Hebridean Sky - Nostalgia at Pier 23

The sight of the mini-cruise ship Hebridean Sky at Pier 23 resulted in a flash-back to the 1970s and 1980s.

Although owned by a company called Noble Caledonia, the ownership in fact is vested in the legendary Salén family of Sweden. Their company Salén Ship Management, has the technical and hotel management of the ship and its two sisters. This latest company to use the Salén name was founded in 2009, however the name has been associated with ships since the early 1900s. Its blue funnel with the white letter "S" was once one of the best known in the world.

Hebridean Sky carries the traditional Salén funnel mark, on a non-traditional funnel.

Sven Salén founded a shipping company in 1915 that eventually became one of the largest in Sweden, owning shipyards tankers, oil rigs, but principally refrigerated cargo ships. Saléninvest AB, as it became, was synonymous with the reefer trade, and its ships and the many that it managed for other owners, often called in Halifax and frequently at Pier 23.

 The 1960 built Rio tied up at Pier 23 in September 1978 to load squid for Japan. It was built for Salénrederierna A/B as Antigua by Oresundsvarvet, Landskrona and although renamed Antilla in 1972 and Atlantide in 1977, it was still managed by Salén and wore their funnel mark in 1978. It was sold again in 1979 becoming Rosy then in 1980 as Safina Reefer for Saudi owners. It was broken up in 1983 at Gadani Beach.

Crew members apply the Salén funnel mark to the Port Line reefer Port Chalmers at Pier 27. One of  the largest refrigerated cargo ships ever built, it had fallen on hard times when containers began to make inroads into the UK /  New Zealand trade. 
 

Salén managed the ship for a time until it was sold in 1981 as Manaar with parent company Cunard taking over management. It became Golden Glory in 1985 but was laid up until sold for scrap in Shanghai in 1985.The 21.5 knot ship was built in 1968 - the second last ship built for Port Line and the last ship built (Hull No. 700) by Alexander Stephen + Sons, Linthouse, before the yard became a division of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders. Sister ship Port Caroline was Hull No.1 at the re-named yard and the last ship built for Port Line. It shared the title as largest refrigerated cargo ship ever built.

When the Israeli owned Maritime Fruit Carriers company went bankrupt Salén took over management of many of their ships. They were also Pier 23 callers bringing in fresh fruit.

 Bananacore, with its name spelled in Hebrew and English characters on the bow, docked at Pier 23. It had arrived with the first cargo of the season - possibly tangerines or citrines.

Salénrederierna A/B the shipowning arm of the company continued to build ships to its own account. Among them was the splendid Snow Ball (one of several ships with a Snow name). 

Chantier navale La Ciotat built the 14,512 grt Snow Ball in 1973. It had no less than seven subsequent names before it was broken up in Chittagong in 2006.

Salén also had ships built in Swedish yards, including San Bruno at Eriksberg in their home town of Goteborg in 1967.

San Bruno also tied up at Pier 23 - the shadow the grain leg falling across from pier 26.

In 1983 the ship became Malayan Venture under the Philippine flag, but arrived in Shanghai for scrap in June 1985.

Salén formed a 50/50 joint venture with another Swedish company, Rederi AB Transatlantic, to build this 8023 grt reefer at Eriskbergs in 1965. Initially named Arawak it was managed by Salén. When it called in Halifax in 1979 Salén had bought out RABT's share and renamed the ship Altcar and sold it to Greek owners, retaining management at least for a time.

Altcar at Pier 9B displays a bulbous bow that was added in 1970 and the Salén houseflag, funnel and bow crest.

The ship was laid up in Borneo in 1983 and arrived in Kaohsiung for scrap ion July 1984.


Departing from the usual white colour for reefers, Satsuma had a sort of putty colour. The former Satsumacore was built by Bergens MV in Norway in 1970.

A few feathered spectators view the Satsumacore optimistically at Pier 34.

The ship had a variety of managers for owner Intermare KG Kuhlschiff Gmbh until 1988 when it became Copacabana Reefer. After a fire in Piraeus in January 1993 it was sent to Aliaga for scrap.

Satsumacore may have been the last Salén ship to call in Halifax. On December 19, 1984, when a plea for a state and bank funded bail-out failed, the company declared bankruptcy. It was then history's largest shipping company collapse with the operation of 140 ships* (most under management) , employing 2,100 people.

Remnants of the reefer fleet joined Cool Carriers. That company still exits today, but has gone through numerous ownership transitions over the years (including Leif Hoegh, J.Lautitzen / SAF Marine, NYK and Baltic Reefers)  and currently only operates 17 ships.

[ *  Just a coincidence? The most recent large shipping bankruptcy was Hanjin Shipping in 2016. It operated - wait for it - 141 ships.]

