Saturday etc.,

 Today, Saturday May 18, was a  bit of a mixed bag in the harbour, with ships of various types in  view. (That it is also the Victoria Day holiday weekend seems to have had little effect on ship movements.)

An early morning arrival was the auto carrier Morning Lucy for Pier 9C to offload RoRo cargo. The 68,701 gt, 28,080 dwt ship was built in 2009 by Hyundai Samho in Mokpo and can carry 8,011 CEU. 

Having turned in Bedford Basin, the Morning Lucy makes its way back under the A. Murray MacKay bridge into the Narrows, and alongside Pier 9C starboard side to the pier.

Although part of the Eukor fleet, the ship also operates on the parent company Wallenius Wilhelmsen's routes. Since early March the ship has called in Incheon and Ulsan, South Korea, then in April in Brunswick, Charleston, and Philadelphia. It crossed the Atlantic and called in Zeebrugge May 2-3, Bremerhaven May 4-7, Le Havre May 9 and finally in Southampton May 9-10. Once it discharged its RoRo cargo it moved to Autoport mid-afternoon to unload cars.

 With RoRo cargo unloaded, the ship has raised its stern ramp and is preparing to move to Autoport. The cargo consisted of the usual collection of road rollers, JCB front end loaders, airport runway sweepers, and mining and forestry vehicles.

There were also two ships at anchor in the lower Harbour. Thursday, May 16's arrival, Elka Delos remains at anchor and is due to move alongside Irving Oil's Woodside terminal this afternoon. (The retired chairman of Irving Oil, Arthur L. Irving died on May 13 at age 93 and funeral services were held this morning in Saint John, NB. Irving facilities may have been closed this morning in remembrance. Mr. Irving was a son of the founder of Irving Oil, K.C.Irving.)

The Elka Delos is carrying refined product from Amsterdam for Irving Oil.

 "Delos" is an island in the Aegean Sea near Mykonos, and is a tourist destination due to its ancient ruins. "Elka" is the abbreviated named for European Navigation Ltd, parent of European Product Carriers.  Founded by the Karnessis family, the company has been in the news due to disputes within the ownerships and the February 2024 shooting death of the CEO, two others and himself by a disgruntled employee at the company's Glyfada (Athens) headquarters.

Dominating number one anchorage this morning was the bulk carrier Cape Keystone.  The ship is en route to Port Cartier, QC to load iron ore and stopped in Halifax for Canadian Food Inspection Agency clearance. The ship must be certified free of the invasive species LDD moth before docking at a Canadian port. It is hatching season for the Asian moth which can devastate trees if allowed to get into the environment. Ships that have recently been in places where the moth is native, must be inspected to ensure they are not carrying egg masses. Regions such as the area around Port-Cartier are heavily dependant on forestry, and must protect the valuable resource.

Built in 2011 by Hyundai Ulsan, the Cape Keystone operates under the K-Line banner. A 93,227 gt, 179,250 dwt ship, it is an impressive sight when in ballast. (I am sure the pilot, who has to climb the combination pilot ladder / accommodation ladder to get on and off may not be as impressed.)

Recent ports of call for the ship include Dalrymple, Australia March 2 (load coal), Port Louis Mauritius March 24 (bunkers),  Musel Arnao - Gijon, Spain April 26-30 (offload coal, load?), Wilhelmshaven, Germany May 3 -5 (offload?)

There was the usual container traffic too, with Atlantic Sun at PSA Fairview Cove and Volga Maersk at PSA Atlantic Gateway. Both ships are expected to sail in the afternoon.

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