Sunday, October 30, 2022

Centre of Attraction

 Thanks to widespread media coverage of the visit of USS Gerald R. Ford to the port of Halifax, thousands of residents and visitors flocked to the waterfront yesterday and today (October 30) to see the ship. All vantage points were crowded with hundreds of cameras and cell phones capturing the sight. (Selfies seemed to be a popular form of view.)

To add to those gazillion images I did manage to take one or two to add to my own collection [none were selfies]. The late afternoon sun and the ship's position in anchorage Number One gave an ideal angle from the Tall Ships Quay.

The barge Irving Cedar alongside with refuse containers marred the ship's waterline somewhat, but the huge sponsons to the flight deck were clearly visible.

Numerous small craft either on security patrol or working as "liberty boats" buzzed about the ship.

When the inbound container ship NYK Rigel came along it passed west of George's Island, giving a close up look (it would normally have passed through number one anchorage and on the eastern side of George's Island.)


The "visiting" tug Atlantic Cedar is forward and the Atlantic Fir is aft. (Atlantic Cedar brought the barge Irving Beaver from Saint John and the tugs Atlantic Bear and Atlantic Beaver are in Saint John to work an LNG tanker.)  The other regular Halifax tugs Atlantic Willow and Atlantic Oak are also on harbour duty. The "outside" tug Atlantic Elm is also in Halifax en route from its summer duties at Baker Lake, NU.

The Islander VIII has been brought in from Lunenburg for "ferry" service to the carrier.

Among the official craft in view were the Canada Border Services Agency's patrol boat (a 2019 Rosborough Roughwater) which carries the unofficial name Bob Anand. (The 14.99 gt boat is registered by number only: C29624NS). It seems to have accompnaied the NYK Rigel through to Bedford Basin, although it was traveling much faster than necessary.

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