Where the Action Is

 Once again today, Friday December 13, much of the activity was in the far north end of Halifax Harbour at Pier 9C and in Bedford  Basin.

In chronological order: it was the movement of the offshore installation vessel Symphony from Pier 9C to Pier 9A. The ship has been idle (with some fitting out) in Halifax for months, with fleet mate Connector, awaiting the call to work on an undisclosed project, likely the Vineyard Wind project in the United States. Yesterday it moved from Pier 9A to Pier 9C to make room for the cable ship IT Integrity. In order to make the move the Symphony went out into Bedford Basin, turned, then when the traffic cleared (see below) it came back in alongside Pier 9A.

 The impressive ship belongs to the Dredging + Maritime Management division of the Jan De Nul Group of Belgium. The ship is registered in Luxembourg.

It was built in 2011 as the Fugro Symphony and was renamed Global Symphony in 2017, then becoming Symphony in 2022. The 11,324 gt, 6500 dwt ship is equipped for trenching work, with an onboard ROV, a 150 tonne crane, and can accommodate 105 persons.

Next along in the Narrows was the auto carrier Mignon a familiar caller on the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean transatlantic service. It went to Bedford Basin to turn before coming alongside at Pier 9C while the Symphony stood by well north in the anchorages.

Mignon is owned by Wallenius Lines AB of Sweden and was built in 1999 by Daewoo Heavy Industres, Okpo, South Korea. Originally it measured 57,018 grt, 14,841 dwt. In 2005 it was taken in hand by Hyundai-Vinashin Shipyard Co Ltd in Ninh Hoa, Vietnam and lengthened 29 meters by inserting a new section amidships. This 12 deck structure increased tonnages to 67,264 grt, 28,126 dwt and the car carrying capacity from about 3,000 to 7,194 units (Lane length increased from 5700m to 6840m). The ship's stern ramp is rated at 120 tonne capacity. There is also a small side ramp.

Ships of Wallenius Line and Wilhelmsen have been given a common colour scheme, but they are still owned and managed by the individual component companies. There are still traces of the old colour schemes, such as this ship's name board in the gold and green of the old Wallenius funnel colours.

The ship is flying the flag of Canada as a courtesy, the flag of Sweden, where the ship is registered, and, barely visible, the Wallenius flag -  green with a gold W. Normally ships fly the red and white "Hotel" flag when they have a pilot aboard, but I could not see one this time.

When the Mignon was safely alongside the Symphony came back from the Basin to Pier 9C, which had by this time been vacated by the IT Integrity.

 Built in 2001, its hull came from Aker Tulcea and it was completed by Soviknes Verft, Sovik. The 2244 gt, 3200 dwt supplier was named Highland Fortress and worked for several Tidewater operations in Europe until 2020 when IT International Telecom acquired the ship and converted it for cable work (including laying, repair, plough burying and ROV splicing). It is based in Halifax but spends extended periods away from port depending on cable work. It is now headed for Rose Blanche, NL according to AIS.

 If all of this was not enough activity, the container ship MSC Baltic III departed PSA Fairview Cove, headed for Montreal. 

 The ship is working between Halifax and Montreal on a coasting license in order to move the large number of containers stranded in Halifax from the port workers strike in Montreal. With fleet mate MSC Sagitta III, also with a coasting license, they have until December 31 to move the boxes. Both ships were taken off MSC's Canada Gulf Bridge service but the MSC Baltic III is scheduled to sail from Montreal December 24 on that service, so this may be its last call in Halifax.

There are still lots of MSC containers in Halifax, but they are mostly regular traffic by now.

 Once the MSC Baltic had cleared the west berth at Fairview Cove, the Oceanex Sanderling moved in from anchorage #7 to finish loading for Newfoundland. The ship usually anchors over night after working cargo at Autoport.

It is due to sail for St. John's early this evening.

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