Khalilah - a visitor from Wisconsin

Sturgeon Bay, WI is not famous for its caviar, but for Palmer-Johnson, a shipyard devoted to building high end luxury yachts. Their latest product glided into Halifax at noon time today after a sometimes speedy trip from the shipyard en route to Florida.

The ship's hull was built of carbon fiber by Brodrene Aa of Hyen, Norway, and delivered to Sturgeon Bay in 2013 by the Canadian cargo ship Qamutik. (That ship works for its previous owners, Spleithoff's, in the winter season, and the Dutch company  transports yachts in addition to its other special cargo capabilities.)
The hull was fitted out in Sturgeon Bay, conducted trials this fall, and set out on November 16 for its destination in Florida. ON the way it encountered the horrific snow storm that struck Buffalo, NY and held over in Port Weller on the Welland Canal until November 21.  It also stopped in Montreal for a few days.
Yesterday AIS recorded it downbound off Rimouski, QC in the morning. When in AIS range it averaged better than 22 knots, and passed through the Canso Lock at about 0330 this morning, arriving off the Maritime Museum dock about 12:30. (Reports indicate that its top speed is about 32 knots).

The 58m yacht is operating under a temporary US registry, using its shipyard hull number as a name: PJ265. On delivery to its owners, it will carry its intended name Khalilah.[translation: Friend, also a female given name].

A bulbous bow, barely visible at the water surface, projects well beyond the reverse rake stem. A little frozen spray has accumulated at the bow on some windows.

For more on Palmer Johnson and the 48M Super Sport see: http://www.palmerjohnson.com/#!Palmer-Johnson-48-SuperSport-in-Boat-International/c134r/1

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Bahri Yanbu

Number 6 of 6 new ships built by Hyundai Mipo, Ulsan South Korea, for the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia, Bahri Yanbu arrived this morning at pier 31.

The 50,714 grt RoRo, container, cargo ship was delivered in April, and this was my first chance to get a photo. The multi-purpose ship appears to be identical to her five sister ships, and is an impressive vessel. Equipped with a pair of cranes that can lift 240 tonnes, a small container carrying area forward, an open car deck and a vast stern ramp, the ship was built specifically for the cargo needs of Saudi Arabia.

  The ship also appears to have larger than normal accommodation area. Although not advertised to have passenger capacity, I suspect that she does carry more than crew from time to time.

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Temporary disruption to harbour ferry service

The Alderney ferry schedule has been disrupted due to serviceability issues with the ferry Christopher Stannix. The newest ferry in the fleet is having control problems and has been removed from the Woodside ferry route.With the ferry Woodside I already out of service due to regular maintenance and drydocking in Lunenburg, it leaves Halifax III and Dartmouth III to handle to both routes across Halifax harbor. As of this afternoon, it was Dartmouth III running Halifax/Woodside. (All the boats are supposed to be interchangeable, and any boat can make any run, so the names are not necessarily indicative of the route they serve.)

Christopher Stannix is idled at the Halifax terminal and Halifax III approaches from the Alderney terminal in Dartmouth.

At one point this afternoon, the tug Atlantic Larch was called to stand  by off the Cable Wharf  if needed.

 

After an hour or so it returned to its dock in Woodside, adjacent to the ferry terminal, as Dartmouth III scuttles across the harbor to Halifax.

Since September 8, the ferry service has been operating on a reduced schedule anyway to allow for the regular maintenance of its boats. When this happens people can use the bus, but that can be a longer ride and not nearly as convenient as the ferry for many.

With two new boats on the way, the first one due next year, the planning was for Halifax Transit to maintain dependable schedules even after retiring the two old boats and scheduling regular maintenance. However I think a fifth boat will still be needed to provide absolutely dependable service at all times.

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Preserver returns from Bedford Magazine

HMCS Preserver returned from the Bedford Magazine (Jetty November November) this morning after spending most of yesterday and last night at the outpost.As usual with in-harbour shifts, it was a cold move. Dockyard tugs powered the ship both ways.

