Perils of the North - News and Update

 Following up on my September 12 post entitled Another Grounding :

With diminishing ice in the far north there has been a dramatic increase the amount of shipping activity in the Canadian arctic. All this activity is not without risk and this year there have been at least four instances of ships in trouble in the far north.

The first that I became aware of was the Dutch ship Tiberborg which went adrift in Baffin Bay in mid-August. A 14,695 gt, 21,303 dwt multi-purpose ship, rated Finnish / Swedish Ice Class 1A, it carries four 50 tonne SWL cranes to serve two box shaped holds with full width hatches. Built by Hudong Zhonghua in 2013, it is one of four sister ships in the Royal Wagenborg fleet. It has made several Northwest Passages, and this time had sailed from Baie-Comeau, QC August 4 and Matane, QC, August 8. (Those ports suggest it was carrying paper.)

The ship was taken in tow by the tug Beverly M 1 and towed back to Baie-Comeau, QC, arriving September 9, where presumably the problem was rectified. The ship then sailed from Baie-Comeau September 22, this time by a more southern route, transiting the Panama Canal October 4. It is now due in Osnan, South Korea on November 7. 

The sister ship Thamesborg as reported in the previous post, went aground September 6 (or 7th) off Tasmania Island in Franklin Strait, not a usual route, and seemingly poorly charted.  After lightering off some 5,000 tonnes of cargo to the Silver Copenhagen and the Canadian ship Nunalik it was refloated October 10 using the Estonian flag icebreaker Botnica and the Canadian tug Beverly M 1. Some dewatering of ballast tanks was also carried out. After survey in Pond Inlet, it was reported underway, taking the Bellot Strait, Gulf of Boothia / Brentford Bay route to avoid newly forming ice.

The ship was en route from China to Baie-Comeau, QC with a cargo of carbon blocks, some of which is still aboard. It is now due in Baie-Comeau October 24.

Meanwhile the ship Nunalik which had been on northern supply, and was to return to Bécancour, QC, stopped off in Baie-Comeau to discharge the lightered cargo and was on its way again Ocotober 15. Silver Copenhagen meanwhile (a refrigerated cargo ship, normally serving Greenland, and which may not have appropriate cargo handling gear) is also en route for Baie-Comeau and is due there October 24. The Beverly M 1 is accompanying and is also due October 24.

The Thamesborg sailing under its own power is making its way toward Baie-Comeau at 10.5 knots. On arrival, also October 24, it will presumably use its cargo cranes to off load the Silver Copenhagen. The Botnica is heading for St.John's (the Port of Entry for its Custom's clearance.) The ship had previously been granted a coasting license to assist late season shipping from the Baffinland / Mary River iron ore mine port of Milne Inlet. It will likely be heading back in that direction once cleared.

It is surprising how many other ships were in the vicinity and stood by or offered aid if needed.  Canadian Coast Guard ships that did assist were CCGS Jean Goodwill (which has since returned to Halifax October 3) and CCGS Des Groseilliers. Another Wagenborg fleetmate the Atlanticborg also en route from China (and presumably loaded with cargo), stood by for a time, and arrived without incident in Baie-Comeau October 14.

Also mentioned in the September 12 post was the Canadian flag Rosaire A. Desgagnés which took the ground in Pelly Bay August 23. It refloated at high tide and was given clearance to sail to Las Palmas, Canary Islands, arriving there September 25. Las Palmas is a favourite repair spot for Canadian ships for a variety of reasons.

The latest incident - although not apparently related to northern conditions, was a "mechanical failure" with the tanker Kivalliq W. while delivering fuel to Baker Lake on October 15. A fuel tank was damaged and the ship must go to drydock for repairs. Another tanker has been engaged to pick up fuel product in Lewisporte, NL and complete deliveries to northern communities before ice conditions close in. There was no pollution reported, and it is not clear yet where the ship will go for repairs.

 All this brings up the hazards of shipping in the north, and the pressure to provide better charts. more resources in case of more serious accidents, and oil spills.There have been no incidents involving cruise ships this year, but the number of those ships in the north is also increasing. Then there is the recent announcement of rehabilitation of the port of Churchill, MB for grain export to Asia via northern waters. But that is a topic for another day.

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Another arctic grounding - Rosaire A. Desgagnés

 A second ship has run aground in the far north. This one is a bit luckier than the first however. 

The first ship is the Dutch flagged Thamesborg, which fetched up on rocks in a poorly charted stretch of the Franklin Strait on September 7. It was en route from China to Baie Comeau, QC with a cargo of carbon blocks (industrial water filters) and was taking an unconventional route in a Northwest Passage. According to reports, its double bottom was breached but is fuel tanks are intact and there has been no pollution. A McKeil tug has been dispatched to go to the ship's assistance, but may take weeks to reach the site. Numerous CCG assets are on location, including CCGS Wilfred Laurier and CCGS Jean Goodwill. (The latter, despite CCG plans to provide towing is not yet equipped to do so.) The cargo ship Miena Desgagnés was also reported standing by, perhaps to provide ligthering if needed.

The second ship to find bottom is the Canadian flagged Rosaire A. Desgagnés. It was on its annual arctic supply voyage in Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut August 23 when it grounded, but was able to refloat itself at high tide. At last report it is due in St. John's September 13 under its own power. 

The ship has called in Halifax after winter work under foreign flag. Built in 2007 by Jiangzhou Union Shipyard in Ruichang, China it is a 9611 gt, 12,777 dwt ship with a pair of 120 tonne SWL cranes. Built for the failed German company Beluga Shipping it was launched as Beluga Fortitude but was acquired and renamed by Tranport Desgagnés in the same year.

Earlier this summer I saw the ship taking on its lighterage barges and tugs off Ile-aux-Coudres, QC, on its first arctic sealift trip of the summer season. (For more on the tugs and barges, see companion blog Tugfax for September 7)

Northern communities rely on these ships for their necessities, and generally only receive one shipment per year. If a ship misses a call, there are few alternatives, creating considerable hardship for residents and businesses. 

Cargo has to be lightered off the ship and delivered to shore by barge as most artic communities have no port facilities. Spare ships and lighterage equipment are not readily available. The short northern shipping season also complicates matters should there be disruptions to schedules.

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