ONE Aquila

 Another of the "Bird" class of container ships arrived on THE Alliance's EC5 service today, June 11.

ONE Aquila a 145,647 gt, 138,611 dwt ship built in 2018 by Japan Marine United in Kure has a capacity of just over 14,000 TEU. Most sources have it at 14.065 for ships of this class. It is managed by NYK Line and works in the Ocean Network Express consortium of Japanese container lines, and uses the Latin word for Eagle in its name.

The ship has just completed the long slog from Colombo, departing there May 10, and sailing non-stop for Halifax passing Cape Town May 23. It will sail later this evening for New York.

The ship's impressive deck load was visible from Halifax while docked at Pier 41, PSA Halifax Atlantic Gateway. Its magenta hull colour could only be seen from the Dartmouth side of the harbour however, giving a very different impresssion.

In the foreground at the Woodside dock, the tug Atlantic Elm is alongside, but will soon be heading to Hudson's Bay with a barge for cargo lightering work. With fleet mate Atlantic Beech the two tugs shuttle the year's necessities between anchored ships to the shallow water ports of Baker Lake at the head of Chesterfield Inlet or to Rankin Inlet. The first deep draft Desgagnés Transarctik ship is due in that area about July 19.

(If you missed yesterday's post, there is link to the recent amended Tugfax blog post about Halifax tugs, and with a note about the names for Atlantic Towing tugs.)

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Round Up and Update

Activity in Halifax Harbour has been a bit thin over the past couple of days, and with the hours of daylight nearing their minimum, it has been a challenge to catch the most interesting ships.

CAM CGM Zephyr arrived this morning, December 16, on the Columbus JAX service. Its route from Colombo, via Suez took it through the Red Sea, apparently without incident. Both Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd ships have been attacked off Yemen, and Maersk specifically, and perhaps others have begun to re-route ships via the Cape of Good Hope.

The CMA CGM Zephyr dates from 2021 when it was completed by Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding, A 154,995 gt, 156,198 dwt ship, it has a "maximum theoretical capacity" of 15,536 TEU. Exactly what that means is open to discussion, but most sources agree that it is in the 15,000 TEU+ category. The ship has an advanced air quality system, but again this is vague, and it only means that its scrubber is capable of running in closed loop mode. (Removing particulate and storing it on board until it can be sent ashore for recycling.) It may also run in open loop mode - washing the material into the sea - which is a controversial technique and banned in many places.

At nearby Pier 27 the Ayita is discharging a cargo of rail from Poland for CN (the Canadian National Railway). It arrived from Szczecin on December 14.

I had no better luck photoing the ship when it was here under a previous name March 4, 2016, also with a load of rail.

The 7813 gt, 10,385 dwt ship with a pair of 80 tonne SWL cranes, was built in 2004 by Damen with the hull built at their Galati, Romania yard, and the work completed at Hoogezand, Netherlands. It started life as the Ile de Molene but was renamed in the same year Ile De Batz and also in 2004 S. Pacific. In 2010 it became Batz and in 2012 BBC Chile. In 2015 it took the name Onego Batz and it was under that name that it called in Halifax. Later in 2016 it changed its name to BF Ayita and kept that name until May of this year when it changed to Ayita with a quick flick of the brush. The ship is still chartered to Onego however.

Unfortunately the view of Pier 27-28 is becoming more and more constricted as time goes by. The new PSA Halifax Gateway maintenance and operations building at Pier 29 has been under construction for some time. With the steel frame now in place cladding has been installed on the south section. 

Although the use of old containers is a novel approach to cladding, there are two problems. The first is that it effectively blocks the view of Pier 28 (just the top of the grain gallery is visible above the roof) and the second is the future maintenance issue as the paint weathers. I doubt that ZIM will want to ante up for re-painting their former seacan. I hope the designers know how to detail a properly vented and draining cavity wall (to be built from the inside out!), as otherwise I give this one about five years before replacement will be necessary.