 Preserver approaches Halifax Shipyards, southbound in the Narrows, on its return to HMC Dockyard. The dark area at deck level amidships is safety netting for the gangway.

 
The Bedford Magazine is the navy's munitions storage facility, and was built at the head of Bedford Basin to be sufficiently far away from populated areas to ensure  that a detonation would cause minimal collateral damage. I am not so sure that would be the case today, since residential areas of Bedford and the Burnside Industrial Park are now in close proximity.

On July 18, 1945 an explosion on a barge load of ammunition at the Magazine Pier started a fire and a chain reaction of blasts over a period of two days, which threatened to equal the Halifax Explosion of 1917. Valiant efforts by civilian and military fire crews eventually brought the situation under control, but not before a large portion of the north end of Halifax was evacuated, windows were shattered all over town and roofs collapsed. Due the war's end there was a huge amount of explosive material stockpiled outdoors as naval vessels de-stored and ammunition was brought in from as far as Bermuda. There had not been time to store it all in bunkers and a large quantity stacked on the pier was quick to ignite.

Heroes of the day included two civilian fireboat crews.  The firetug Rouille operated by the City of Halifax and the fireboat James Battle operated by the National Harbours Board fought the blaze. Navy firetugs were there too, but I do not have their names at hand.


James Battle was built by Detroit Shipbuilding Co in 1900. An imposing vessel, with one deck and twin funnels, it served the City of Detroit until 1941 when it was sold to Sincennes-McNaughton Line of Montreal. They chartered it to the National Harbours Board and assigned it to Halifax in 1943. After the Bedford Magazine fire, its boilers were in such bad shape that it was returned to Montreal. There it was rebuilt several times, and as a diesel tug, it operated in the Port of Montreal and in the Seaway for McAllister Towing until 1991 when it was sold for scrap. It retained full firefighting capability until the end.
There are several photos of it on line as built: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireboats_of_Detroit

By 1983 James Battle had been rebuilt as a stylish motor tug, but retained  firefighting equipment.

 
Rouille was built for the City of Toronto in 1929 by Collingwood Shipbuilding. Far too large for their needs it was leased to the City of Halifax in 1941. It fought several fires in the port during the war, including the Volendam in June 1945. It had a crew of 15 plus 13 firefighters on call and was also the official greater for returning troop ships, giving water displays.
In August 1945 it took over from James Battle and worked for the National Harbours Board until April 1946 when it was sold. New owners J.P.Porter+Co used it as a tug, and it sank December 3, 1954 off Cape Smokey with the loss of five lives .
It could pump 4500 gpm with 3 fire guns and 16 hose outlets on deck.

 

This uncredited photo poster appeared in the Dartmouth Sportsplex community room and shows Rouille in all its glory.

The Royal Canadian Navy augmented its fire fighting capability in Halifax after the Magazine incident, transferring in the Nashwaak from Sydney, and taking delivery of two new boats before the winter of 1945.

Ever since then the port has relied on the naval fireboat for firefighting. After years of debate on whether the Port or the City should also have a fireboat, civilian tugs and offshore suppliers began to be equipped with firefighting capability and the debate died out.

Currently the RCN has CFAV Firebird in operation, with Dockyard Fire Department firefighters on board.  Atlantic Towing Ltd has much superior firefighting capability on Atlantic Oak and Atlantic Willow, although their crews are not career firefighters.

The Bedford Magazine is now much safer, and has its own fire department in house. As a reminder of 1945 there are areas around the magazine that are still off limits due to the presence of unexploded munitions.

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Skelt takes bunkers

The bulk carrier Skelt made a brief port stop today for bunkers en route to Port Cartier, QC to load grain.

The orange visor of Algoma Dartmouth shows above the deck of Skelt at anchor for bunkers. The ship's hatches are opened slightly to air the holds as part of the cleaning process before loading grain.

The rubble in the foreground is fill from the old Dartmouth Marine Slips site which is under redevelopment as Kings Wharf.

