Viking Sky was one of the best looking ships of its day.

The albatross was thought to be the bearer of bad luck by ancient mariners, but it must have been good to current operators Phoenix Reisen, since this is the second ship to carry the name for them.

The first Albatros' ancestry was well hidden by many changes to convert it to cruising.

 
The first Albatros was also a veteran. Built on the Clyde in 1957 by John Brown as Sylvania, it was the last of four Cunard transatlantic liner sisters initially operating to Quebec and Montreal in summer and Halifax in winter. It was also given the R.M.S. designation as it carried mail on its regular liner service.

In 1961 it was transferred to year round operation Liverpool to New York, It was sold in 1968 becoming Fairwind, the Sitmar Fairwind in 1988, Dawn Princess in 1988 (and refitted for cruising), and Albatros in 1993.
In 2003 it was renamed Genoa for its trip to the breakers in Alang, arriving there in December of that year.

A well loaded CMA CGM Tancredi takes its tugs off Halterm.

Another first time caller for CMA CGM's joint service followed the cruise ships. CMA CGM Tancredi is another 8530 TEU ship (including 700 reefers). Built by Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Heavy Industries in 2011, it measures 91,498 grt, 101,386 dwt. Owners Danaos Shipping Co Ltd of Piraeus operate it on long term charter to CMA CGM.

A pair of Algomas at pier 25-26.

A rare arrival for Halifax in recent years, is a ship with grain. Algoma Mariner arrived from the Great Lakes mid-morning and began to unload what seems to be a partial cargo. Before unloading operations began, the ship bunkered from fleet mate Algoma Dartmouth.

 No matter that she is old and worn, Hudson is still a classy ship.

After hydrographic work south of Nova Scotia CCGS Hudson returned to the Bedford Institute. I will be sad to see this classic ship go, which it will do, probably next year*, when its replacement is completed. First steel for the new ship was cut by Seaspan in Vancouver in June. [*Oops, replacement due in 2020 ar the earliest - see comment below. First steel was cut of the trawler type researchers.]

Speaking of classics that will go: Princess of Acadia remains tied up at the old Coast Guard dock in Dartmouth, but has been kept in ready condition. It was said that this was to enable the ship to sail to the breakers under its own power, and that will likely be the case. But in the meantime, as reported by the Ottawa Citizen, the ship will be used in naval exercises starting next week. It will pose as a "vessel of interest" in counter-terrorism training operations south off Yarmouth.

Last inbound ship of interest for me was OOCL Washington, which arrived for Halterm, taking CMA Tancredi's berth. (It took the western channel to allow room for the inbound.)

The OOCL ship called here for the first time September 29 at Fairview Cove on the G6 westbound service. Now that it has discharged at US ports and is on the return eastbound leg, it is high in the water, and berthed at Halterm to avoid bridge clearance issues. Built in 2010 by Samsung Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries in South Korea, it measures 89,097 grt, 99,631 dwt. Its container capacity is 8,063 TEU, including capacity for 1400 reefers.

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Flinterstar - nice ship, sad end

The Netherlands flag general cargo ship Flinterstar has been declared a constructive total loss after a collision in the North Sea off the Belgian coast near Zeebrugge in the busy Western Schelde Estuary.
There are scores of images of the wreck on line. e.g.:   Google Images

Nearly new in 2002, the ship sails into Halifax.

The ship, built in 2002 by Ferus Smit, Leer, of 6577 grt, 9122 dwt collided with the the gas carrier Al Oraiq, 122,000 dwt, and came off the loser. Flinterstar took a heavy list and grounded on a sandbank with its stern partially submerged. Leaking fuel oil, near a wildlife reserve, the ship set in motion a major Belgian/.Dutch rescue, cleanup and salvage operation. Smit/Multraship is engaged to pump out the remaining fuel, but the owners, Flinter Groep BV have stated that the ship has been damaged beyond economical repair. The ship's crew of 12 were removed without serious injury.

 After dodging some late season boaters, Flinterstar approaches pier 28 in Halifax.

Flinterstar was well known in  some Great Lakes ports, but was also a visitor to Halifax in November 2002 when it delivered a cargo of steel tire cores for Michelin. Typical of many versatile Dutch cargo ships, it has two box shaped holds with pontoon hatch covers and carries a pair of 60 tonne cranes that can combine for a 120 tonne lift.
From June 2006 to June 2011 it carried the name UAL Africa while on charter to Universal Africa Lines.
For more info on the ship and its owners, refer to the excellent Flinter web site: http://www.flinter.nl/index.php/en

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Monge and a flashback

The arrival on Monday October 5 of the French satellite tracking ship Monge brought back memorties of the cold war days in Halifax.

But first the Monge. Built by Chantier de l'Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire, it was launched in 1990 and in service by 1992 as a missile range instrumentation ship for submarine launched missiles, but also for satellite tracking. Its prominent radomes indicate its purpose at once, but it is a naval vessel (A601) and is lightly armed and can carry a helicopter. It carries a full naval complement of 186 and 15 civilian technicians.
A large ship, it is 225m long and displaces 21,000 tonnes and has a range of 15,000 n.mi. with a speed of 16 knots powered by two Pielstick engines driving a singe screw twin screws.
Often stationed in hot climates, its hull is painted white to aid in cooling its vast array of electronics.

 A very wide angle view of Monge at HMC Dockyard. The oil boom has been deployed as the bunkering tanker Algoma Dartmouth was just about to come alongside.