Arriving at Autoport this morning was the familiar caller Taipan, 57,692 gt, 21,021 dwt, built in 2006 by Gdynia Stozcnia, with a capacity of 6500 RT43 size cars, and a 150 tonne capacity stern ramp.

 The reliable Roseway leads the way toward Autoport to take headlines to the buoy as the tugs Atlantic Willow and Atlantic Beaver assist in the turns.

Once off the dock, the tugs turn the ship to tie up starboard side to the jetty.

This is the ship's third visit this year, with calls on May 11, 2023 and June 13, 2023. As reported then, the ship had also called on September 28, 2019 but on that visit it was wearing Wilhelmsen red/oranage hull paint.

Also as reported the ship was launched as Morning Countess, apparently for EUKOR (which is owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen) but was delivered as Taipan. I wonder if it had EUKOR colours when launched.

Activity at Richmond Terminal yesterday saw arrival of the cable ship IT Integrity at Pier 9C, where it refueled, then moved to the IT International Telecom marine base at Pier 9A.

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 acquired the ship and converted it for cable work (including laying, repair, plough burying and ROV splicing).

 Its most recent port was Port Alberni, British Columbia, sailing from there November 12, and transiting the Panama Canal December 1-3. I assume the ship was working on Google's Topaz fibreoptic cable that runs from Port Alberni to Ibaraki and Mie, Japan.

Genco Endeavour Update

Late this evening (December 16) the Genco Endeavour appears underway on AIS at normal speed from its position off Sctarie Island. It may be a on a trial trip as it sailed northwest bound in Cabot Strait, then turned on a southeast bound course. It is still giving Sydney for destination, (As usual many ship's AIS stations give Sydney, Australia for Sydney, Nova Scotia.) The ship had been stationary for most of the week effecting engine repairs [see yesterday's post] . One report had the tug Atlantic Elm ferrying a part from the ship to shore. (It is more likely that a new part was ferried from shore out to the ship.) In any event the tug is still standing by off Main-à-Dieu. Also, and perhaps coincidentally, the slightly more powerful tug Lois M is underway from Sydney Harbour with a destination of Sydney given. Perhaps there will be a rendez-vous to disembark a technician? Revision: the tug is headed for Halifax.

As far as I can tell no high powered towing vessel appears to be in the vicinity or headed in the direciotn of the ship.

With more bad weather coming Sunday and Monday, it would be good news if the ship has been repaired and can be on its way.

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Emergency Towing Vessel

 I have not addressed the topic of an east coast emergency towing vessel (ETV) in a long while. Due to an unfortunate coincidence of geography, I was reminded to raise it again.

The bulk carrier Genco Endeavour has been anchored off Cape Breton for nearly a week as the crew work to repair some engine trouble. According to news reports several government departments  are providing assistance. What that assistance might be or why the government should be providing any assistance at all is a valid question. 

The unfortunate coincidence is that the ship is anchored 27 km off Scatarie Island, the site of a ship grounding in 2011 that cost the taxpayers a fortune. The contract to remove the wreckage of that ship was $12 million, but there were many millions more spent to remove fuel, and other work associated with the wreck. (The ship Miner broke its towline when under tow to Turkey for scrap, then drifted ashore and broke up on Scatarie Island. It was carrying 6,000 liters of fuel and the tug was clearly inadequate.) There was no recovery of these costs from the owners, and the ship was not insured.

Fortunately the Genco Endeavour appears to be in no danger, and has weathered one storm. The ship, built in 2015 in China by Shanghai Waigaoqiao as SBI Puro was renamed Waterford in 2015 and Genco Endeavour in 2018. Measuring 94,385 gt, 191,060 dwt, it is carrying a cargo of somewhere in the area of 180,000 tonnes of iron ore loaded in Sept-Iles, QC. It is operated by the US based shipping company Genco Shipping + Trading Ltd, which is listed on the NYSE and has a fleet of 46 dry bulk carriers. It is no doubt a well found ship, operated by a reputable company, but accidents happen. Genco promotes itself as one of the largest and most responsibly managed shipping companies, so can well afford to deal with its own issues, without government assistance.

