Halterm berths big ships

Halterm was the hot spot in the harbour today with four ships working. With only three available berths, that took some doing. Oceanex Sanderling was occupying pier 36 and remained there all day.
Zim Constanza arrived late morning and tied up at pier 42.
Macao Strait (Melfi Lines) arrived Monday and was at pier 41. As with its fleet mate from last week, Tasman Strait, the ship was waiting for rail cargo, and at noon time it moved out to harbour anchorage. That left pier 41 clear for the arrival later this afternoon of Ernest Hemingway (Zim).

Partially loaded Macao Strait waits at anchor.

Macao Strait made its first visit for Melfi on November 8, 2014 and is chartered from Carsten Rehder of Hamburg.

Still in Maersk blue, but loaded for Zim.

Ernest Hemingway made its first call for Zim on July 10, 2014. Owned by Norddeutsche Reederei, it is still wearing the colours of Maersk Line, where it was chartered as Maersk Davenport from 2005 to 2013.

Meanwhile at Imperial Oil the tanker Seamuse sailed this morning and its place was soon taken by Kourion Built in 2012 by SPP Shipbuilding Co of Sacheon, South Korea, it is a handysize tanker of 29,930 grt, 50,290 dwt. It is operated by World Tankers Management of Singapore, but flies the Panama flag.
The ship anchored for a few hours in the inner harbour awaiting its turn.

Passing the foot of Sackville Street, Kourion leaves anchorage for Imperial Oil.

One of the great things about Halifax is the glimpses of ships from odd vantage points. Unfortunately new buildings are going up to block many of these views.

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Ernest Hemingway's first visit to Halifax

I am not sure if Ernest Hemingway (the writer) ever visited Halifax. He certainly visited Nova Scotia, one of many celebrities who fished for Bluefin tuna from Wedgeport, NS in the heyday of sport fishing for the giant fish.  It was his legendary fishing tale story The Old Man and the Sea, among others, that won him world attention and a Nobel prize. However he has been gone lo' these many years, so it was not he that visited Halifax (for the first time) today.

Instead it was the German owned, Liberian flag container ship Ernest Hemingway that called on the Zim service. Built in 2005 by Hanjin Heavy Industries in Pusan, South Korea, the 54,271 grt ship has a capacity of 4944 TEU (400 refrigerated). In September of last year, it came off a long term charter to Maersk as Maersk Davenport, hence the colours of the hull and superstructure.
The ship is owned by Norddeutsche Reederei, and is one of several ships in their fleet named for famous people. Sister ship Charles Dickens has called here for HAPAG-Lloyd.
Halterm was busy with Ocean Emerald at pier 42 and Oceanex Sanderling at pier 36, but still had three cranes available to work Ernest Hemingway.
As the major container lines shed chartered ships, we can expect to see more of these "one ofs" on short term or mid-term charters to other lines to cover for other ships in refit or to increase capacity without building new ships. 

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