Weather Watch

High winds and rough conditions meant that the port has been on weather watch for more than 24 hours. With pilotage operations at the pilot station suspended Friday afternoon there was little harbour activity to report Saturday. Conditions will be reviewed  again at 2130 hrs ADT Saturday.

Self-piloted vessels,  such as Oceanex Sanderling and Nolhan Ava that did not have to embark or disembark a pilot were able to sail on Friday evening, but other ships that arrived Friday and required pilots to depart, remained in port over night. Arriving ships either put back out to sea to await improvements or by-passed their Halifax call.

It was a gloomy sight that greeted overnighting cruise ship passengers this morning. Pearl Mist remained tied up at pier 23 and Serenade of the Seas loomed over at pier 22.

Driving rain probably convinced most passengers to remain aboard.

Serenade of the Seas did manage to sail late Saturday morning, but whether they carried the pilot over en route to Boston is not known to me. Container ships Zim Yokohama and Brighton also remained in port all day.

Two cruise ships opted to by-pass Halifax. Adventure of the Seas from Sydney, NS carried on for Bar Harbor and Amadea from Baie-Comeau kept on for New York.

Commercial traffic such as Maersk Patras is holding off until Sunday morning along with CMA CGM Elbe. The Netherlands warship HNLMS De Ruyter also put back to sea.

Movements within the harbour returned to normal today. The tanker BW Lynx moved from Imperial Oil to anchor in Bedford Basin Friday evening due to high winds, but returned to Imperial Oil Saturday evening.

The Halifax Police Department boat Garrett Cotter was out and about for a time this morning despite the unpleasant conditions.

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PAX and CANS

To use some waterfront jargon, the port was mostly pax (passengers) and cans (containers) this weekend. There was little other traffic to mention - no tankers, no bulkers, etc.,

On Saturday it was the always impressive Mein Schiff 6, the TUI Cruises ship, built in 2017 by Meyer Turku Shipyard. It made its first visit here September 2, 2017. The 98,811 grt ship has a capacity of 2,790 passengers, and appeared to be at capacity judging by the number of people on deck on departure.

  Mein Schiff 6 - decks crowded with passengers, sails Saturday evening.

On Sunday, the familiar Serenade of the Seas was joined by the Norwegian Dawn. The latter was re-directed here from its Boston / Bermuda trip by the developing Hurricane Florence. This may be the ship's first time here, since built in 2002 by Meyer Werft, Papenburg. The 92,250 grt ship can carry 2340 passengers.

Serenade of the Seas (left) at pier 22, stern to Norwegian Dream at pier 20 (right).


Even though the re-direction was a last moment one, some passengers opted to take a pass, but those that decided to stay were flocking ashore today in Halifax to buy sweaters. Granted it is cooler in Halifax than it would be in Bermuda, but the press made our climate as nothing short of polar.

The ship is infamous in  my mind for introducing "hull at" - that form of licensed graffiti that now defaces cruise ships throughout the word enough said.

Saturday's container arrival was the regular MOL Paradise for the EC5 service of THE Alliance. The 71,902 grt, 72,968 dwt ship has a capacity of 6350 TEU (including 500 reefers). After construction by Koyo Dockyard Co in Mihara, in 2005 it was briefly renamed APL Paradise from 2011 to 2012.

MOL Paridise threads its way through the Narrows - apparently effortlessly - despite the presence of pleasure craft.


Sunday's arrival was  Ikaria, now under anonymous Greek ownership, it is the former Long Beach Bridge of K-Line. Built in 2002 by Koyo Dockyard, Mihara, the 66,332 grt, 67,164 dwt ship has a capacity of 5576 TEU (including 440 reefers). It carried the name Ikaria briefly in 2010, and CCNI Antartico from 2010 to 2012.

 The tug Spitfire III heels as it assists the ship to make a course correction inbound.

Things were easier going as the ship transits the Narrows.

Busy cruise day

Another four ship cruise day in Halifax had every bus with four round wheels on the waterfront to carry passengers to the surrounding sights Celebrity Summit and Serenade of the Seas lined the seawall from pier 20 to 22. Disney Magic was stern in at pier 31 and the smaller Azamara Journey tucked in at pier 23.
Ships are staying in port longer into the evening now and often leave after dark. They usually arrive in darkness of early light, so picture taking is a challenge.
I did manage to get some nice light on the Serenade when she sailed.

