Non-Headline News

#1

With the arrival of the first 15,000 TEU ship in a Canadian port monopolizing the news today some other harbour activity faded to the background.

This evening the jack-up drilling rig Noble Regina Allen is due to leave port secured to the deck of the semi-submersible heavy load ship GPO Amethyst. 

(Above) I could see what looked like welding flashes on deck this evening. 

A bit clearer on Tuesday evening.

According to industry reports the rig is going to work offshore Trinidad but will be deployed from Guyana. It is not going to Africa as per some reports. Noble Drilling is emerging from Chapter 11 with a debt for equity deal with lenders. 

#2

Earlier in the day the research vessel Ocean Seeker was making its way out of Bedford Basin. The former RCMP Murray is an aluminum catamaran built in 2003.

The graphics on the superstructure represent the Kraken, a mythical sea serpent that is the namesake of Kraken Robotics, a Canadian company that has developed high speed towed sonar such as the Kraken Katfish.  Ocean Seeker uses the A-frame for the torpedo like Katfish, and has a "Universal Sonar" mount and pole on the starboard side.

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Comings and Goings - and old news.

Despite the halt in train traffic, there is still some activity in the Port of Halifax. Trucks have been able to take up some of the work, but they are stretched to the limit, particularly long haul.

Zim Monaco arrived and sailed, but there is no telling how much cargo the ship off loaded on took on.

The two coastal container services, Oceanex to Newfoundland and SPMI to St-Pierre et Miquelon and Newfoundland are still providing their services, but some reduction in cargo must be expected.

After unloading its cargo of rails Onego Rio moved from pier 27 to anchorage in Bedford Basin. This normally means the ship is awaiting orders for its next assignment.

Having completed refit work the jack-up drill rig Noble Regina Allen "sailed" late this morning under tow of Siem  Commander and Atlantic Osprey with Atlantic Tern in attendance. The rig was visible well out to sea in the cold clear air.

News from Wednesday
Thanks to helpful fellow harbour watchers I am able to explain the following photo taken off Africville on Wednesday.

It depicts the RNMB (Royal Navy Motor Boat) Hussar towing three Coil Auxiliary Boats (CABs). Able to operate autonomously Hussar was delivered to the Royal Navy as part of a new method of mine clearance. Rather than sweeping for mines with grapples and chain cutters in the old fashioned way, the CABs replicate the acoustical signature of ships causing the mines to detonate far from the minesweeping mother ship. Autonomous operation, controlled from land or, presumably a distant ship, reduces the risk to human life. 

There is talk that the RN will adapt some of its older minesweeping vessels to carry this system. Perhaps some RCN Kingstons could be adapted too.

The RN and manufacturer Atlas win the acronym of the year (so far) award for the ARCIMS = Atlas Remote Combined Influence Minesweeping System - but is still early days!

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Back to Work

It was a good morning to get back to work in Halifax harbour.

With the arrival of the 9200 TEU container ship APL Miami at PSA Halifax, all four cranes were back at work. The number 2 crane (second from the right) had been out of commission for a time after contact with a ship's crane, but appeared to be working fine this morning.

APL Miami using four cranes at pier 41-42.

HMCS Moncton sailed this morning after a cold move yesterday. It carries a commemorative paint scheme in recognition of the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Atlantic. [If you enter "Moncton" in the search box on the left you will find several references to this "Disruptive" means of confusing ship spotters.]

It sailed past a now vacant Woodside Industries (IEL) pier. The oil rig Noble Regina Allen was in the process of moving to #2 anchorage.

Siem Commander has the rig in tow, and with the assistance of harbour tugs Atlantic Oak, Atlantic Larch and Spitfire III is headed for the anchorage. The rig has been in for repairs before starting its next project.

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Big Moves

There were a couple of big moves in the harbour today, keeping the tug fleet very busy (see also Tugfax).

The biggest move was the arrival of the jack-up drill rig Noble Regina Allen.

Siem Commander and Atlantic Osprey brought the rig into harbour where harbour tugs came along to assist.

The rig is just coming off some work with Exxon Mobil in decommissioning gas wells off Sable Island. It will spend January and February in Halifax at the IEL dock in Woodside in refit then go to work for Encana until June when it will return to the IEL dock again before heading for Trinidad.

Built in 2013 the rig is a Friede Goldman type JU3000 capable of working in 400 ft of water and drilling to a depth of 3500 ft. The three jack-up legs are 554.7 feet in length.

Also moving at the same time as the arrival was the autocarrier Torino. The Pure Car and Truck Carrier had discharged some industrial vehicles at pier 31 and was moving over the Autoport to offload cars. Two of the harbour tugs carried out that move leaving two others for the rig.

Torino sporting the new Wallenius Wilhelmsen colour scheme.

The ship was built in 2009 by Mitsubishi,  Nagasaki and has a capacity of 6,354 cars (RT 43 type) and measures 61,828 gt, 22,160 dwt.

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Forte sheds its load

The heavy load carrier Forte shed its load today under ideal conditions. There was no wind and starting early this morning the ship was submerged and the rig Noble Regina Allen floated off and was spudded down at the IEL wharf.

Noble Regina Allen spudded down at the IEL wharf.

Forte in number one anchorage.

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