RRS Discovery departs and MSC Rachelle departs

 RRS Discovery

The Royal Research Ship Discovery sailed from Halifax early this afternoon, September 13, after a one day stop over. The ship initially arrived August 27 and tied up at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) until August 31. 

 

While tied up at BIO on August 27, the decommissioned CCGS Alfred Needler reflected its red hull colour onto the Discovery.

Discovery then conducted research off Nova Scotia, returning to port yesterday. There was a shortage of dock space at the BIO this time so it berthed at Pier 9C. 

The 5954 gt ship was built by the Friere shipyard in Vigo, Spain in 2013 and delivered to the British Natural Environment Research Council. It carries a full array of oceanographic equipment including lab space. It operates with a marine crew of 24 and can accommodate 28 scientists. While in Canada it is presumably conducting reseach for Fisheries and Oceans Canada because Canada presently does not have the ship(s) to do the work. CCGS Hudson is at the scrapyard and its replacement has not yet been completed by Seaspan in Vancouver. Construction on that ship began in 2021 and it may be completed in 2024.

The Discovery is now due in Sydney, NS on October 2, so is presumably conducting more research for Canada - possibly in the Gulf of St.Lawrence.

As it made its way out of Halifax the Discovery had to give warning signals several times. These blasts made little impression on an armada of kayakers inching their way across the harbour. To be fair to them they would not have had visual contact with the ship when they set out, however they certainly could have held off or put back if they had been attentive to the ship's intended course west of George's Island. They certainly should have retreated to a safer area when the ship made its intentions known. They could also have kept together instead of stringing out like a boom.

A couple of small catboats under sail and a harbour tour boat did heed the warnings and stayed clear.

MSC Rachele

The container ship MSC Rachele sailed today for Barcelona, east bound on the Indusa service.

Dating from 2005 it is a 90,745 gt, 101,898 dwt ship built by Hyundai, Ulsan to their 8000 standard design. Its capacity is reported at 8238 TEU including 700 reefers. 

On May 4, 2022 the ship suffered a gear box explosion and resulting engine room fire in which three crew members were injured - two critically. The ship was enroute from Naples to Marseille-Fos and fortunately the French Marine Nationale amphibious assault helicopter carrier Tonnerre was nearby. It was able to scramble an assessment team and a helicopter to airlift the injured the 60 miles or so to hospital. The ship was completely disabled, but the fire was extinguished before it spread to the cargo. Another French naval vessel, the chartered BSAA Pionnier stood by until commercial tugs out of Marseille arrived and towed MSC Rachelle to port the next day.

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