HAM 318 - giant dredge in for a pit stop

The giant deep sea dredge HAM 318 is making a pit stop in Haifax for fuel and stores. The ship, measuring 33,515 gross tons and 67,471 tonnes deadweight was built in 2001 and flies the Dutch flag. It is owned by Van Oord and operating under a coasting license issued to Van Oord Marine Contractors Canada Ltd, because there is no Canadian flagged vessel able to do its type of work.

Its permit allows it to dredge an excavated drill centre in the Hibernia oil field off Newfoundland between May 14 and September 14. It makes monthly trips into port for fuel and stores (it was in St.John's in mid-June) but is otherwsise self sustaining while it is at work.
Van Oord is one of the largest dredging concerns in the world, and HAM 318 one of the largest trailing suction hopper dredges. Read more at http://www.vanoord.com/ (click on Activities then, Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger for a spec sheet on this ship.)