The 90,000 tonner (2,490 passengers) is not considered a large ship now, but when she came out of Meyer Werft in July 2003 she was the largest ship ever built in Germany. Royal Caribbean arranged for her August christening in New York by no less than Whoopi Goldberg. This was the ship's fourth of a schedule eight calls this year. (In 2003, its first year, it made twelve calls, including one storm induced over-nighter).

Royal Caribbean also had Azamara Quest in port, one of its exclusive small ships, at 30,277 grt and 702 passengers. Built in 2000 as R Seven for Renaissance it became Delphin Renaissance in 2003, and Blue Moon in 2006. It took its present name in 2007. I don't recall this ship ever calling in Halifax before.

Regular harbour activity included the arrival of the hardworking HMCS Fredericton. After a stint in Operation Reassurance in the Mediterranean from December 30, 2015 to July 5 of this year, the ship is now returning from operation Cutlass Fury with NATO ships off our coast.

The departure of the still shiny Oceanex Sanderling, was marred somewhat by all that unhealthy looking smoke. Although nothing has been announced, Oceanex must be planning on replacing the 39 year old veteran.

Built by Sasebo Heavy Industries in 1977 as Ravenfels for the lamented DDG Hansa, it became Essen in 1980, Kongsfjord in 1981 and Onno in 1983. In 1987 it became ASL Sanderling and has plowed its furrow between Halifax and Newfoundland - often bi-weekly ever since. When Atlantic Searoute morphed into Oceanex it kept up the same routine and was renamed in 2008. It has had some major refits over the years including at least one serious engine rebuild, but time must be catching up on the ship.

Its most recent three month re-do in Gibraltar completed in June of this year will certainly keep it going for a another few years. 

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Lower Harbour Action

All the action - such as it was, took place in the lower reaches of the harbour today. The CMA CGM Don Giovanni was in all day on its first call in Halifax. Dating from 2006 when it was built by Hyundai Samho, the 91,649 grt, 108,000 dwt ship was launched as E.R. Toronto for ER Schiffahrt GmbH + Cie KG. It immediately went into service for CMA CGM taking its present name, and flying the Liberian flag. With a capacity of 8204 TEU (including 700 reefers) it is the new normal size for Halifax.

CMA CGM Don Giovanni gets away from Halterm at dusk.

Late this afternoon its place at Halterm was to be taken by OOCL Luxembourg on its eastbound call (it was here westbound October 13). It was built in 2010 by Samsung, Koje, and measures 89,010 grt, 99,654 dwt, with a rating of 8063 TEU (1400 reefers) and flies the flag of Hong Kong.

Serenade of the Seas takes the western channel for OOCL Luxembourg.

Meanwhile Serenade of the Seas sailed on time and made its way out the western channel to give the OOCL Luxembourg the main channel.

The pilot boat is outbound to disembark from Serenade of the Seas and embark a pilot on the distant inbound Triton Ace, just visible on the horizon.

Because CMA CGM Don Giovanni was late leaving, OOCL Luxembourg had to hang off outside Neverfail Shoal. With pilot aboard, it came to a stop and went a bit cross wise in the channel, and even reversed to straighten out - first time I've seen that happen.

 Following all this, the autocarrier Triton Ace was inbound and it had to slow down too.

It was busy times for the tugs too, as all three Atlantic Towing tugs were working.

Atlantic Willow and Atlantic Larch (left and right) have just cleared CMA CGM Don Giovanni and are going out to meet Triton Ace, while Atlantic Oak (centre) stands by for OOCL Luxembourg.

In a few days these photos will not be possible due to much shorter days and the end of Daylight Saving Time. Shipfax will thus be entering the Dark Ages once again and will be resorting more to the Archives for posts.

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The 2006 ft long seawall, comprising berths 20 to 22, was well occupied today with two big ships, Caribbean Princess (951 ft long) which arrived yesterday and Serenade of the Seas (964 ft long) which arrived this morning.

Serenade of the Seas at pier 20-21, used the new bollard on the Tall Ships Quay for its headlines. The bollard was installed over last winter, just for occasions such this, so that the big ships do not have to tie up at the commercial piers which are about 1250 ft long.
With the ship's bow extending well north of the end of the seawall, passengers can enjoy the view from the forpeak and from the docking platform which has been left extended 

Caribbean Princess backed out of pier 21-22 and turned outbound in number one anchorage, heading for New York.
Serenade of the Seas sailed later in the evening for Charlottetown.

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