Final Goodbye to Novadock

We got our last look at the remaining section of the Novadock floating drydock today as it "sailed" out of Halifax on the back of Boa Barge 33 in tow of the tug Boa Odin.

The pilot boat Chebucto Pilot (far left) takes the pilot out to the tug Boa Odin at noon.

Within a few minutes, the tug has swing the barge around..

... and is heading outbound. Halifax Tugger took off  the barge deck crew.

The tow made its stately progession to sea. 

Conditions were ideal for the departure, with no seas and no wind. At 1900 hrs this evening, with the tug well offshore it was doing 8.2 knots.

The weather buoy on La Have Bank south of Nov Scotia was recording a height of .5m and south winds 14 gusting to 18 kph (and water temperature of 13 degrees C.)

 Our first look at Novadock was on November 15, 1982, when the tugs Irving Miami and Irving Cedar (assisted by Irving Beech and Irving Teak) towed the larger portion of the dock into Halifax from Sorel, QC where it was built.

A smaller section, built in Pictou, NS, was towed in November 21. The sections were joined and the dock was completed at the shipyard.When the dock was cut in two this time, it was not cut along the same line. Note the position of the control room on the outer wing in the above photo, and compare to today's photos.

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Novadock: up, up, but not away just yet

The lifting of Novadock onto the barge Boa Barge 33 appears to have taken place without incident.

09:26 hrs: Boa Odin and the small tugs Halifax Tugger and Belle-D from RMI Marine prepare to move the second section of the Novadock away from the IEL dock.

 09:26 hrs: Boa Barge 33 is submerged, with RMI Marine's workboat/landing craft standing by.

13:27 hrs: the barge is slowly re-emerging.

 16:09 hrs: on an almost even keel.When full y refloated the barge will have several feet of freeboard.
[See similar photos from a month ago when the first section was floated up: Shipfax October 7, 2015 and
 October 6, 2015

 The first section was somewhat shorter, but its apron still overhung the stern of the barge.

Once the barge was fully refloated, a small fleet of RMI's and Dominion Diving's tug Halmar and scows moved out to begin the process of securing the Novadock to the barge, by welding on gussets. No ETA has been given, but it appears that it will be ready to sail sometime tomorrow.

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More going and going

It seemed to all about going today.

The cable ship Responder sailed this morning after an overnighter at pier 26. It is a sister ship of Decisive and Resolute that were here earlier in the year laying the new Hibernia Express cable between Halifax and Ireland.

Built in 2010 by Keppel in Singapore as Tyco Responder, the ship arrived from Portsmouth, NH and sailed for New York.

There were two autocarriers in Halifax today and I happened to be in position to see them sail.

Hoegh Xiamen was the morning ship. It was built in 2010 by Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry in Xiamen, China.It sails under the Norwegian flag for Hoegh Autoliners.

Taking its place and sailing late in the afternoon was CSCC Tianjin. Despite its China Shipping billboard, it is owned by Ray Car Carriers of the Isle of Man and managed by Stamco of Piraeus, Greece, under the Bahamas flag. It was built in 2008 by Uljanik in Pula, Croatia.

Also going, was the last cruise ship of the season, Seven Seas Navigator is an exclusive ship with only 250 cabins and a crew of 345. It was built originally in 1999 in St.Petersburg, Russia to be a USSR naval support vessel to be named Akademik Nikolay Pilyugin. However it was completed by T.Mariotti of Genoa for cruising. It has been a Halifax caller since 2003.

Also going was the Princess of Acadia. Not sailing however for the Turkish scrapyards (at least not yet) it is only going as far as Sydney, NS. That suggests a cold layup of many months until a sale can be arranged.

Arriving today, but going tomorrow, the tug Boa Odin and Boa Barge 33 will be taking away the second and last section of the Novadock floating drydock.

The drydock's departure leaves Halifax with no available drydocking capability for civilian ships. Halifax Shipyard's Graving Dock is continuously occupied by refitting naval vessels, and HMC Dockyard's synchrolift is for the exclusive use of the relatively light weight naval vessels, mainly submarines.

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Securing Novadock

Now that the first section of the Novadock is safely aboard the Boa Barge 33, work goes on to secure it in place. The work includes brackets to the underside of the Novadock where it overhangs the barge. Several small craft and barges from RMI Marine are employed in this work which will take several days. It must be very unpleasant work, with decades of marine growth built up on the hull and now exposed to the air.

Note the small craft working under the overhang. The drydock has been plated over where it was cut in two (The new steel is painted in red primer.) Note also the cross bracing wires on the drydock to ensure that it did not sag during loading.

As a non-powered vessel, the Boa Barge 33 must have a tug alongside at all times when at anchor in case it is required to move, or if it goes adrift. That is its companion tug Boa Odin at the stern.

There is also a Caterpillar packaged generator on the drydock to provide power for lights and pumps.

New owners, International Ship Repairs in Tampa, FL have several other drydocks, some of which can be coupled together when needed to take larger ships. It seems likely that they would do the same with Novadock , but it was necessary to cut it in two for transport anyway.

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We Have Lift On

NASA may have Lift Off, but today Halifax harbour had Lift On. The semi-submersible heavy lift barge Boa Barge 33 was put to the test and came through swimmingly.

The barge arrived September 27 in tow of the tug Boa Odin- see Tugfax and after some time at pier 27 and pier 28, it moved out into the harbour yesterday:

Tugs Atlantic Larch (at the bow) and Boa Odin near the stern, move the Boa Barge 33 past the Novadock yesterday afternoon. It is easy to see that the barge is easily large enough to carry each section with room to spare.

Despite drizzly weather this morning the barge was submerged and the first section of the former Novadock was floated over.

 This morning the barge is all but invisible as it is submerged in number 6 anchorage area in the lower harbour. 

(Princess of Acadia remains laid up at the former Coast Guard base in Dartmouth.)

 Early this afternoon, with the Novadock in place, the refloating operation continues for the barge.

Once the load is secured and there is a suitable weather window the long trip to Florida will begin. The second section of the floating drydock will follow in due course. It is a larger and heavier section and will also depend on very good weather to make the trip.

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