Skelt was built in 2010 by SPP Shipbuilding Co of Tongyeong, South Korea as Stella Alnilam for Singaporean owners, but under management of the Italian company D'Amato. In 2013 the ship was acquired by the Wellard Group and renamed Skelt, also under Singaporean flag. Wellard is a Fremantle, Australia based cattle and sheep producer, and also operates three livestock carriers. http://www.wellard.com.au/home/shipping/  Their web site does not mention this ship however, but as a grain carrier it could well fit into the company's large agricultural interests.

The United States Steel Company founded the Quebec Cartier Mining Co in 1957 to extract iron ore from its mines in Labrador. They built Port Cartier as the terminus for the rail line from the mines, and the location of a pelletizing plant. Since the iron ore was destined for US Steel plants on the Great Lakes, QCM also built  grain storage facilities that allowed the lakes ships to haul grain eastbound and iron ore westbound. The grain could be stored and transshipped on a year round basis

USS sold the operation to Dofasco, Mitsui and Caemi. Mitsui sold its 25% to Caemi, giving it 50%, then Investissemtn Quebec bought 50%, but then Dofasco became sole owners in 2005. In 2006 Arcelor SA acquired the majority of Dofasco but later that year merged with Mittal.

Now ArcelotrMittal Mines Canada operates the Mont-Wright mine, the railway and the pelletizing plant and generates a significant percentage of Canada's iron ore production. Port Cartier, almoist by default ahs also become a significant grain exporting port.

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Vitagrace for vital nutrients

After biding its time in Bedford Basin since November 14, the bulker Vitagrace moved alongside pier 28 today to being loading grain. See also: November 15

The tugs Atlantic Larch (left) and Atlantic Willow (right) wait for Vitagrace to pass the Woodside ferry track. They will then scoot around to the ship's port side to assist it alongside pier 28.

 
All the export grain from Halifax this year has arrived by rail car and it has taken some time to accumulate this ship's full cargo. Last week's Gargeney also loaded some 30,000 tonnes.
The Halifax Grain Elevator has a capacity of  6.4 mn cu.ft./181,350 cu.m., although some of that is dedicated to wood pellets. It can load ships at up to 50,000 bu per hr.
 

 Badly in need of paint, the grain elevators are nonetheless an imposing sight at sunrise.

Confused?
1 Imperial bushel = 8 gallons = 2219 cu.in. = 1.28 cu. ft.=.036 cu.m.
(US bushels are smaller, just as US gallons are smaller, and give different numbers.)
Canadian grain cars have a capacity of 128.8 cu.m, and a load capacity of 101,500 kg (about 100 tonnes).
Grain weights have been standardized, e.g. wheat is 36.77 bu /tonne (60 lb/bu, or 27.2 kg/bu). Corn and soybeans are similar in weight, while oats is much lighter.

Vitagrace has a capacity of 90,165 cu.m. of grain and a deadweight capacity of 75,921 tonnes. If it is loading wheat, then it will take 2.5 mn bushels. At 60 lb per bushel that is 68,306 tonnes (683 rail cars) . Therefore the ship's volume will be taken up by grain before it runs out of lifting capacity. On sailing it will not be at full draft, but will be within the safe margins for winter North Atlantic- the severest load line.requirement.

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Frigates

The political spin doctors are at work again, trying to find something positive to say about the Royal Canadian Navy.  Thus the press releases went out playing up the fact that four RCN frigates (two on each coast) have concluded their mid-life refits, and the first will "hit the seas" [where did this expression come from?] in 2015 when HMCS Fredericton will be deployed. HMCS Halifax on this coast should not be far behind.
The story, if there is one, is that the FELEX program is on schedule. Other than that there is really no news here. As ships emerge from Halifax Shipyard and Seaspan, they are handed over to HMC Dockyard where naval and defence contractors' crews complete the remainder of the work within navy territory, and then start work ups.

