South End Container Terminal - hard at work

 The South End Container Terminal (SECT), operated by PSA as PSA Halifax Atlantic Gateway, contains berths 41 and 42 (termed "piers"). These berths are sections of Pier C, which is a long seawall, roughly parallel to the shore. It has seven ship container cranes mounted on tracks, that can move along the pier face as needed.  

Today, June 16, there were ships at both berths and early this evening five of the cranes were working.

At pier 41 it was the ONE Grus another of the 14,052 TEU  "bird" class ships [Grus is the genus of cranes] from Ocean Network Express operating on THE Alliance's EC5 service. 

Behind the white containers stacked on shore is the ONE Grus with its bridge structure just visible midway between the two groups of cranes.

Built in 2019 by Japan Marine United in Kure, the 146,694 gt, 138,611 dwt ship departed Colombo May 18 and sailed via the Cape of Good Hope non-stop to Halifax.

At Pier 42 it was the MSC Polaris sailing on the Mediterranean Shipping Company's CANEX1 route from the Mediterranean. Its last port was Sines, Portugal and it is bound for Montreal, so is here to off load. That operation will reduce the ship's draft to meet St.Lawrence River / fresh water conditions.

 The ship was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Nagasaki Shipyard in 1995. It was originally named  NYK Vega but became Sandra Blanca in 2001, MSC Messina in 2007 and took its current name in 2022. A 60,862 gt, 63,014 dwt ship it has a capacity of 4741 TEU. MSC has long been known for running older ships and with the current high demand this one may well operate beyond the customary 30 year mark.

.

Catching up

Due to weather for the last two days several ship arrivals and departures were delayed until pilotage operations resumed this morning. (See also yesterday's post.) 

The bulk carrier CSL Tacoma returning from Baltimore for another load of gypsum was the first arrival (The ship was here March 2-3 and loaded for Baltimore). Pictured in these posts countless times, it is a 43,691 gt, 71,552 dwt self-unloader, built in 2013 by Changxi Shipyard in Jiangyin, China.

As the CSL Tacoma made its way toward Gold Bond Gyspum CCGS Earl Grey departed the Bedford Institute for SAR patrol east, and possibly the Gulf of St.Lawrence. A large quantity of gas pipe is accumulating at Pier 9C prior to be shipped out at some point.

In the meantime things were busy at the southend container terminal operated by PSA Halifax as the Atlantic Gateway. ONE Grus arrived very early Sunday, March 10 and sailed at 0900 hrs ADT this morning March 12 once pilotage operations had resumed. As per new regulations instituted in January, the ship used two stern tethered escort tugs outbound.

As noted in the previous post, the ship is eastbound sailing via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea and is giving an ETA of April 15 for Singapore, with no intermediate stops.

Soon after, the next inbound also made for Pier 42. It is an unusual ship for the Ocean Alliance service and may have been added to the usual rotation of 15,000 TEU ships on the PSW3 + AWE3 rotation to make up for the extra long transit times due to the dangerous conditions in the Red Sea. The ship sailed from Colombo February 10.After passing Cape Town it called in Tanger Med  March 3-4. Zodiac Maritime ships have been targeted in the Red Sea, so they are staying well clear of the area.

 

The Erving was built by Hyundai Samho in 2011 for charter to Maersk as Maersk Erving. In 2011 it became CMA CGM Erving for another charter then in 2014 reverted to Maersk Erving. It became Erving in 2017 under Zodiac Maritime management. The 142,052 gt, 141,377 dwt ship has a capacity of 13,092 TEU including 1,000 reefers.

 

The next arrival was also an unusual one, and possibly also the result of re-routing. The Höegh Transporter dates from 1999 when it was delivered by Stocznia Gdynia in Poland. The 57,757 gt, 16,747 dwt (or 21,300 dwt) ship has a capacity of 6,500 CEU, and carries a 150 tonne SWL stern ramp.

