Line up for May 31, 2010

Halifax promises to be a busy place early Monday morning:
Arrivals: Undine (Autoport), Zim Shenzhen (Halterm), Ambassador (National Gypsum), Thailand Express (Fairview Cove), Alexandria Bridge (Halterm), Aegir (Halterm) all berthing from 0700 to 0800 or so.
Later in the day Atlantic Conveyor and Ludwigshafen Express (Fairview Cove)and Zim Isanbul (Halterm) will be arriving after 1600, with many of the arrivals leaving.

Commentary 0830+ hrs May 31: High winds delayed the docking of several of these ships. With only four working tugs in the harbour and most ships requiring two tugs, by 0830 only Alexandria Bridgeand Thailand Express were docked. Undine was at anchorage # 7 awaiting tugs, and Zim Shenzhen at anchorage #1 awaiting tugs. Aegir seems to have berthed without tugs.
Atlantic Towing's Atlantic Fir and Larch berthed Alexandria Bridge at pier 36 then hurried off to dock Ambassador at National Gypsum. Tugs of Svitzer Canada were busy dealing with Thailand Express at Fairview Cove, and the sailing of Oceanex Sanderling from Autoport. Atlantic Fir went to Undine (normally a Svitzer job) and was joined by Point Chebucto-these were the first available tugs-at about 0915-0930. Point Valiant and Atlantic Larch then noved the tanker North Point to anchor.

Issue#1: How many tugs are needed in Halifax? Obviously today 6 to 8 tugs would be needed to berth all these ships on arrival. But the tug companies can't justify having that many tugs sitting around for weeks without work until a busy (and windy) day such as today.

Issue#2: At least two of the ships (Aegir and Thailand Express) arrived off Halifax yesterday but anchored until this morning. Presumably this was to avoid overtime/weekend rates for longshoremen. Since they were "first in line" both these ships docked more or less on time this morning.