HMCS Montreal has been busily doing just that over the last several weeks, as it was today.
The FrigatE Life EXtensions will mean  that the ships will remain in service until the 2030s - at least - when their replacements [maybe] are ready.

HMCS Montreal was laid dopwn by Saint John Dry Dock and Shipbuilding February 9, 1991, floated up on February 26, 1992, handed over to the RCN July 27, 1993 and commissioned June 21, 1994.

 HMC Montreal fully operational in 1996.

I do give credit however to those reporters that saw fit not to just regurgitate the press releases, but also to include in their articles the unfortunate fact that we will still  be short two destroyers and two supply ships for up to ten years or more, and therefore no matter how up to date the frigates are, we will only have a half a navy.

This situation must be terrible for internal RCN morale. It is certainly an embarrassment on the world stage.

Perhaps the idea of NATO taking over Russia's Mistrals and loaning one to Canada will take hold ... again.........http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30190069

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Vera D, Voyage 001 for Melfi

Vera D is on its first voyage for Melfi Lines. Although slightly smaller than the other new ships that have joined Melfi recently, it is similar in most respsects.

Chebucto Pilot accompanies Vera D outbound this afternoon. 

The ship will swing to port to take the western deep water channel, keeping the eastern channel free for the inbound HMCS Montreal (see later post)

Laid down by in 2004 by Daewoo Mangalia it was completed by the German Sietas shipyard. That probably means that the hull was built by Daewoo's yard in Romania and towed to Germany for completion. 
It measures 17,188 grt, 22,613 dwt and has a container capacity of 1719 TEU. It is fitted with three 45 tonne cranes to work containers or other cargo.

It is owned by Peter Doehle Schiffs. of Hamburg and has carried two previous names. Launched as Pyxis it was renamed Maersk Veracruz on delivery. On completion of a five year charter in 2009, the owners saved on paint by renaming it Vera D. Melfi does not appear to be entering into long term charters, so it is seems unlikely that the ship will be renamed this time.

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Blue Star Ithaki a.k.a. Canada 2014

The new Digby-Saint John ferry Blue Star Ithaki, temporarily (we hope) renamed Canada 2014, is at this moment in Funchal, Azores  Madeira for fueling en route to Halifax. Once it arrives here next week, it will be refitted for Canadian service,  and given its permanent name.

The present ferry Princess of Acadia was given its name by the Canadian Pacific Railway, which had a longstanding naming tradition. Its deep sea passenger lines were Empresses and its coastal passenger ships (all but one of which were on the west coast) were Princesses. That Bay Ferries and the Minster of Transport kept the Princess of Acadia's name long after CP's involvement stopped was certainly laudable, but it is now time for some creative thinking. The CPR days are gone, and its time for something original.

The recent tendency to name ships based on contests and suggestion box entries relieves the operators of the responsibility for picking names. Similarly the government's tendency to name ships after politicians is self-serving and should not be tolerated. Continuously re-using the same name over and over or appending a "II" or "III" is also an easy way out.

The cruise industry's lamentable record in ship's names should also be an example of what not to do. A "brand" or a sponsor is a despicable excuse for naming a ship.

Prince Edward Island ferries were named after Fathers of Confederation, but some genius decided to part from that tradition and we got "Holiday Island" and "Vacationland" instead. These names had no local resonance and could have been anywhere on earth. Good sense returned when the name Abegweit was chosen for the last ferry to be built for the Cape Tormentine-Borden route (recalling also the name of a previous ship) and Confederation for the last ferry built for the Caribou-Wood Island run.

Now we have a chance to follow in that sensible direction, and I am suggesting something such as Loyalist  for the new ship. I would not be in favour of appending some descriptor to that such as "Fundy" since that weakens the impact. Saint John is known as the "Loyalist City" and I suppose the good residents of Digby might take exception to my suggestion, but there are good Loyalist streams in that area too.

Bottom line is let's have a serious name for the new ship. One that is thought out, appropriate and with serious intent.

