All Out

 It was a busy port today, September 13, with most available berths occupied. PSA's southend container terminal, known as the Atlantic Gateway, was going full bore, with ships arriving and departing. Like many container facilities world wide, it appears to be filling up with empty containers. The southern wing of the pier - usually empty - is now stacked with boxes.

Many of the boxes stacked at the south end of Pier 42 are designated as HAPAG-Lloyd, a line which serves this terminal through a slot arrangement with ZIM.

Lagarfoss arrived this morning on Eimskips Green Line weekly service from Iceland, and docked at berth 42. It sailed at noon time for Portland, ME.

 As the schooner Bluenose II glides past in the background, one crane works cargo on the Lagarfoss at berth 42.

Built in 2014 by Rongcheng Shenfei Shipbuilding Co Ltd the 10,119 gt, 11,811 dwt vessel has a capacity of 880 TEU and is fitted with a pair of cranes. The ship is registered in Thorshavn, the Faroe Islands.

With Lagarfoss at the south end of berth 42, the mid-berth was occupied by the MSC Angela which arrived yesterday morning and sailed in the early afternoon today.

It is now headed for Montreal after lightening its load to St.Lawrence River draft.The ship is a regular on MSC's Canada Express 2 service from Italy and Spain. It was built by Zhejiang Shipbuilding Co in Ningbo in 2008. Its 50,568 gt, 50,568 dwt gives a carrying capacity of 4254 TEU including 550 reefers. It appears to have lots of space aft for empties.

Shortly after the MSC ship sailed its place was taken by the CMA CGM Navegantes a first time caller in Halifax, arriving from Montreal.

It is the newest ship on CMA CGM's SL-1, Europe  / St.Lawrence River service, operated jointly with Maersk's CAE service, replacing the long time caller EM Kea.

CMA CGM Navegantes was built in 2006 by Hyundai Mipo as Irenes Rainbow. Renamed Kota Segar in 2008 and Irenes Rainbow again in 2010, it became CMA CGM Navegantes only last month (as of August 1 according to most sources). The 28,592 gt, 39,382 dwt ship can carry 2824 TEU including 554 reefers. It joins Vayenga Maersk and Vistula Maersk which were new additions to the St.Lawrence service earlier this year. The joint service calls in Halifax weekly, outbound from Montreal for Europe.

 The ZIM feeder Contship Leo which arrived last evening, was invisible behind stacked containers at berth 41. It is due to sail in the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

The port was also busy with three cruise ships alongside. 

Viking Star  was a mid-morning arrival from Sydney, NS.

 The sleek lines are the product of the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in 2015. The resulting 47,842 gt ship carries 930 passengers and a relatively small crew of 602. One of the best looking of the cotemporary cruise ships, it is operated for Viking Ocean Cruises by Wilhelmsen Ship Management. It is free of hull graphics and extraneous recreational structures that would spoil its lines.

Following shortly after was the familiar Enchantment of the Seas arriving from Portland, ME to berth at Pier 22.

 

It is another fine looking vessel (even though its funnel is a bit far aft for my liking). Built in 1995 by Kvaerner Masa New Yard in Helsinki, it was lengthened 72 feet in 2005 by Keppel Verolme Shipyard in Rotterdam. The new section added 151 passenger cabins and increased the ship's gross tonnage from 74,136 gt to 82,910 gt. The Vision class ship can carry 2446 passengers and 760 crew. It also received a major refurb in 2012.

The third ship was Norwegian Pearl (see August 30) and it occupied Pier 31. Arriving from Sydney, NS it sailed in the late afternoon.

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