MOL, CSL and RHL

Shipping companies are much given to initials as a convenient form shorthand.

That is certainly the case with Mitsui OSK Lines, tracing its origins to 1884 when OSK conglomerated a large number of smaller companies. It is still one of the large Japanese shipping lines, even though it has divested its container ships to the Ocean Network Express. Those ships have maintained their MOL identity by name and colour scheme, although that is expected to disappear over time as new ships are delivered or as existing ships are drydocked.

MOL Paradise arrived this morning for THE Alliance. The 71,902 grt, 72,968 dwt ship has a capacity of 6350 TEU including 500 reefers. It was built in 2005 by the Koyo Dockyard Co in  Mihara.

Canada Steamship Lines has a similar background. Formed from the combination of several other lines in 1913, its roots go back to 1843. It has been known as "CSL" since early days, but ships did not start carrying the CSL prefix until the late 1900s.

CSL Tacoma arried this morning to load gypsum. The Bahamas flag self-unloader was built in 2013 by Chengxi Shipyard in Jiangyin, China. The 43,691 grt, 71,552 dwt ship works for CSL Americas as part of the CSL self-unloader pool with Algoma. The foreign flag ships carry "CSL" initials on the hull whereas Canadian ships have the name spelled out in full.

CSL Tacoma passed Baie St. Paul at Pier 9C, a member of CSL's domestic fleet. It is a 24,430 grt, 37,6890 dwt self-unloader, also built by Chengxi, but in 2012. Most domestic CSLers have traditional names, but some do have the "CSL" prefix.

Both ships are members of the so called Trillium class but are very different in most respects.

Another set of initials, but with much more recent roots, were seen at the other end of the port. RHL Agilitas operates a feeder service between Halifax and Kingston, Jamaica for ZIM. The 18,480 grt, 23,664 dwt ship has a capacity of 1732 TEU and carries a pair of 40 tonne capacity cranes. Built in 2007 by Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard, it was launched as Wilhelm Busch but was soon renamed with the "RHL" prefix, denoting the newly formed Reederei Hamburg Lloyd.

Not to be confused with HAPAG Lloyd (itself an acronym) RHL owns about a dozen tankers and sixteen container ships.

Initials seem sure to continue in ships names in the Age of Acronyms, but there will still be lots of variety after abbreviations.

.

Storm Over

After yesterday's wind storm (with freezing rain, ice pellets and other delightful forms of precipitation) calmness returned today and several ships that had been delayed finally arrived.

One of these was Wilhelmsen's Theben which went to pier 31 first to unload machinery, then moved to Autoport with cars.

Still carrying the faded orange seen recently on Wilhelmsen ships, it will soon be getting the new colour scheme.

After bouncing around at sea last night MOL Paradise arrived this afternoon. 

THE  Alliance must be confident of a firm resolution to the rail blockades. Some trains are moving but it will be some time before things return to normal. As of yesterday afternoon the Rockingham yard was empty.

By this afternoon some outbound cars with ACL and other containers were being prepared for an outbound train this evening.

Other arrivals include Horizon Star returning from cable work on the Cabot Strait.

Cranes were removing cable repair gear.


Also noted at BIO is the fisheries research vessel Teleost.

The ship is likely here as part of a decommissioning process, since its replacement Capt. Jacques Cartier is en route from North Vancouver, arriving in Miami, FL today. It likely be here in a week or so.

Also in Bedford Basin the tanker Inyala took up position in an anchorage after unloading at Irving Oil Woodside.

A digger continues to place fill off Africville for future pier extension.

.

PAX and CANS

To use some waterfront jargon, the port was mostly pax (passengers) and cans (containers) this weekend. There was little other traffic to mention - no tankers, no bulkers, etc.,

On Saturday it was the always impressive Mein Schiff 6, the TUI Cruises ship, built in 2017 by Meyer Turku Shipyard. It made its first visit here September 2, 2017. The 98,811 grt ship has a capacity of 2,790 passengers, and appeared to be at capacity judging by the number of people on deck on departure.

  Mein Schiff 6 - decks crowded with passengers, sails Saturday evening.

