Fairview Cove - back at work

It was a short holiday for the Fairview Cove container terminal . After clearing its last ship at noon time Saturday, the pier was at full swing again first thing this morning.

The big (old) post-Panamax Performance tied up at the west berth and the NYK Rumina at the east berth.

It is easy to see why ships the size of the NYK Rumina are considered obsolete, when ships the size of Performance (and larger) can now pass through the Panama Canal with ease.

Performance is a 74,0712 grt, 74,453 dwt ship with a capacity of 6402 TEU, including 500 reefers. It was built in 2002 by the Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industry (IHI) Kure yard in 2002 as MOL Performance for Mitsui OSK Line. They sold the ship in 2014 to Danaos Shipping Co Ltd of Piraeus and it was renamed.

Danaos is one of the hurting  non-operating container ship owners (meaning they do not operate their own shipping line but charter ships to the line operators). They had eight ships with Hanjin when it failed, and have 24 charters to expire in 2017 and three more in 2018. Not only that they reduced their charter hire rates 20% on 13 ships to help save Hyundai Merchant Marine from collapse. Banks have extended waivers to Danaos until April, so the future of the 55 ship fleet is in limbo.

Performance is now with the G6 Alliance on its AZX service, but with the re-organization of that alliance in 2017, we may not see much more of this ship. [AZX=Asia, Suez, East Coast North America]

Out in Bedford Basin Fritz Reuter awaits its move tomorrow morning to Halterm.

There was very litttle down time at the Oil docks in Dartmouth.
 

Piltene arrived in the late afternoon of December 25. It has been an off an on caller at Valero and Imperial Oil since 2014. Built in 2007 by the 3 Maj Shipbuilding Industri in Rijeka, Croatia, the 30,641 gret, 52,648 dwt ship is a nice break form the cookie cutter Korean  Mid Range [MR] product tankers we usually see. The Latvian Shipping Co of Riga also operates the tanker Latgale that was here last week.


The tanker East Coat arrived this morning at Irving Woodside.

One small correction to my Christmas Eve post regarding the supplier Skandi Flora. It did not in fact get a break of more than a few hours, for it sailed Christmas Day for the Stena IceMAX, however it returned to port again this morning.
The drill ship has moved much closer to Halifax for its maintenance work, meaning a shorter trip for the suppliers, which include Maersk Nexus (which also arrived today).

.

More tankers: Maersk Katalin, Piltene and Desgagnés

The tankers keep rolling into Halifax, with both Imperial (Esso) and Ultramar (Valero)  hosting a steady stream of ships.
The Latvian Shipping Company's Piltene arrived on January 29 and tied up at Ultramar in Eastern Passage. Then yesterday it moved to #1 anchorage, which would normally mean a short stay. However she will remain there until at least tomorrow.

Built by the 3 Maj shipyard in Rijeka, Crotia in 2007, Piltene measures 30,641 gross otns, 52,648 deadweight.

Also arriving on January 29, Maersk Katalin, from Houston, has been anchored in Bedford Basin ever since. She had under water surveys going on all day yesterday. Built by Guangzhou International Shipyard in China, she is a very similar ship to the tanker Alice built in the same yard in 2013, and which sailed for Saint John January 29 after a prolonged stay in Halifax since January 5.

Maersk Katalin was built in 2012 and measures 24,463 gross tons, 39, 724 deadweight. Registered in Singapore, she is owned by Maersk Tankers Singapore. She carries the full Maersk colour scheme, unlike fleet mate Maersk Elliot (which sails for Maersk Tankers France) which still has the white superstructure from a previous owner's paint scheme.

Maersk Elliot, now anchored in Bedford Basin  has been in port since January 6 and has been on and off berth.

This morning's arrival was the Canadian flag tanker Maria Desgagnés which is understood to be on charter to Imperial Oil. She anchored for bunkers from Algoma Dartmouth (the first such operation since Sterling Fuels took over harbour bunkering in Halifax.)

The ship is due to move to Imperial Oil this evening, and fleet mate Sarah Desgagnés is also due in port this evening. Maria Desgagnés was due to layup for repairs for about a month. When she leaves Imperial Oil, her place is to be taken by Piltene.

.