Much ado (Post #3)

 Among the various activities in Halifax harbour today, August 2, was a long expected and significant shift. The Oceanex Sanderling arrived on its weekly run from St.John's and docked at Autoport as it usually does. By late morning after completing its work, it shifted berths, but not to PSA Atlantic Gateway (south end terminal) but to PSA Fairview Cove.

The unfamiliar sight of the Oceanex Sanderling in the Narrows, will now be a regular one.

Ever since arriving in Halifax to work for predecessor Atlantic Searoute Ltd, in 1987, the ship has used the southend termainal, then known as Halterm. When PSA acquired the management of the former Halterm and Fairview Cove, it was expected that there would be a rationalizaiton, with smaller ships going to Fairview Cove, freeing up availability at the southend for larger larger ships. The added benefit to Oceanex (and to the city too) is to divert a significant number of trucks off downtown streets. Particularly with a major street realignment project underway, downtown traffic has become even more chaotic and will be worse before it gets better for at least another year. Oceanex trucks downtown may be reduced, but there is still a significiant interchange with Maersk, CMA CGM and lines that use the southend terminal, and those presumably will have to be made by truck for the foreseeable future.

 At the end of the working day the Oceanex Sanderling remained alongside at Fairview Cove (it used to go to anchor over night) and will be ready for work tomorrow without having to shift again.

Once into Bedford Basin the ship makes its turn toward Fairview Cove.

CSL Tacoma is in the background loading at Gold Bond Gypsum.

Although I have told it several times before, it seems an appropriate time to repeat the history of the Oceanex Sanderling:

Built in 1977 (!) by Sasebo Heavy Industries in Japan, it served the now defunct DDG Hansa as Ravenfels until 1980, then became Essen briefly for a Hapag-Lloyd subsidiary. In 1981 it was renamed Kongsfjord by S.E.A.L RoRo, a Norwegian American Line service in East Africa/ Indian Ocean. That only lasted until 1983 when it went to Amasis Rederei of Germany (Heyon-Janssen) as Onno.

It was under the latter name when it made its first appearance in Halifax as a substitute on the ACL Line service on April 12, 1987.

Later the same year Atlantic Searoute Ltd bought the ship and it became ASL Sanderling and a Halifax regular. It entered service January 10, 1988, running Halifax / Newfoundland, which it has done pretty much continuously ever since, aside from refits.(Corner Brook was later dropped and the ship now only runs between Halifax and St.John's.)

It was renamed in Oceanex Sanderling in 2008, although Oceanex had succeeded ASL in 1991.

 

Last year the ship had a major refit in Rotterdam, having reached the venerable age of 45 years - almost unheard of these days.  Despite rumours that a replacement is on the drawing boards no official statement has been made as to an eventual replacement. 

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