On Sunday, the familiar Serenade of the Seas was joined by the Norwegian Dawn. The latter was re-directed here from its Boston / Bermuda trip by the developing Hurricane Florence. This may be the ship's first time here, since built in 2002 by Meyer Werft, Papenburg. The 92,250 grt ship can carry 2340 passengers.

Serenade of the Seas (left) at pier 22, stern to Norwegian Dream at pier 20 (right).


Even though the re-direction was a last moment one, some passengers opted to take a pass, but those that decided to stay were flocking ashore today in Halifax to buy sweaters. Granted it is cooler in Halifax than it would be in Bermuda, but the press made our climate as nothing short of polar.

The ship is infamous in  my mind for introducing "hull at" - that form of licensed graffiti that now defaces cruise ships throughout the word enough said.

Saturday's container arrival was the regular MOL Paradise for the EC5 service of THE Alliance. The 71,902 grt, 72,968 dwt ship has a capacity of 6350 TEU (including 500 reefers). After construction by Koyo Dockyard Co in Mihara, in 2005 it was briefly renamed APL Paradise from 2011 to 2012.

MOL Paridise threads its way through the Narrows - apparently effortlessly - despite the presence of pleasure craft.


Sunday's arrival was  Ikaria, now under anonymous Greek ownership, it is the former Long Beach Bridge of K-Line. Built in 2002 by Koyo Dockyard, Mihara, the 66,332 grt, 67,164 dwt ship has a capacity of 5576 TEU (including 440 reefers). It carried the name Ikaria briefly in 2010, and CCNI Antartico from 2010 to 2012.

 The tug Spitfire III heels as it assists the ship to make a course correction inbound.

Things were easier going as the ship transits the Narrows.

Saturday action

Several arrivals today meant that there was something happening almost continuously.

The earliest arrival was Maersk Patras at Halterm. This is a ship that was a week late last month, but now that Arica has been inserted in the lineup, Maersk Patras is here on a Saturday.

The ship tied up out near the end of pier 42 allowing room for the next arrival, APL Santiago.

 Built in 2014 by Daewoo, Okpo, the 109,712 grt, 115,077 dwt ship has a capacity of 9200 TEU.

The ship's distinctive full width bridge, is more than 45 meters from side to side.

After a short wait, the next arrival was Atlantic Huron for a load of gypsum. Its last port was Charlottetown, PE where is had delivered a cargo of construction aggregates.

Built in 1984, converted to self-unloader in 1989 and rebuilt mid-body in 2002, the ship just keeps on keeping on. Once a frequent caller here with grain, it seems to specialize in coal, aggregates and gypsum now.

Next up was the MOL Paradise for Fairview Cove.

 MOL Paradise glides in abreast of George's Island, with Bluenose II and Chebucto Head in the background.

This is the ship's first arrival in Halifax and is on THE Alliance's EC5 service. The 71,902 grt, 72,968 dwt ship was built in 2005 by Koyo Dockyard Co in Mihara, with a capacity of 6350 TEU (including 500 reefers).


As the ship was only minutes away from the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, someone or something plunged off into the water near the Halifax side. It was surprising that no shipping in the harbour was aware that police had closed the bridge and were on the scene.

When HMCS Charlottetown reported the incident a minute or so after I saw the splash at 11:11, it dispatched a RHIB to the scene, however nothing appeared to have re-surfaced. A general Mayday was issued for ships in the area to assist if possible.

CCGC Pennant Bay, which had passed the area few minutes earlier came about in Bedford Basin and sped to the scene.

CCGC Pennant Bay with crew on the flying bridge make haste off Pier 9. The lifeboat, delivered late in 2017 will be stationed in Sambro, NS.

 It was far too late to halt the movement of MOL Paradise which passed though the area only about 5 minutes later.

Later this afternoon two autocarriers arrived. However only one entered port. Viking Conquest went to anchor offshore while Shanghai Highway continued on in.
 

Built in 2005 by Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corp at the Nantong COSCO shipyard in China it is of an older type design, with no aerodynamic faring that is common on modern car boats. It also has numerous hull penetrations that appear to be small sections of open deck.

The ship is also smaller than many we see here. It comes in at 48,927 grt, 15,413 dwt and has a reported capacity of 5,036 cars.

.