I don't suppose the new ship will be making any 3 minute arrivals in Digby, but it is possible - see this You Tube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBwo_OqGwpI

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Landmark

Shipfax has reached another milestone with 1600 posts to date. It also received 1617 hits yesterday on the posting about HMCS Iroquois - another record.
Thank you for your support. Comments, corrections and additions are always welcome, but are moderated. That is, they are not added automatically, but are added only after I have reviewed them and found them suitable.
To commemorate the landmarks I have changed to banner at the top of the page. For years it showed a ship from the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia and the pilot boat A.P.A.No.1 arriving at dawn. The old Saudi ships have been replaced, and the company has been renamed Bahri. The pilot boat is still operational as back-up boat, but a newer boat Chebucto Pilot is now the primary boat. It is shown inbound this afternoon with Atlantic Compass passing Meagher's Beach light. Ships of the Atlantic Container Line are perhaps the most familiar sites in Halifax harbour, but not for much longer . A new generation of ACL ships is due next year.

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CMB returns - if only briefly

Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) is one of the oldest Antwerp based shipping companies. Founded in 1895 it initially traded to Africa, but later became a general cargo and liner company.

CMB operated a fleet of cargo ships and bulkers. Built in 1962 Mol was a conventional cargo ship of 8943 grt. Sold to Greek owners in 1978 it was broken up in 1985. In the 1976 photo above it is carrying some containers on deck.

By the 1960s it had a fleet of handsome general cargo ships, seen often enough in Halifax, but its owners saw the coming of the container age. In 1969 they joined with Charles Hill (owners of the Bristol City Line) and Clarke Traffic Services of Montreal to form the Dart Container Line. The new company built three large (for the time) container ships especially designed for the North Atlantic. CMB's contribution was Dart Europe built in 1970 by the Cockerill Yards in Hoboken, Belgium. The 33,400 grt ship had a capacity of 1556 TEU which was considered very large at the time.

The Dart ships had full width enclosed bridges and presented an impressive sight. Powered by a single 29,000 bhp Sulzer, they were capable of 21 knots.

Dart started its service with semi-container ships, calling in Antwerp, Southampton, Halifax, New York and Norfolk.Clarke, also operated the Halterm container terminal, and its opening coincided with delivery of the new ships, Dart America (Clarke), Dart Atlantic (Hill) and Dart Europe.

Halterm had only two cranes when it first started operations in 1970. *

Bristol City Line was acquired by Bibby Line, but Bibby sold its share to OOCL. In 1981 Dart ceased to exist when OOCL joined with CP Ships for a coordinated St.Lawrence River service. Dart Europe's last call in Halifax, under that name, was August 3, 1981. A CMB ship has probably not appeared in Halifax since.
CMB maintained a partnership in the OOCL/CP service and the ship was renamed CMB Europe in 1984. In 1985 it was renamed Canmar Europe, and was sold to Canada Maritime (CP Ships).

At anchor in Bedford basin as Canmar Europe it waits out a strike in Montreal with other CP ships.

It did however make two more appearances in Halifax under that name in 1995 when a longshoremen's strike in Montreal necessitated a diversion. It remained at anchor from March 15-23, 1995 then returned April 3-4, 1995 to pick up stranded containers that has been sent to Halifax by rail during the strike.
The ship was sold to Greek owners in 1996, briefly renamed Folly, then took up a short term charter as Zim Columbo.It was finally broken up in Alang India in 1998.

CMB had been building up its bulk carrier fleet in the meantime, acquiring Bocimar in 1962, and today's arrival , although carrying a CMB name, wears the Bocimar funnel and is owned by Bocimar International NV of Antwerp. Operation is entrusted to Anglo-Eastern Ship Management of Hong Kong.

CMB Maé flies the Hong Kong flag, and was built in 2010 by Samjin Shipbuilding Industries Co of Weihai, China. Of 23,432 grt and 33,694 dwt, it carries four cranes and clamshell buckets to handle its own cargo. It also has stanchions for deck cargo such as timber. The ship was in port for long enough to take bunkers and sailed this evening for Italy.