A news report says "a tug has been chartered", and herein lies the rub (or one of the rubs): the tug that has apparently been chartered (but by whom?) is the Atlantic Elm a ludicrously underpowered vessel of 3460 bhp. It is currently standing by in the lee of Main-à-Dieu while the Canadian Coast Guard's fisheries research trawler Teleost is standing by for Search and Rescue. Neither of these vessels would be of any realistic assistance if emergency towing was required - even in ideal conditions. I wonder who could have advised the charter of this particuar tug, By comparison the chartered ETV on the Pacific coast has in excess of 14,000 bhp. There are several 4,000 bhp to 4500 bhp harbour / short sea tugs in the area - one in Sydney and three in Point Tupper, but even though they are closer, they would not be of much use in rough weather.

Despite some recent noise that the CCG might consider emergency towing (its policy has been not to tow ships), very little has been done to equip the Canadian Coast Guard for towing. The three recently acquired icebreaking offshore vessels had that capability when they were purchased from Sweden, but as far as I know, they will only do towing in ice.

Various government agencies are no doubt monitoring the situation, and apparently see no need to make serious arrangements for emergency towing. The nearest "vessel of opportunity" (that is a powerful tug that would be capable of towing a ship of the size of the Genco Endeavour and would be made available given sufficient inducement) is off the east coast of Newfoundland and would have no chance of reaching the ship on short notice.

My contention that an emergency towing vessel program is needed for Canada's east coast is clearly not based on the number of actual casualties in recent times. However I believe the probability of a major event suggests that some program is needed. I do not think a full time dedicated ETV is needed, but there should be an arrangement with tug operators for availability on a user pay basis.

Assuming the Genco Endeavour is able to self-repair or in the end it is towed away by a private contractor, the incident will be soon forgotten. Instead of being considered as just a near miss it should be an opportunity to re-evaluate the response capabilities.

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Saturday traffic

 Aside from the departure of the bulker UBC Tampico (see previous post) today, May 6, there was notable other traffic in the harbour.

The auto carrier Bess made a call at Pier 9C to unload RoRo traffic before proceeding to Autoport to discharge cars.

Bess made its turn in Bedford Basin, and with the UBC Tampico at Gold Bond Gypsum in the background, made its way in glassy calm waters, toward Pier 9C.

A caller in Halifax since it was built in 2010 by Shin Kurushima, Toyohashi, it has appeared in its current Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean livery, and the previous green and white colour scheme of Wallenius Lines. The ship has a capacity of 6,284 cars. It has been mentioned in this blog many times.

The small bulker Endurance arrived at Pier 27 from Moa, Cuba, with a consignment of nickel sulfides. Nirint Lines handles this cargo normally, but this ship does not appear on Nirint schedules, so may be a last minute substitute.

The Endurance was built in 2012 by Nanjing Huatai in Nanjing and is a 5632 gt, 7825 dwt multi-purpose, single decker, with box shaped holds. It is carrying containers on deck for Nirint's general cargo service from/to Europe, and has two 30 tonne SWL cranes

At Imperial Oil the tanker Largo Elegance (see May 4) got underway for Falmouth, UK. It used the western channel outbound. 

That left the entire eastern channel for the tug Atlantic Elm, which was returning to port after an outing to Sheet Harbour to undock the bulker Mediterranean Spirit.

 

The Mediterranean Spirit is hull down on the horizon as it arrives off Halifax to disembark its pilot from Sheet Harbour. The ship arrived in Sheet Harbour May 4 from Vitttoria, Brazil and is sailing for Montreal.

