Unscheduled for ZIM, more reefer madness and other business

 PSA Halifax, operator of the southend terminal is stacking them high these days as they are chock-a-block with boxes, particularly reefers.

Granted it is harvest season and more perishables are passing through the port, notably potatoes, but likely all other commodities too, and possibly fish. Maersk seems to be the biggest owner. Eimskip and Tropical are also well represented, as they export and import reefer cargo through Halifax..

Even containers bearing obsolete names, such as Maersk-Sealand can be spotted. (That name was in use from 1999-2005 only).

There is no lack of other non-reefer boxes at PSA too, and in order to reduce the inventory of empties, ZIM sent in an "extra loader" today - the unscheduled Seaspan Melbourne.

We don't often see ships with the "Seaspan" prefix, however the company is a large owner of container ships. Seaspan Corp does not operate a container line itself, but instead finances, operates and charters out ships to other shipping lines, and the ships usually adopt the nomenclature of the charterer. Thus a goodly number of their ships do call in Halifax, but are not immediately identifiable as Seaspan ships.

Seaspan Melbourne was built in 2005 by Samsung, Koje, as CSCL Melbourne for long term charter to China Shipping Co Ltd. When that charter ended in 2018 the ship was renamed and chartered to Korea Marine Transport Containers for about a year, then to ZIM.  It is a 39,941 gt, 50,797 dwt ship with a capacity of 4250 TEU including plugs for 400 reefers.

It appears to have been taken off the Asia Gulf Express service (via Suez) and on this trip the ship sailed from Chinese ports in early September, worked its way transpacific through the Panama Canal September 26, and then called in Norfolk and New York. It seems to be headed for ZIM's hub port of Kingston, Jamaica next, loading ZIM boxes (and container leasing company boxes) exclusively. The ship's draft indicates that most of its cargo is empties.

Far right in the photo - a glimpse of the ZIM boxes on the ship.

There was other business in the port too:

CSL Tacoma gliding through the Narrows with the tug Atlantic Willow on its way to Gold Bond Gypsum disturbed a glassy calm, despite a noticeably falling tide.

Mitera made a return visit (it was last here August 30). This time the ship is arriving from Saint John, NB with a small cargo of refined product for Irving Oil. It unloaded most of its cargo from Amsterdam in Saint John early this week before coming to Halifax, the reverse of its last call.

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Busy Monday

 It was a busy Monday in the port with almost all facilities seeing ships alongside. Although rainy, misty and at times foggy in the morning, the weather did clear later in the day allowing for some photos.

PSA Halifax had three ships, MSC Sandra B (east bound for top up), Zim Yokohama (see yesterday's post) and Lagarfoss. The latter ship is on the Icelandic shipping company Eimskip's Green Line service en route to Portland, ME.

Eimskip also offers a New England feeder service to other shipping lines, but today the ship looked fully loaded (at least on deck) with Eimskip boxes. 

Built in 2014 by Rongcheng Shenfei Shipbuilding Co in Rongcheng, China, Lagarfoss is a 10,119 gt, 11,811 dwt ship with a capacity of 880 TEU. It also carries a pair of 45 tonne capacity cranes.

The autocarrier Torrens arrived early in the morning at Autoport to discharge cars, then moved to Pier 27 on the Halifax side of the harbour to unload machinery. Its usual Ocean Terminals berth at Pier 31 was occupied by Augusta Luna (see yesterday's post).

 

Because the ship's 237 tonne capacity stern ramp is angled to starboard, the ship must berth bow in when at Pier 27. At Pier 30-31, it berths stern in, which is a more convenient arrangement for cargo work.

Both oil docks had "customers" today. Irving Oil's Woodside terminal saw the company tanker East Coast on its customary "milk run" to several regional terminals. Its last port was Charlottetown. Later in the day the tanker Mitera arrived from Amsterdam and anchored awaiting the berth to clear. It may also have required CFIA inspection for  L. dispar clearance.[ see August 18 explanation for the new terminology].

Unlike most product tankers, this one was not built in Korea. It comes from the Onomichi Zosen in Japan, where it was built for MOL as Pioneer Express. The 26,938 gt, 47,370 dwt ship was acquired and renamed by present owners Olympos Shiptrade Co Ltd in 2019. 

Meanwhile Imperial Oil had its own version of product tanker - also non-Korean. The Swedish flag Wisby Pacific dates from 2017 and the Guangzhou International shipyard in China. A 29,681 gt, 49,686 dwt vessel it has a distinctive wide wheelhouse as compared to the previous vessel.

The ship arrived from Beaumont, TX and tied up at number 3 dock. The rail siding behind the dock is lined with autoracks ready awaiting loads from Autoport.

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