Tahoma sails

When the USCGC Tahoma WMEC 908 sailed this morning it afforded a bit of a close up view as it sailed west of George's Island.

Thanks to that close pass I got a glimpse of some of the MH65D helicopter partly projecting from the hangar.

The reason for sticking to the west of the island was to give good clearance to the navy's supply ship Asterix occupying number one anchorage and due to sail within the hour.  After fueling at Irving Oil yesterday it moved to anchor because its customary berth was occupied.

Asgterix and HMCS Glace Bay put to sea this morning and HMCS Halifax was standing off the port.

.

Monday Activity

Monday August 3 was a holiday but you would not know it from watching harbour activity. Both container piers were busy [see also previous post] with Atlantic Sea at Fairview Cove until early afternoon.

Atlantic Sea heads for sea with light showers and fog in the air. The tug Spitfire III kept company with the ship as it transited the Narrows.

In addition to the MSC ships, PSA Halifax also greeted the Zim Monaco later in the day.

Imperial Oil also had an arrival, STI Osceola with a cargo of refined product from Antwerp.

Built in 2015 by Hyundai Mipo, Ulsan, the 29,899 gt, 49,990 dwt ship is part of the Scorpio Tankers Inc fleet. It operates in the Scorpio MR Pool. The company's web site fleet list indicates that the ship is scrubber equipped.

There was also activity in HMC Dockyard, with Asterix back alongside after fueling at Irving Oil. It will head back to sea tomorrow. HMCS Halifax was in and out after various activities in local waters. Also the first visiting US ship this year, USCGC Tahoma docked in HMC Dockyard, but well away from other ships!

The cutter will be sailing tomorrow to participate in operation Nanook, so may be doing some coordination work or provisioning before heading north to work with the RCN'S annual northern operation.

That activity will look quite different in the next few years as the new Nanisivik naval base is due to be completed for next year. The navy also took delivery July 31 of AOPS1, which will become HMCS Harry Dewolf when it is commissioned into the RCN next year. The ship is now docked at its new jetty at HMC Dockyard

.

Montreal Diverisons - Updated

Continuing labour issues are making the Port of Montreal a questionable destination for container ships. A second work stoppage by longshoremen has resulted in two MSC ships diverting to Halifax. 

PSA Halifax's new crane works MSC Veronique on Sunday afternoon, August 2.

As a terminal port, Montreal is accustomed to completely off-loading ships. Such is not the usual case in Halifax, which is a way port. However PSA Halifax has found room in its facility to accommodate MSC import boxes - many of which appear to be empties. Export boxes are expected to start arriving by road and rail.

Sunday evening sister ship MSC Sariska arrived at PSA Halifax. Both ships were once regular callers in their earlier lives as Maersk ships. [See later post]

Monday morning MSC Veronique sailed, likely for an outer anchorage, to await the arrival of export boxes.

Updated#1:  The ship is giving New York as its destination, so there must be some other plan.

Update#2:  MSC Veronique was once a regular caller in Halifax, but under another name.

Built in 1989 by Odense Staalskibs in Denmark its first name was Mette Maersk and at 52,191 gt, 60,900 dwt and 4437 TEU (including 500 reefers) was considered a very large ship at the time. It was on a regular service to Halifax for several years. In 2006 it became Maersk Merritt, and in 2007 MSC Sweden. It reverted to Maersk Merritt in 2010, and took its current name in 2011.

On a 1997 visit the ship was carrying a rubber tired gantry (RTG) as cargo on its after deck.

Sister ship MSC Sariska in port today (enshrouded in fog for much of the time) was built in 1990 by the same yard as Majestic Maersk, 52,181 gt, 60,639 dwt, and called in Halifax on its maiden voyage in 1990.It carried the name Majestic 2010-2011 until becoming MSC Sariska.

Almost concealed from view MSC Sariska unloads at PSA Halifax. MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) is noted for using older ships, and these sisters, at thirty years of age, must be pushing the limit. Because they were built Maersk's own shipyard (since closed) in Odense, their build quality may have been higher than those built elsewhere.

.

Nordic Zenith Passes the Exam

The Suezmax tanker Nordic Zenith occupied number one anchorage for few hours this morning. The ship made a diversion on its way to Canaport off Saint John, NB, presumably to undergo Asian Gypsy Moth inspection.

The ship was built by Samsung, Geoje in 2011 and measures 81,509 gt, 158, 645 dwt.  It is operated by Scandic American Shipping Ltd for owners Nordic American Tankers Ltd.

With the assistance of three tugs, the ship weighed anchor and made for sea through large numbers of pleasure craft including swarms of PWCs. 

Due to its size and the nature of its cargo, the ship used two pilots and kept one tug as tethered escort until it reached the outer pilot station.

.

Hudson returns

The legendary oceanographic / hydrographic research ship CCGS Hudson returned to its home base at the Bedford Institute today, following its latest refit in St.John's, Newfoundland.

Built in 1963 by Saint John Drydock and Shipbuilding Co, it entered service in 1964 and since then has piled up numerous achievements including a complete circumnavigation of the western hemisphere.

In recent years refits have become more extensive, and expensive, as the CCG tries to eke a few more years out of the ship. The most recent refit, which began early in 2019 is supposed to see the ship through to 2024 when a replacement will finally enter service.

.

New crane at work

PSA Halifax's newest container crane was in operation today working the 14,414 TEU CMA CGM T.Jefferson.

The new crane (on the left) has slightly higher and longer reach than the other two large cranes at the southend container pier. Larger ships are on the way here in the next month and it will be put to good use.

.

Maersk Penang diversion

The container ship Maersk Penang arrived in Halifax today. The ship would normally be expected on a Saturday, arriving from Montreal and heading for Bremerhaven on Maersk's Canada Express service.

However on this trip the ship did not go to Montreal, due to a four day work stoppage called by longshoremen. The strike began Monday July 27 and presumably would have disrupted Maersk Penang's normal schedule. Instead the ship, sailing from Antwerp, went to anchor off Sheet Harbour until this morning. It will now unload completely in Halifax and await whatever cargo can be brought in from Montreal by road or rail in time to maintain the usual schedule. That would normally see the ship sailing from here on August 2.

Maersk Penang was built in 1998 as P+O Nedlloyd Jakarta by Kvaerner Warnow Werft, and measures 31,333 gt, 37,842 dwt, with a capacity of 2890 TEU including 400 reefers. It was renamed by Maersk in 2006 as part of its acquisition of P+O Nedlloyd.

Sisterships Maersk Palermo and Maersk Patras and the EM Kea maintain the weekly CAE service jointly with CMA CGM from Halifax to Bremerhavem, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Montreal. .

.