Now for the flash back. In t dark days of the cold war the USSR also built a fleet of satellite tracking ships that were used to monitor the USSR's space program and to do upper atmosphere and outer space research. The ships also kept very close tabs on the US space program and were often to be seen in Halifax following major US rocket and spacecraft launches and re-entries.


Kosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was built by the Khersonskiy Shipyard as the merchant ship Genichesk in 1966 but was converted almost immediately for satellite tracking. Its huge radomes were enclosed in golf ball like housings. It measured 13,935 grt in 1967, and was based in Odessa and operated by the state owned Baltic-Black Sea Shipping for the USSR Academy of Sciences. It also had a large crew of over 200.

 Kosmonaut Vladimir Komarov at pier 21, with Halifax civilians getting a close up look. It may have been the Cold War, but there was unfettered access to the pier faces in those days.

(My apologies for the quality of this 1968 photo taken on a 620 fixed focal length camera - in deep shadow). 

Kosmonaut Yuriy Gagarin (also spelled Yuri in some places) was purpose built in 1971 by the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. A very large ship oif 31,300 tons it was steam turbine powered and also based in the Ukraine, operating ostensibly for the Soviet Academy of Sciences, with a largely civilian crew (with the usual quota of political officers).

A supremely dignified ship, despite its mushroom factory upper works. I needed my newly acquired 28mm wide angle lens (on my new to me Olympus OM-1) to get it all in.

Again, civilians getting a close up look at pier 26.

There were objections to the ships' presence in Halifax, as provocative, so they were banished to Sydney, but continued to call there for stores and crew R&R.

When the USSR collapsed, the ships were transferred to the Ukraine Academy of Science, but both were soon broken up.
Kosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was broken up in Alang, India in 1994. 

Kosmonaut Yuriy Gagarin was renamed Agar and sent to Bangladesh scrappers in 1996.

These were only two of several USSR ships with tracking capability, the others much smaller. Akademik Sergei Korolev  is another that comes to mind, that was fitted with large antennas (It was broken up in Bangladesh as Agar Alang, India as Orol in 1996). There was also a class of ships that were nominally fisheries, hydrographic or oceanographic researchers, but were probably doing a lot of underwater listening, such as Professor Vize.

Invariably painted white and attractively styled, they explained away the white colours as typical of research ships (Canada's Hudson and Baffin for example, but also Quest). But the white was no doubt helpful while stationed in the Caribbean down range of Cape Canaveral, in keeping the electronics cool.

 

Professor Vize had a lot more antennas and other strange devices than you would expect to see on a lowly hydrographic research ship. It was supposedly doing iceberg research and maybe it was.

Professor Vize built 1966, Mathias-Thesen Werft, Wismar, East Germany. Broken up 1999, Mumbai.

If you don't recognize the names of the men commemorated by these ships, here's a little refresher:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Komarov 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Wiese

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Oversight corrected - Craig Blake

Among the several oversights in the last few weeks, I neglected to mention that the newest addition to the Halifax harbor ferry service, Craig Blake entered service in September.

So far the new boat has been running mostly on the Woodside to Halifax run, with Christopher Stannix, but as with all members of the fleet, it could run on either the Woodside or Alderney route.

Craig Blake wears the latest colour scheme for the newly re-branded Halifax Transit (formerly Metro Transit).

To see some of those previous colour schemes refer to these posts:

http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2015/02/ferries-named-halifax-and-dartmouth.html

http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2015/02/ferries-named-halifax-and-dartmouth_16.html

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Securing Novadock

Now that the first section of the Novadock is safely aboard the Boa Barge 33, work goes on to secure it in place. The work includes brackets to the underside of the Novadock where it overhangs the barge. Several small craft and barges from RMI Marine are employed in this work which will take several days. It must be very unpleasant work, with decades of marine growth built up on the hull and now exposed to the air.

Note the small craft working under the overhang. The drydock has been plated over where it was cut in two (The new steel is painted in red primer.) Note also the cross bracing wires on the drydock to ensure that it did not sag during loading.

As a non-powered vessel, the Boa Barge 33 must have a tug alongside at all times when at anchor in case it is required to move, or if it goes adrift. That is its companion tug Boa Odin at the stern.

There is also a Caterpillar packaged generator on the drydock to provide power for lights and pumps.

New owners, International Ship Repairs in Tampa, FL have several other drydocks, some of which can be coupled together when needed to take larger ships. It seems likely that they would do the same with Novadock , but it was necessary to cut it in two for transport anyway.

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We Have Lift On

NASA may have Lift Off, but today Halifax harbour had Lift On. The semi-submersible heavy lift barge Boa Barge 33 was put to the test and came through swimmingly.

The barge arrived September 27 in tow of the tug Boa Odin- see Tugfax and after some time at pier 27 and pier 28, it moved out into the harbour yesterday:

Tugs Atlantic Larch (at the bow) and Boa Odin near the stern, move the Boa Barge 33 past the Novadock yesterday afternoon. It is easy to see that the barge is easily large enough to carry each section with room to spare.

Despite drizzly weather this morning the barge was submerged and the first section of the former Novadock was floated over.

 This morning the barge is all but invisible as it is submerged in number 6 anchorage area in the lower harbour. 

(Princess of Acadia remains laid up at the former Coast Guard base in Dartmouth.)

 Early this afternoon, with the Novadock in place, the refloating operation continues for the barge.

Once the load is secured and there is a suitable weather window the long trip to Florida will begin. The second section of the floating drydock will follow in due course. It is a larger and heavier section and will also depend on very good weather to make the trip.

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