Containers everywhere

 Most of the activity in Halifax harbour today, Sunday May 7 involved container ships, and most of those at the South End Container Terminal (SECT) operated by PSA Halifax as the Atlantic Gateway.

An early morning arrival was MSC Japan on the CANEX 1 service from the Mediterranean. Halifax is the first call in North America and is also a convenient stop off point to reduce draft for the St.Lawrence River. 

When the ship sailed late this afternoon for Montreal it was quite apparent that they had reduced draft, and the ship had no containers on its after deck at all. Dating from 1996 when it was built by Samsung Geoje, it is a 37,518 gt, 42,938 dwt ship with a capacity of 3424 TEU including 284 reefers. Its original name was Manzanillo but was renamed TMM Manzanillo soon after delivery, reverting to Manzanillo in 1997. In 2000 it was renamed APL Panama and MSC Japan in 2001.

Despite its age its owners felt the ship was worth investing in and they have installed an exhaust gas scrubber. It was not scrubbing too much today, but may still have been burning diesel before shifting to heavy fuel once well underway. Some ships use diesel fuel while maneuvering in port.

Arriving late afternoon it was the ZIM feeder ship AS Felicia on the Canada Florida Express (CFX).

 

AS Felicia made the first call for CFX April 3, 2018. Built in 2006 by Zhejiang Ouhua Shipbuilding Co Ltd in Zhoushan, with tonnages of 15,375 grt, 18,291 dwt, it has a capacity of 1296 TEU, including 390 reefers, and has two 45 tonne cranes. It was launched as Medocean but entered service as EWL Caribbean. In 2007 it became APL Managua and in 2014  Medocean and in 2015 AS Felicia.

Once the MSC Japan sailed from Pier 41, the MSC Shay moved in from an anchorage. Built in 2009 by Hyundai Ulsan as Hyundai Global it was renamed in 2021. It is a 95,681 gt, 99,086 dwt ship with a capacity of 8562 TEU.

 It arrived on MSC's Indusa service, eastbound from New York, Norfolk, Savannah and Baltimore and bound via Suez for North India. According to sources it anchored for Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) examination. It is now the season for invasive moth species to emerge from their cocoons, which can be found on ships arriving from tropical waters. CFIA inspectors board the ships before they dock in Canadian ports to ensure they are clear of infestation.

Of particular concern is a moth which keeps changing its name! Its former common name was Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) , but that was dropped in deference to cultural groups and recently has reverted to its Latin name Lymantria dispar. Now that has been changed again to "flighted Asian Spongy Moth complex" (ASM). The term describes a range of voracious moths with long range flying capabilities, that have proven devastating to trees in Europe and in British Columbia. They are also a threat to northeastern US states.

PSA Fairview Cove also had an arrival today, the familiar NYK Remus on THE Alliance's AL5 service.

The ship made an imposing sight as it transitted the Narrows and cleared the A. Murray MacKay bridge. A prime viewing spot is the Africville boat ramp.

When Hyundai Samho built twelve Daedalus class ships for NYK Line, they received names from the constellations. NYK Remus, the ninth ship, was delivered in 2009 and calculated at 55,487 gt, 65,981 dwt, it is rated at 4922 TEU including 330 reefers. 

The ship orginally had "NYK Line" in huge letters its sides. That was painted over sometime in 2022. NYK Line container ships have been folded into the Ocean Network Express (ONE) along with MOL and K-Line and are gradually losing their original identities. Some are being renamed and repainted in ONE magenta. That is unlikely to happen to the older ships as they near the end of their charters. I think the magenta colour will be reserved for owned ships.

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