More and More Containers and other traffic - updated

 PSA Halifax's Atlantic Gateway terminal is looking at a busy few days, with all berths occupied and ships waiting.

Today it was the ZIM feeder AS Felicia at Pier 42 (see yesterday's  post) and the Ultra size COSCO Shipping Himalayas at Pier 41. The latter ship is reported to be here on a trial basis for China Ocean Shipping Co (which also owns OOCL) to see if there is benefit in calling here en route to congested US east coast ports. (The arrival of Hurricane Ian in Charleston is coincidental, but is expected to create more havoc in schedules.)

COSCO Shipping Himalayas dates from 2017 when it was built by Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Heavy Industry. The 154,300 gt, 153,811 dwt ship is rated for 14,568 TEU. The massive ship stacks its containers so high that there was minimal clearance for PSA's "Super Post Panamax Cranes". 

Even with the Equinoctal new moon low tide late this afternoon, the largest cranes had maybe a two box clearance.

Waiting offshore the APL Sentosa and Vivienne Sheri D (Eimskip) formed a backdrop for the inbound CMA CGM Montreal. Also anchored outside was the ZIM Yokohama.

CMA CGM Montreal, arriving from Montreal, had to wait in number one anchorage for a time until AS Felicia sailed for Kingston, Jamaica.

The ship will top up its containers to ocean going draft before resuming its trip to Europe. CMA CGM and Maersk maintina the weekly St.Lawrence, with an outbound (eastbound) Halifax stop. 

Other arrivals of note today were for passengers and for the Royal Canadian Navy.

Norwegian Breakaway and its 3965 passengers (if loaded to capacity) had perfect weather for its call.

The 2013-built ship from Meyer Werft has been a regular weekly caller this year. It will continue that routine until November 4, when it is due to be the second last ship of this cruise season.

Returning from Operation Nanook the RCN's yearly arctic exercise, HMCS Margaret Brooke AOPV 431 arrived this afternoon. The ship had stopped off in St.John's along with HMCS Goose Bay for a few days until post tropical storm Fiona passed.* - see Update below.

There were no reports of technical issues with the ship, unlike sister ship Harry DeWolf AOPV 430 which had to return to Halifax for main engine repairs. 

Halifax Shipyard will be "launching" the next ship in the Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel series this fall. The AOPV ships are not launched in the conventional way however. Irving Shipbuilding Inc (ISI) has the Boa Barge 37 on long term charter from Norway. When ships are ready to take to the water they are rolled aboard the barge, then moved from the shipyard to Bedford Basin where they are floated off. ISI has applied for a coasting license for the Boa Barge 37 for the period November 20 to December 19, in order to load, transport and float off the fourth AOPV, the future William Hall AOPV  433. (There are to be six AOPVs for the RCN and two for the Canadian Coast Guard. AOPV 432 Max Bernays was delivered to the RCN on September 2.)

 

Update:

HMCS Margaret Brooke went to the isolated communities of Francois and Grey River on south coast of Newfoundland and conducted damage assessments and wellness checks following the passage of post tropical storm Fiona. I was not aware of this humanitarian assistance when I made the orginal post. 

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