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For comparison purposes: The Halterm container terminal in 1971:

Dart Europe - perhaps on its maiden voyage in 1971. Grading and paving are still underway. A stone cairn directly behind the park bench is the common factor.

In a comparable view this afternoon, but from slightly higher up the hill: the trees have grown up -as have the cranes! The park bench has moved, but the stone cairn has not. 

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CMA CGM Montreal sold

The container ship CMA CGM Montreal is reported sold to undisclosed buyers for $US 7.2 mn. One of five ships in the Maersk / CMA CGM TA4 transatlantic service, it was in Halifax last Saturday.
 

Built in 2002, the 32228 grt ship has a container capacity of 2732 (including 450 refrigerated). It only started on the TA4 service earlier this year, and carried the name Antje Wulff for its first cal in Halifax. Since built is has carried the names Antje-Helen Wulff, P+O Nedlloyd Dammam, CMA CGM Seagull and Ibn Abdoun. Owners since 2010 have been Herman Wulff of Glueckstadt, Germany.
It is too early to tell if the ship will continue with the joint Maersk/ CMA CGM service or will be replaced by another ship.It is currently the only CMA CGM ship on the run, the others are all Maersk.
The TA4 port rotation is Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Montreal, Halifax, Rotterdam. CMA CGM Montreal is due in Rotterdam November 24. It would be due in Halifax again on December 13.

Today's caller was Maersk Palermo which caught the last rays of the setting sun on departure. Several CMA CGM boxes are identifiable in its deck cargo.

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HMCS Iroquois gives and gets an invitation

Although a paying off sail past is not in the cards for HMCS Iroquois - the government does not want to call undue notice the occasion of her decommissioning - there will be a dockside ceremony sometime this winter. Among the invited guests are members of La Corporation du site historique maritime de Sorel-Tracy. That group hopes to provide a new home for Iroquois once it is retired.

With the support of the city, and the promise of berth#2 on the Richelieu River, the group is looking to have the ship in place and open to the public in 2017 for the 375th anniversary of the founding of the town.
The ambitious plan would have as much as possible of the ship's naval equipment intact (but disarmed) so that visitors could see it in its ready state.

It would be a reminder of Sorel-Tracy's distinguished shipbuilding history- of which there is little evidence remaining. Marine Industries Ltd and is predecessors Chantier Manseau (1926-1938), the Canadian Government Shipyard (1900-1935) and others such as Le Claire Shipbuilding Co (later called Transportation + Shipping Co Ltd), Sorel Shipbuilding, and H.H.Shepherd+Sons built hundreds of ships over the years. Many of the ships were built as part of wartime emergency building programs, and so a naval vessel seems an appropraite artefact.

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1984 and Portugal calling [and an update]

Back into the 1984 shoebox. 1984 was the year of the biggest Tall Ship event in Halifax for years. My vantage point off Point Pleasant Park for the Parade of Sail was not the best, and most of the ships were well known anyway. 

 

 

One vessel in particular caught my eye, and I was pleased to catch up with it later in Quebec.

Gazela was built in 1901 as a traditional wooden sailing vessel of the Portuguese Grand Banks White Fleet. Carrying 35 dories, and without an engine until 1938, it fished steadily until 1969. It was purchased by the Philadelphia Maritime Museum and arrived in its new home port in 1971 where it was refurbished and renamed Gazela Primiero. It sails an ambassador the city, the port, and the State of Pennsylvania   In 1985 ownership was transferred to the Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild, and it was renamed Gazela.

Her long overhanging stern was the result of a new stern post and extension fitted when she was motorized.

The 3 masted barquentine, along with scores of other white painted Portuguese schooners, made St.John's, Newfoundland and North Sydney, their North American base of operation since time immemorial. In fact the Basques and Portuguese were exploiting the Grand Banks fisheries long before John Cabot showed up in 1497. 

