Neither snow nor rain...(again)

 I have often referred to the US Postal Service's motto here when weather makes it difficult for shipping in the harbour (and for me to keep track of it.)

The last couple of days, April 12 and 13, have seen heavy rain and high wind (but fortunately no snow) and dense fog. Pilotage operations have been suspended for various periods due to swells and surges and several arrivals and departures have been delayed.

As for operations in the harbour, unless winds are extremely high, the container piers* can still work cargo. (There is a maximum wind speed for safe operation of the cranes.) Containers are largely impervious to rain, so if the ship can make it into port, it can be loaded and unloaded.

Today's (April 13) arrival for the ZCA service ZIM Container Atlantic, the Navios Indigo, managed to reach port before the latest pilotage suspension. The ship started calling for ZIM last year. See my post for October 27, 2023

Lingering fog was considerably thinner over Bedford Basin where the ship was tied up at the Fairview Cove west berth*.

 At Pier 9C* the BBC Rhonetal continued to load gas pipe despite the rain.

The ship was using its own cranes to load, and appears to have been working two or even three holds at one time, but has closed most of the hatches. There are hundreds of pipes left to load, so the ship will be here for some time yet. They are often loaded in bundles of two or three, depending on how they are to be organized and secured below deck.

Some ships were able to sail, one being the Fairwind Legion which departed long term anchorage in Bedford Basin for Portsmouth, New Hampshire to load submarine cable. It has been in port since February 28.

[April 3 photo]

See my post of February 28 for details on the ship. A sister ship Nord Logos has been waiting offshore and is due tomorrow, probably to load cable racks. 

* Footnote on Terminolgy

The Port of Halifax does not use  standard terminology to designate some of its facilities - see subsequent post for my exposition on this topic.

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Another ZIM

 It was another "new" to ZIM ship today, October 19. Earlier in the week it was the ZIM Asia, (see  October 16 post) renamed in April of last year when it was taken up on charter by ZIM. Today's arrival however has not been renamed and still carries its owners banner on the hull. Navios Indigo (despite the name) has a red hull with "Navios" emblazoned on the flanks.

 The ship was built in 2007 by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co at the Number One Dalian shipyard. It is registered at 39,906 gt, 50,607 dwt with a container capacity of 4250 TEU including 400 reefer plugs.

Delivered with the name Sabine Rickmers it was quickly renamed CMA CGM Jade. In 2016 it then reverted to Sabine Rickmers for a time and was renamed Navios Indigo in 2017. The fabled Hamburg and Singapore-based Rickmers-Linie was declared bankrupt in 2017. Assests were sold and combined with E.R. Schiffs to form Zeaborn Shipmanagement. They sold this ship to Navios and it is still under Navios Managment but ownership since 2022 has been reported as "Xiang H130 International Ship".

The ship did not appear to be very heavily laden today as it made its way in to Fairview Cove. 

It was carrying the usual mix of ZIM containers and Hapag-Lloyd /UASC. The ZIM company has an agreement to carry Hapag-Lloyd (and shareholder company UASC) boxes.

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