Salt Shakeup

There may be changes coming in the salt business following the announcement by the German K+S Group that it will be selling its Operating Group Americas operations during 2020. Branded as  Morton Salt in the US and Windsor Salt in Canada, the company has 32 mine and production facilities in North America and 13 in South America.

Most relevant to eastern Canada are the mines in Pugwash, NS and the Magdalen Islands, Quebec. Both facilities move product by water and form part of the chain of bulk cargo sources that keep ships profitably employed in this region. Unlike coal, aggregates and gypsum, that are dependent on a strong economy, road salt seems to be in constant demand. It can be shipped and stockpiled in advance of need.

The port of Pugwash, NS is seasonal and caters only to small ships nowadays. Desgagnés ships seem to be the most common callers.

Long time regular at Pugwash was Amélia Desgagnés ex Soodoc (broken up in Turkey in 2017).

The Magdalen Islands salt facility can accommodate Seaway size ships and has had a long term contract with CSL to use their Salarium (ex Nanticoke) since 2009. However that ship was laid up at the end of 2019 Seaway season, and appears to be destined for the scrappers. It moved from its Toronto layup to another layup berth in Montreal this week. Built in 1979 at Collingwood, the ship has entered another decade, meaning an extensive refit if it was to contine in service.

With a rare grain cargo for Halifax Salarium took a break from hauling salt. It likely picked up gypsum as a backhaul.

Salt's corrosive properties are notoriously hard on ships and ten years in the salt trade will certainly have taken their toll. A forty year old ship is also a rarity, although frequent freshwater assignments to the Lakes would have done the ship no harm. 

A post last year summed up the ship's career:
http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2019/01/ringing-in-new-year.html

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Court Ordered Sales - #1 Ethan

A ship that was a sometime caller in Halifax is now advertised for sale by Federal Court order.  Ethan, registered in the unlikely port of Zanzibar has been idle in Quebec City since 2015.

The ship was built in 1975 by Collingwood Shipyard for N.M.Paterson & Sons Ltd of Thunder Bay, ON as Ontadoc. It was a bulk carrier of 4488 gt, 7405 dwt intended for trade to smaller ports and occasional overseas work. The ship was one of six similar vessels built in pairs.
Initially it had no cargo handling gear to serve its four hatches, but two cranes were fitted in 1989 to facilitate unloading on northern supply trips. It then became a general cargo ship too.

In 1990 Transport Desgagnés purchased the ship and renamed its Melissa Desgagnés. In 2001 it made one of its rare appearances in Halifax in tow of Magdalen Sea from the area of Port aux Basques where it presumably had been aground. The next day, July 23, it entered the Novadock at Halifax Shipyard where its rudder, prop and shaft were removed. New shell work was visible on the port side just forward of amidships, but there was likely bottom work too. The ship exited the drydock August 17 (minus prop and rudder)and lay alongside pier 6 until April 23, 2002 when it entered the Graving dock for completion of repairs. It emerged May 24 and sailed for Pugwash May 27 to load salt.

Melissa Desgagnés shifting berths in 2001. New shell plating is visible just forward of amidships.

In 2015 the ship was laid up in Quebec City and sold, with Canadian registration closing July 21, 2016. Renamed Ethan and flying the flag of Tanzania, the ship remained in Quebec City over disputed payment. The ship lost its classification by Lloyds in 2017 and was arrested in January 2017. It shifted around from berth to berth with court permission piling up costs for towing, berthing, repairs, agency, etc.,

Finally on April 2 the Federal Courts ordered the ship to be sold, free and clear, as is where is. The submission date for bids is May 1, 2019 with the sale closing June 28, 2019.

This ship's nearest sister ship Amélia Desgagnés ex Soodoc was sold in June 2017, and renamed Amelia. Under the flag of Micronesia (port of registry Malakal) it sailed directly for Aliaga, Turkey where it was beached August 17 and broken up.

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