Nordpol - maybe last call

A pair of ships that have been regular haulers of bauxite to La Baie, QC for RioTinto Alcan have been sold to Chinese owners.

Nordpol and Nordkap were built in 2002 by Kanasashi Heavy Industries in Toyohashi, Japan as Kamsarmax ships of 40,066 gt, 77195 dwt. (Kamsar is a major bauxite port in the Republic of Guinea in West Africa, where ships are limited in size to 229m long). Originally owned by Wealth Line Inc and managed by Fukujin under Panama flag, they moved to the Danish International Register in 2006 for current owners Norden A/S. It is likely that the Norden were the owners all along, but the shipyard financing deal included some form of "charter to own". 

Both ships have called in Halifax before. Nordkap in February 2007 for propellor repairs due to ice damage.
Nordpol was last here March 7, 2013 for a similar repairs to ice damage. It is now due again (March 27) after a trip through the Saguenay and Gulf.  This time it appears to be for fuel, since the ship is only in port for a few hours.

I posted some photos during that last visit:
http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2013/03/port-of-hailfax-on-waether-watch-day-2.html
http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2013/03/nordpol-repairs-completed.html

Since comparable photos are impossible nowadays due to port fences, this is the best I can do.

The new owners have not been identified by name nor is there any indication yet what trade routes they may follow, however the ships were built for the bauxite trade and china needs bauxite. The en bloc price was quoted as $14.5mn.

.

The Antigua and Barbuda flag general cargo ship Nordkap arrived at anchor this morning. It sails for HC Chartering of Hamburg and is a multi-purpose carrier, with box shaped holds and adjustable tween decks. The pontoons for those tween decks are not currently in use, and are lashed down on deck. That indicates a bulk cargo.
The 6170 grt, 77000dwt ship has a container capacity of 375 TEU, but can carry a wide variety of cargoes. It was built by Stocznia Gdanska in Poland in 2000.
The ship did not take bunkers, so it likely is in for some repairs on its trip from Barranquilla, Columbia.

On its trip toward Halifax the ship likely crossed paths with another ship named Nordkap. That ship, flying the Danish flag, is a bulk carrier, frequently seen in these waters, as it regularly carries bauxite to La Baie (Port Alfred) QC. And is currently en route La Baie to Norfolk, VA. A much larger ship of 40,066 grt, 77,229 dwt, it has called in Halifax in the past for bunkers. See: Shipfax April 2011

.

Outbound bulkers

Two bulkers sailed today, reflecting the different types of vessel in this trade. First to sail was the Danish Nordkap 40,066 gross, 77,229 deadweight, built 2002. A sister to Nordpol (see: http://shipfax.blogspot.com/2011/03/third-bulker.html) a Kamsarmax bauxite carrier under charter to Rio Tinto-Alcan. It is fitted with cranes and clamshell buckets. The time it takes to unload this ship is considerable, but in view of the distance from the point of orgin of the cargo (Africa or South America) it is more economical to use a conventional bulk carrier. The ship was in port for bunkers, and anchored in Bedford Basin, and sailed at noon time. The second was the familiar Ambassador 24,094 gross tons, 37, 263 deadweight tonnes, built in 1983. It is a Seaway size self-unloader. Owned by Marbulk Canada Inc (50% Algoma, 50% CSL) it flies the flag of Vanuatu and works in the CSL International pool of self-unloaders. It is a regular here for gypsum. In view of the relatively short hops that it makes between ports, it makes sense to be able to unload rapidly and make more trips in a given period of time. Ambassador seems to have taken up the role of Georgia S., but it is a more versatile ship. It can carry a variety of cargoes including coal and stone and due to is slewing boom that can stretch out over a wide arc it can deposit cargo in most ports. .