Sheet Harbour is a non-compulsary pilotage port, but most large ships use a Halifax based pilot there. The smaller ship Onego Bayou arrived and anchored in nearby Mushaboom Harbour this morning, May 6, to await the sailing of the Mediterranean Spirit and did not order a pilot.
 

Once the Imperial Oil #3 dock was clear the Canadian tanker Algoscotia moved across from Pier 28, where it has been idle since arriving May 2.

 Algoscotia usually operates between Halifax, Sydney and Corner Brook, with occasional trips to Sept-Iles, QC. It distributes various products from the Halifax storage depot. Product arrives there by rail car, Canadian tanker from Montreal, Nanticoke or Sarnia and on foreign flag tanker, from Antwerp as in the case of the Largo Elegance.

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Look What the Fog Dragged In - corrected

 Despite the legendary pea soup fog this morning (June 26) five ships arrived in Halifax and four took up positions in the harbour anchorages. As the fog slowly retreated back to sea, the ships were revealed.

First in was the MidRange product tanker Dee4 Dogwood from Amsterdam.

 A 26,900 gt, 47,399 dwt vessel, it was built by Onomichi Zosen in Onomichi, Japan in 2008. It started out as Nord Organiser and was renamed in 2020 when it joined the oddly named Dee4 Capital Partners fleet. That fleet currently stands at 12 MR tankers. All the ships have names with the "Dee 4" prefix plus the name of a tree. Several of the ships have called in Halifax in recent times, including this one, which was last here November 21, 2021, and at least once before that.

In a repeat of its last visit it is anchored until this evening when Irving Oil's Acadian sails from the berth at the Woodside terminal. 

The next arrival was the once familiar offshore supplier Atlantic Condor. Built by Halifax Shipyard in 2010 to support gas installations off Nova Scotia, it was based in Halifax for ten years. When the gas facilities were decommissioned and removed, the ship found work elsewhere and was also laid up in Stephenville, NL for a time. 

 

The 2334 gt ship will now be fitted with an array of lab equipment for its next assignment. It will be part of an extensive research program into (yes you guessed it) fog! Funded by the United States Office of Naval Research and working with numerous universities and other groups, the US$7.5 MN program will include documentation from instruments to be installed on Sable Island. The Atlantic Condor will sail to the Grand Banks - thought to be the foggiest place on earth - for other aspects of the work.
 (They could have done some research in Halifax this morning.)

The next ship to work its way through fog to anchor was Maritime Jingan another MidRange tanker of 29,211 gt, 44,411 dwt, built in 2003 by Dalian Shipyard Co in Dalian, China.

With a solid wall of low level fog in the background, the ship anchored off the Dartmouth shore near the old Shell Oil pylon. Later in the day the ship resumed its voyage from Carteret, NJ to Saint John, NB.

The launch Halmar stands by the ship as the fog lifts to reveal the Halifax shore line.

Another arrival this morning, although I do not know exactly when, was the CCGS Earl Grey which also took up a position in the lower harbour anchorages. It later moved to Bedford Basin.

As more of the Halifax shore became visible, HMCS Toronto showed through on the Syncrolift at HMC Dockyard. (Thanks to fog I misread the pennant number - it is HMCS Charlottetown.)

The final arrival of the morning, and the last to become visible as the fog moved out was the large bulker Chow in number one anchorage.

A 94,761 gt, 181,146 dwt ship, it was built in 2016 by the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co Ltd in the free trade zone of Shanghai.After launch as Chow it briefly carried the name SBI Estupendo (seems appropriate) before reverting back to Chow later in 2016.

 

 After clearing CFIA inspection the ship sailed later in the day for Sept-Iles, QC where it is due to load 175,000 tonnes of iron ore at the common user dock (in Pointe Noire).

Also due to sail later today for Contrecoeur, Bécancour, QC is the tug Atlantic Elm, towing the barge Atlantic Marlin. The barge will be loaded with cargo for Baker Lake and make the long trip to Hudson's Bay where it will spend the summer lightering cargo from ships to shore.