With ancestral rights of access to the Banks, they continued to fish there after Canada declared its 200 mile economic zone. However continued quota abuse eventually lead to a ban on port calls,. They did shift to St-Pierre for a time, but they have largely vanished from our area due to the depletion of the cod stock, their primary interest in fishing.

They were still calling in St.John's in the late 1970s and early 1980s when I saw them. but there were no schooners left. However many were still fishing with long lines from open boats, and salting their catch aboard in the traditional way.

CCGS Barlett sails through the Narrows of St.John's harbour as Portuguese boats Conceiçao Vilarinho and Avè Maria are tied up alongside.

Conceiçao Vilarinho was built in 1947 by Hammarbyverken of Stockholm. Sweden as the cargo ship Elsa Thorden, and in 1948 was renamed Bure. In 1951 it was acquired by Joao Maria Vilarinho Successors Ltda of Aveiro, Portugal and converted for dory fishing and renamed. In this 1978 photo she had been equipped with six motor boats for the line fishermen to set out and retrieve their trawls and land their fish. The ship was deleted by Lloyd's in 2003.

Ave Maria (shown in the two photos above) carried open boats that looked more like lifeboats than dories, and had much greater capacity than the traditional boats. Also based in Aveiro, it is a wooden hulled ship, and thus not listed by Lloyd's. Its history is unknown to me. On September 7, 1982, on a voyage from Finland to Portugal, and 28 miles off the North Foreland, she caught fire. Helicopters evacuated the 45 crew and the hulk was towed in to Chatham on September 10, where it appears to have acquired by the Royal Navy. On February 23, 1983 it was towed to Plymouth. Then on April 12, 1983 she was towed out of Plymouth for Gibraltar where she was to be sunk as a target.
Note the laundry drying on the forestay. These small ships had huge crews, crammed like sardines and even hot bunked in cramped forecastles.

Santa Maria Manuela, also from Aveiro, was built in 1937 by Cia Uniao Fabril of Lisbon, on traditional schooner lines. By 1978 she was carrying large steel open boats for line fishing. Her fate is unknown. See update below.

Built in 1948 by Est.Nav. de Viano do Castelo, Sao Gonçalinho later fished out of Aveiro. It was broken up in Sacavem March 4, 1992. Cabot Tower on Signal Hill stands guard over the Narrows in St.John's.
 

Dating from 1950 as Soto Maior, built by NV Scheepswerft Gebr. Pot in Bolnes, Netherlands, it became Jose Caçào in 1974. It was based in Figueira da Foz and was classed as a cargo ship.  It may therefore have delivered bait and picked up salted fish from other ships.

Senhora das Candeias was built in 1948 by Est.Nav. de Viano do Castelo, and fished out of that port. An ice strengthened side trawler, she is seen here in Halifax at pier 23. She was probably in port to load frozen bait - likely mackerel. It was broken up in its home port in March 1992.

Antonio Pascoal was another Aveiro based boat, also an ice strengthened side trawler. Built by Haarlemsche Scheepwert Maats. of Haarlem, Netherlands in 1948, she is shown arriving in Halifax, with a large forepeak party ready to handle lines. On June 24, 1990 she suffered an engine room fire and sank northwest of the Azores.

Aguas Santas of Aveiro was built in 1949 by T. van Duijvendijks Scheepswerft in Lekkerkerk, Netherlands. Also an ice strengthened side trawler. She was deleted from Lloyds in 2003.

Senhora do Mar dates from 1952 and the shipyard Cia Uniao Fabril of Lisbon. In 1963 she was converted from dory fishing to side trawling. She is seen here in North Sydney loading bait. Renamed Leone V in 1989, she was broken up in 1999.

Santa Maria Madalena was built in 1962 by Est.Nav. de Viano do Castelo and fished form that port. In the photo she was at pier 23 [ pier 34 - thanks Bruce] in Halifax in 1984 having been arrested for some fisheries infraction. She was renamed Leone in 1991 and on May 31, 1996 she caught fire in the Barents Sea. Brought back to her home port, she was broken up there June 22, 1996.


