AST Sunshine brings clearing weather

1. The gloom is lifting, allowing a clear view of the boldy painted ship as it unloads at Imperial Oil.

Living up to its name AST Sunshine brought clearing weather when it arrived today. The ship had been anchored off Halifax Since May 5. A cynic would say it was waiting for the price of oil to go up, but it certainly was a long time.
The splendidly painted ship is nearly new, having entered service January 10 of this year.It came from the Samsung Shipbuilding and Heavy Industry yard in Geoje, South Korea and is 50% owned by Solar Shipping + Trading SA and 50% by Asahi Marine of Tokyo. Management of the ship is in the hands of Northern Marine Management of Clydebank, Scotland. Despite all that the ship is registered in Panama.
It is obviously operating under charter to Stena-Sonanagol, a 26 ship pool of  Suezmax tankers operated by Stena Sphere shipping of Sweden and Sonangol, the state owned oil company of Angola. Most of the ships were built in the last two or three years, and are roughly identical in size. AST Sunshine is typical, at 81,187 gross tons and 159,000 tonnes deadweight.