Fleet mate Atlantic Beech passed Halifax today en route from Saint John, NB for Contrecouer, Bécancour,  then Baker Lake, with the barge Atlantic Swordfish Sealion for the same work.

A late morning departure that I did not attempt to photograph was the X-press Irazu for Melfi Lines. I was at Woodside when the tug left for Pier 41, and the photo explains why I did not make the attempt.

Only the tops of the cranes at PSA Halifax Atlantic Hub (southend terminal) were visible as a band of dense fog clung to the Halifax shore.

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Please Take A Bow plus amendment

 The barge Atlantic Marlin was used this afernoon, April 30, to transfer bow sections from Woodside, on the Dartmouth side of the harbour, to Halifax Shipyard. [see previous post of April 27, 2022]

The are two pieces - one is the "sharp pointy bit" with hawsepipes and anchor pockets, which is close to the waterline. The other is to be installed above it. Both  will be incorporated in the fourth Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel AOPV 433 William Hall. (It was laid down February 17, 2021.)

The harbour tugs Atlantic Fir and Atlantic Bear did the work. The tug Atlantic Elm stood by and will remain with the barge at the shipyard while the structures are transferred to shore.

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Added info: A closer look at the top photo reveals that there are also two structures that appear to be the bases and lower sections for masts.

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Dartmouth - where the action is

 The eastern shore of Halifax harbour is still identified as Dartmouth even though it was amalgamated with Halifax, along with the town of Bedford and Halifax County to form the Halifax Regional Municipality (generally called Halifax) in 1996. Mail addressed to Dartmouth will still reach its destination however as there are numerous duplicate street names on the two sides of the harbour. The Dartmouth side has significant shipping activity, as today's four piloted arrivals were all destined for berths in Dartmouth.

The tug Atlantic Elm arrived from Saint John, NB towing the barge Atlantic Marlin and tied up at the IEL dock in the Woodside neighbourhood. (The City of Dartmouth annexed numerous suburbs in 1961, most of which are still identified with their traditional names.) The IEL dock is the site of the former Acadia Sugar Refinery, which was later used as a Volvo car assembly plant.

The barge will be used to transfer bow fabrications from Irving Shipbuilding Inc's Woodside Fabricators plant to the Halifax Shipyard, where they will be incorporated in construction of Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessels for the RCN. Interestingly the same tug and barge are usually to be found in the arctic during the summer months, transferring supplies to remote communities.

 The Atlantic Marlin was built in 2000 by Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing, China as Boa Barge 18. Atlantic Towing Ltd acquired, and renamed, the 2318 gt barge in 2010 from BOA Offshore AS of Norway. It is a flat deck project cargo barge, but also has built up bulwarks to support or protect cargo.

The 3460 bhp tug Atlantic Elm dates from 1980 when it was built in Saint John as Irving Elm. It took its present name in 1995 as part of a company wide renaming program.

Also arriving in Woodside (or maybe South Woodside) later in the morning was the tanker Claxton Bay with a cargo of refined product for Irving Oil from Amsterdam.

 A handysize vessel of 23,373 gt, 36,686 dwt, it was built in 2010 by Hyundai Mipo in Ulsan. Operators Cido Shipping Hong Kong Ltd own and manage about 65 ships of all types.

The third arrival, was actually for Eastern Passage which was never part of the "old" Dartmouth, but is on the eastern side of the harbour, in what was once Halifax County. Autoport, owned and operated by the Canadian National Railway (CNR) is the port of entry for new cars to eastern Canada.

The car carrier NOCC Atlantic is a first time caller as far as I can tell. The ship was built in 2009 as Dyvi Atlantic by Samjin Shipbuilding Industries Co in Weihai, China. It was renamed in 2011 following the formation of Norwegian Car Carriers in 2010 when Eidsiva Rederi ASA and Dyvi Shipping AS merged.  (Dyvi owned the first true car carrier in 1964).

