Back to Normal and belated wishes

The port was back to normal work today, with the usual Saturday activity and some catch up work.
Federal Churchill was under the spouts at pier 28 loading wood pellets and displaying an attractive hatch cover, not usually visible except from aboard the ship.

As with many bulk carriers, there is a designated helicopter landing spot marked on the hatch cover between the cranes. However in this case it is more than just a large letter "H" but also an inscription with the ship's name.

At the southend container terminal, PSA Halifax, CMA CGM Ivanhoe occupied pier 41 and Maersk Palermo pier 42, until sailing late morning.

Lightly loaded for its eastbound transatlantic trip, the workhorse ship is beginning to show rust streaks again. By the time spring arrives it will be in serious need of paint.

Autoport was busy too with Victoria Highway unloading its consignment of cars.

Rounding Ives Knoll Victoria Highway heads for sea and its next port.

Just a year old - delivered by the Tadotsu Shipyard Co in Japan, December 14, 2018, Victoria Highway carries the new K-Line autocarriers "super graphic" paint scheme. The 75,528gt, 21,114 dwt ship has a capacity of 7,450 cars.

For some reason I neglected to wish readers a Merry Christmas on December 25 as I usually do. I hope to atone for this oversight by doing so now with the following photo. Probably not original and not unique to Nova Scotia, but appropriate - a lobster trap Christmas tree (with video surveillance).

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Red, White and Blue

After a lengthy refit that included removing and rebuilding the ship's crane CCGS Sir William Alexander moved out into Bedford Basin for some trials today.

Not far away the MOL Marvel was making its first visit to Cerescorp's Fairview Cove terminal.

Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Kobe in 2010 it is a 78,316 gt, 79,460 dwt ship with a capacity of 6724 TEU including 500 reefers.

At the other end of the harbour Titania discharged a load of cars at Autoport.

Still wearing the old Wilhelmsen orange and white colour scheme, Titania (and Atlantic Bear) pass Shearwater outbound from Eastern Passage.

Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in Okpo built Titania in 2010. Its 74,255 gt, 31,108 dwt gives it a capacity of  7934 cars.

Federal Churchill also got underway to make the short trip from anchorage to pier 28.

There was more blue to be seen, but it was so far offshore that it was not clearly legible.

Anchored outside the port limits, Ethan is waiting for something.

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Ships at anchor Federal Churchill, Ethan

December 26, the day after Christmas, Boxing Day, is almost as sacred as December 25 when it comes to longshore labour agreements, and there is usually no work done in the unionized parts of the port.  Ships do come and go at the non-union oil terminals (Elka Glory sailed from Irving Oil this afternoon) and they can arrive and depart from anchorages. But any activities that involve organized longshore labour incur huge premium charges, so are avoided.

Federal Churchill arrived from Montreal and anchored with the intention to go alongside tomorrow.

Built in 2016 by Oshima Shipbuilding in Saikai, Japan, it is a Seaway-max vessel of 20,789 gt, 34,564 dwt. It passed up the St.Lawrence Seaway in late November, arriving in Hamilton, ON November 30. It lay at anchor there until December 8 then spent until December 18 unloading (probably a cargo of steel). It then sailed for Montreal December 22.

Also arriving from the St.Lawrence is the veteran Ethan finally released from years of legal entanglements in Quebec City.
See also: http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2019/04/court-ordered-sales-1-ethan.html
and: http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2018/02/desgagnes-sheds-oldies.html

Now registered in Lomé, Togo, the ship is bound for Freeport, Bahamas. So far it has not entered port, but is anchored outside.

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