Instead of arriving from the usual north Europe or Mediterranean ports, this ship is arriving originally from Masan, Korea (January 30) and Nagoya and Kawasaki, Japan (February 1-4) via the Panama Canal (February 27) then Kingston, Jamaica (February 29 - March 1), Jacksonville (March 4-6) and Dundalk (Baltimore) (March 8-9).

In January Höegh Autoliners announced a four year contract to deliver unnamed Asian-built Electric Vehicles (EVs) to Europe. If this is the first trip, it may also be delivering some vehicles to North America too, now that ships are avoiding the Red Sea.

Such is the demand for auto carriers these days, particularly in Asia, that even ships of this age are kept running. (Its next big survey is due no later than May 30.)

.

Storm Delays

 The latest storm to pass through the Atlantic region has resulted in numerous delays to shipping including Halifax. On Sunday (March 10) into Monday (March 11) high winds and driving rain brought arrivals and departures to a halt as swells built in and created a significant storm surge. Rough conditions prevailed through Monday and pilotage operations were suspended.

The Mauger's Beach spit was awash for much of the day with surf also breaking over Thrumcap and other shoals.

At time of writing, late Monday afternoon, the Atlantic Pilotage Authority informed that conditions would be reviewed on Tuesday morning March 12 at 0600 hrs ADT, and pilotage operaitons would not be resumed before then.

The bulk carrier CSL Tacoma, inbound for Gold Bond Gypsum, met the pilot boat at the pilot station at 0800 hrs ADT on Monday March 11, but did not embark a pilot, and put back to sea. It will now try for Tuesday morning to enter port if conditions permit.

The container ship CMA CGM Paranagua arrived earlier and was able to board a pilot and made its way in to Pier 42. Due to high wind cargo operations were slow during the day, and it was still loading late afternoon. The ship will remain alongside over night.

 

CMA CGM Paranagua at Pier 42 has its own cranes swung out to permit shore crane acces.

The ship is sailing on the joint CMA CGM / Maersk North Atlantic service, CAE / SL1, and is on the eastbound leg en route from Montreal to Bremerhaven. It is a 35,881 gt, 41,801 dwt ship with a capacity of 3108 TEU, including 500 reefers and is equipped with three 45 tonne SWL cargo cranes. It was built by Szczecinska Nowa in  Szczecin, Poland in 2005 and has the stylish superstructure featured by ships from that shipyard.

Originally named Cosima by the Peter Doehle organization, it was renamed Norasia Atlas in 2005, and Letavia briefly during 2006 becoming Emirates Freedom to 2009 when it was again named Letavia until 2021. CMA CGM then acquired the ship and it took its present name, and was placed under the management of NSB Niederelbe.

Yesterday's arrival ONE Grus appears to have completed cargo work -the cranes are up-  and was scheduled to sail over night but will also have to remain in port until pilots are able to disembark safely. 

 

Yes there is a ship under that pile of containers. ONE Grus appears to be loaded to near capacity of 16,026 TEU. The 146,694 gt, 138,611 dwt ship was built by Japan Marine United in Kure in 2019.

Ships subject to windage because of high freeboard or deck cargo, such as Ultra size container ships and auto carriers are particularly difficult to manage in high winds. One auto carrier, Höegh Transporter, will remain offshore until tomorrow as will the container ship Erving. More details on them when they arrive.

.

 

Add a bird: ONE Grus

 Add another bird to the aviary of Bird class container ships on THE Alliance's EC5 service. Today (July 20) it was ONE Grus making a foggy arrival at PSA Halifax, south end terminal.

 Unlike some of the earlier birds (sorry) that have called, this one was built as ONE Grus. By the time it was delivered by Japan Marine United, Kure, in 2019, NYK had merged its new builds into Ocean Network Express and the ship did not have the NYK prefix. It has the same tonnages and capacities as its sister ships, namely: 146,684 gt, 138,611 dwt and 14,025 TEU.

Its name is not immediately identifiable as a familiar species of bird, but instead is the genus that includes cranes. Perhaps the better known Whooping Crane or Sandhill Crane would have been inconveniently long. Sister ship ONE Crane (ex NYK Crane) was built in 2016.

.