NOCC Atlantic is a 60,686 gt, 22,500 dwt Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) with a capacity of 6,754 Car Equivalent Units. In addition to the usual stern ramp of 125 tonne capacity, it also has a side ramp.

The fourth arrival for Dartmouth took place after dark, so I do not have a fresh photo. The Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) Leo A. McArthur / John J. Carrick brought in a load of asphalt from Hamilton, Ontario for owners McAsphalt Industries. The barge is equipped with boilers to maintain the asphalt in liquid form. Paving season is about to start and the asphalt plants are gearing up. I do hope they get into production soon as "pothole season" is in full swing.

McAsphalt has its own dock in Eastern Passage. Once known as Dook's Dock it is immediately adjacent to Autoport and connects to storage tanks on shore by means of a heated pipeline. McAsphat then delivers by truck to customers including its own parent company Miller Group (owned by Colas Canada). It can also receive asphalt by rail at the Eastern Passage depot.

I am assuming the pair have not changed appearance since this photo was taken May 23, 2021.

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Acadia Returns [ Post#1 of 3 for November 5 ]

 The 1913-built Acadia returned to its berth at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic this morning. 

 

The veteran of two World Wars and decades of hydrographic survey work has been a static display fixture at the Museum since 1982, but was retired many years before (in 1969) and declared a National Historic Site in 1976. It does require periodic hull maintenance, and that used to be done in Halifax, but there is a shortage of drydocking capability here now, so in August the ship was towed to Shelburne, NS where Irving Shipbuilding Inc has appropriate facilities to effect some much needed repairs to its aged hull.

See previous post:http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2021/08/acadia-to-sea.html

 The ship was towed back in today by the tug Irving Elm which has only recently returned from a summer's work with a barge ferrying cargo into Rankin Inlet from the mouth of Chesterfield Inlet on the west coast of Hudson Bay.

 

The pair were met off Maugher's Beach by the harbour tug Atlantic Fir suitably draped with white sheets to prevent scuff marks on the newly painted hull.

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more tankers- Havelstern, Algonova, Seapride, Cielo di Salerno and on it goes

The tankers keep parading into and within Halifax.

The Coastal Shipping Ltd Havelstern left the Novadock floating drydock this afternoon and moved down to pier 27.

Although she had two tugs to assist her, she was using her own engine, but she was so light that the prop did a lot of thrashing without much effect. The camber between pier 27-28 and pier 30-31 was also full of slushy snow which made the effect even more dramatic.


Soon after, the tanker Algonova arrived in tow from Sydney, NS where has been lying ever since and engine room fire in the Gulf of St.Lawrence. After the January 19 fire off the Gaspe coast, the ship was towed to Sydney by Ocean Arctique [to be confirmed see comment section below] At some point her cargo was discharged and she was prepared for the tow to Halifax. This time it was the turn of Atlantic Elm to take charge.

Atlantic Elm handed off the tow to Atlantic Willow and Atlantic Oak but had a hard time letting go the towing gear. It must have become jammed or iced up in the ship's fairleads.

Atlantic Elm went alongside the IEL dock for a few minutes, but returned immediately to sea, even before Algonova was tied up. By this time it had stopped snowing and the sun was out.

With the Novadock freed up at Halifax Shipyard, perhaps she will go in for repairs.

While this was going on another foreign flag chemical tanker arrived. Seapride despite its appearance, is only just a year old (I hope its paint job is under warranty).

 At 29,925 gross tons, 50,908 deadweight, she is operated by the large Greek shipowner Thenamaris, under the flag of Malta. It was delivered February 8, 2013 by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding of South Korea. It headed for Bedford Basin anchorage to join Cielo di Salerno, which arrived Saturday.

Also a product of the STX yard, it was built in 2002 and measures 23,680 gross tons, 36,031 deadweight. The ship was in Halifax ten years ago this month at the Ultramar refinery.

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