.

Gravity Highway. Hebridean Sky and USS Toledo

There were three ships of note in Halifax today:

1.     The oddly named Gravity Highway made its second visit to Autoport today. The first was in February 2017 but that arrival was not mentioned in these pages. K-Line car boats use "Highway" in their names for obvious reasons, but the word "Gravity" may need some explanation.

There are many places in the world where the eye plays tricks on the brain, giving the impression that cars move uphill without the aid of an engine. Various explanations have arisen - some involving ghosts, aliens, or magic formulae. In New Brunswick Magnetic Hill was long a famous tourist draw. There is at least one of these places on the North Mountain of the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia too - but I am not sure it has a name. Some of the locations are known as Gravity Hills so that is the origin of the ship's name.

Gravity Highway was completed in 2014 by Hyundai Mipo, Ulsan, for Ray Car Carriers and has a capacity of 7700 CEU, while measuring 58,767 grt, 21,000 dwt. It's completion almost didn't happen however after a serious accident during its trials trip.

On December 29, 2013 while only about 9 miles from Busan, the ship "T-boned" the Hong Kong flagged tanker Maritime Maisie which immediately exploded and caught fire. Fortunately an intensive rescue effort recovered all 27 crew from the tanker and the 64 trials personnel from the auto carrier with only minor injuries. Gravity Highway only suffered some superficial fire damage, and was soon completed and delivered.

However things were different for the tanker. It took nearly 19 days to bring the fire under control because fire fighters did not know that water would not extinguish the 4,000 tonnes of burning peraxylene and acrylonite. Not only that but the latter chemical, when heated, undergoes explosive polymerization and releases hydrogen cyanide, a carcinogen.

While firefighting was going on, the ship drifted into Japanese waters, and a long process began to find a port of refuge where the ship would be allowed to offload the remaining 26,000 tonnes of chemicals and 240 tonnes of fuel before the ship broke up - which it was in danger of doing due to severe hull damage.

Finally, after 102 days and negotiations with nine different potential ports of refuge, the port of Ulsan accepted the ship and it was lightered off in a ship to ship transfer. The tanker was rebuilt and renamed Corona and is still sailing.


2.      Hebridean Sky can only be described as a mini-cruise ship. More yacht-like in size and character, it has a long history of unsuccessful occupations, however seems to have found its niche with current owners Noble Caledonia Ltd.

 The tug Belle-D. and barge alongside Hebridean Sky at pier 23 to offload refuse.

The 4200 grt ship was built in 1991 by Nuovi Cantieri Apuania, Marinada Carrara as Renaissance VII for the Renaissance Cruises fleet. That operation failed and the ship was tried out by a variety of owners and charterers carrying the names 1992: Regina Renaissance, 1998: Renaissanace VII, 2001: Renai I, 2003: Sun, 2004: Island Sun, 2005: Corinthian II, 2013: Sea Explorer and 2014: Sea Explorer I.
Noble Caledonia, which is a partnership of the Noble and Salén families, had success with two sister vessels (Renaissance VI renamed Caledonia Sky and Renaissance VIII renamed Island Sky) and acquired the ship, gave it a major refresh and introduced it last year as Hebridean Sky.

With a capacity of only 120 passengers and 72 crew, the ice class vessel caters to the luxury exotic cruise market with trips to the Arctic and Antarctic.

3.    After a long weekend visit in Halifax to commemorate the United States' Memorial Day, the US Navy Los Angeles class fast attack submarine USS Toledo SSN-679 sailed this afternoon from its berth at Shearwater. The sub arrived last Friday and crew members participated in a ceremony Monday on Deadman's Island (now a peninsula) where 195 American prisoners of the War of 1812 were buried. They were imprisoned on the adjacent Melville Island, now joined to the shore and part of the Armdale Yacht Club, where some original buildings are still standing.
 

A view of Melville Cove was still possible from the Herring Cove Road in 1970. Trees obstruct the view now. That is Melville "Island" to the right, and the Armdale Yacht Club. Deadman's Island is out of the picture far to the right.

Toledo was assisted away from Shearwater by the tugs Granville and Listerville and several small craft including 127.

 Once clear of Eastern Passage the deck crew retired below through a flush hatch, leaving a very tight crowd on the open bridge. (One of whom is a civilian pilot)

Patrol vessel Guardian and the tug Glenbrook accompanied the sub to the pilot station.

After rounding Ives Knoll Toledo began to pick up speed. Its reported surface cruising speed is 25 knots, and its submerged speed is acknowledged to be in excess of 30 knots.

USS Toledo has four torpedo tubes and 12 Tomahawk missile silos for vertical launch.This is its second call in Halifax that I am aware of. It was here in September 2016.