Shipfax

It was a dark, dank and drizzly May 20 morning for hellos and goodbyes for visitors to the Port of Halifax.

 

Hello

 An inaugural call from the Swan Hellenic vessel SH Diana was the first notable arrival.

Delivered by Helsinki Shipyard in March of 2023, the SH Diana is a "pocket cruiser" of 12,255 gt with beds for 192 passengers in 96 staterooms and a crew of 140. It is a Polar Class 6 ship with many amenities to make it suitable for arctic and Antarctic cruising.

 

 

After the ship's inaugural cruise to the Mediterranean last year it made its way to Ushuaia, Argentina, its base for Antarctic cruises. In March of this year it cruised northward up the South American west coast and in April called in Acapulco. After transiting the Panama Canal it stopped in Santa Marta, Santo Domingo, New York (May 15) and Boston (May 18-19).

 

 

As a smaller ship, it berthed at Pier 23. I noted the docking platform at the bow with several crew members set to send heaving lines to the pier. Also the steel plating at the anchor pockets, to protect the hull during the ship's frequent periods at anchor.

 

The SH Diana is now headed for Greenland, then Norway and eventually the Mediterranean again.

 

Good bye

Two German naval vessels that had been in Halifax since Friday, May 17 put out to sea mid-morning. (See Friday's post for details on the ships.)

The ships were tied up side by side at Pier 20, so the outside ship, FGS Baden-Würtemburg was first to go.

 

 

The civilian tigs Atlantic Willow and Atlantic Bear pulled the ship away from its companion and it was soon underway. It was then the turn of the Canadian Naval Auxiliary tug Listerville to move in and retrieve three "Yokohama" type inflated fenders from the inside ship FGS Frankfurt am Main.

Once the Listerville was clear, the same two tugs moved in to unberth the larger ship.

 

 

 

At some point it was decided to call for a third tug and the Atlantic Beaver "stormed in" from its berth across the harbour at Dartmouth Cove. Its job was the push against the ship at midships, to keep it alongside and reduce strain on the mooring lines until they could be let go. (A contingent of Canadian navy ratings was on the pier to let the lines go.)

 

 

FGS Frankfurt am Main carries two helicopters which were in view Saturday, but today they were tucked away safely in their hangars. (The ship can land larger helicopters of the Sea King class.)

 

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