Lunenburg was not a traditional port for Portuguese boats, but they did come in for repairs or to load bait, which was mostly mackerel.

S.Gabriel was built in 1956 by Est Nav de Viano do Castelo. Owned in Lisbon, it fished out of Leixoes.
Reflagged to Panama in in 1987 and named Alpes III it sank July 17,1995 following an engine room explosion off the Cape Verde Islands. A side trawler it had a 965 bhp Mirrlees, Bickerton+ Day main engine.

Update: The fate of Santa Maria Manuela was unknown to me, but not to several readers of this blog! In fact after a narrow brush with the breakers, she was rescued, and not only rebuilt but restored. There is an excellent CBC documentary (45 minutes long) at: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/NL/ID/2259472949/

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Seabed Prince to work off Nova Scotia

The Norwegian Seabed Prince tied up at pier 27 today to load gear for work offshore. The ship will be working for Secunda Canada to accommodate a dive team and and ROV to work on the export gas pipeline at the Thebaud field off Sable Island.
Work will include placement of grout bags, reinforcing bars, and weighted mattresses on the seabed. to hold down and prpotect the pipleine.

As a Norwegian ship, it has been granted a coasting license since no suitable Canadian vessel was available to do the work. The license is to expire December 31.

 A shore based crane loads gear aboard Seabed Prince at pier 27.

The ship's hull was built by the Yildirim shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey, but construction was completed by Baatbygg, Raudeberg, Norway. Laid down as Acergy Merlin it was completed in 2009 as GSP Prince for owners Volstad Shipping AS of Aalesund and managers Troms Offshore Management. In 2012 management was taken over by Swire Seabed Shipping of Ovre Irvik, Norway. and the ship was renamed Seabed Prince. (Swire is a Hong Kong based shipping conglomerate).

Aalseund is an ancient Norwegian fishing and sealing port with longtime ties to Halifax, but is now also heavily involved in the Norwegian North Sea oil and gas business.

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Canadian Coast Guard small craft - Part 2

Back in 1984 the Dartmouth base was home to numerous small craft. Some worked navigation aids in small ports and others were tasked with pollution cleanup and other duties. (I have chosen photos taken over a period of years, but all the craft were in service in 1984).

Rustico Light, Nomad V, a landing craft, and "Seatruck" (the yellow craft on the pier) at the Dartmouth base.

Rustico Light was built in 1965 in Pictou by Stright-McKay Ltd, and was similar to a Northumberland Strait fishing boat, except its cabin was much longer.It was registered in Charlottetown.

Rustico Light with a rudimentary oil recovery vessel built on an old landing craft hull.

Nomad V was built in Shag Harbour in 1966 (the year before the UFO landed) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shag_Harbour_UFO_incident

Nomad V and Rustico Light in the background and a vessel known as the "Seatruck" in the foreground. It was painted bright yellow and outboard powered. It was used for deploying containment booms and for oil spill cleanup.

Nomad V was a general workboat, even acting as relief pilot boat in Halifax for a time in 1973. It was sent to remote locations such as Main-à-Dieu, Cape Breton, which was inaccessible to larger vessels.

In 1986 it was sold to Good People Sea + Services Ltd, operators of the marine railway in North Sydney. They renamed it Shelly Loran but is register was closed in 1988.

CGE 301 was equipped with a "slick licker" for oil spill cleanups. An unenviable task.

Larger Coast Guard craft carried their own small craft for tending to buoys or for beach landings.

The laid up Walter E. Foster forms the backdrop for a very beat up landing craft from the Louis S. St-Laurent, and CGE 301 hauled out on the dock. The Foster's landing craft has been removed, and its gantry davit stands empty.

When the Louis was in refit the landing craft was usually removed, so it was possible to see the huge davit gantry that could carry the weight of a fully loaded landing craft.

When ready for sea, the landing craft was nestled in place.

With Sir William Alexander and Provo Wallis alongside, the south yard of the base was full of buoys. It also had a few small craft under repair and if you look closely on the far right, a helicopter.

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