The Dutch flag heavy lifter Poolgracht made a brief stop in Halifax today, June 15, for clearance from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Because the ship has been in Asian waters recently it must be declared free of the invasive moth Lymantia Dispar Dispar before proceeding farther into Canadian territory.
Following inspection the ship sailed late this afternoon in light rain and fog.
The ship's AIS signal is giving a destination of "Three Rivers" (Trois-Rivières) which may be the case, but I am also aware that it is due in Quebec City, with that port giving an ETA of June 20.
On May 10 an application was made for a coasting license to use the ship to transport two tugs, each weighing 455 tonnes, from Quebec City to Victoria, BC. These are the tugs Haro and Barkerville built by Groupe Océan for the Royal Canadian Navy and to be based at Esquimalt. The tugs have been in Quebec City fitting out and conducting trials. Groupe Océan have two more tugs under construction for the Navy to be based in Halifax.
Lifting the tugs is well within the capability of this ship's two 700 tonne and one 180 tonne capacity cranes. The ship was built in 2011 by Hudong Zhongua and is strengthened for heavy cargo. A 17,634 gt and 19,450 dwt ship it is also rated Ice Class E3 and has a conditional capacity of 912 TEU.
Originally to be named Beluga Protection for Beluga Shipping, that company was declared bankrupt and its assets taken over by financiers Oaktree Capital in 2011. They in turn formed Hansa Heavy Lift to operate many former Beluga ships, with this one renamed HHL Fremantle on delivery. HHL also ran into finanacial difficulties and were declared insolvent in December 2018. That is when Spliethoff's and its subsidiary BigLift stepped in and took over the HHL ships. They acquired this ship and renamed it Poolgracht in 2019.
Spliethoffs specialize in heavy lift cargoes, and have ships fitted to carry forest products and aluminum. They also carry on a yacht transport sideline. In the coasting license application it was stated that the ship would be stopping in Newport, RI and Port Everglades, FL to discharge "other cargo" [likely yachts] before proceeding to the Panama Canal and on toVictoria.
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