Tortugas - still orange

The Wallenius Wilhelmsen auto carrier Tortugas arrived at Pier 31 yesterday to unload machinery. It spent the night there and completed cargo work this morning.

Seen through a space between containers at Pier 31, Tortugas is painted in a similar orange colour to the old Halterm yard tractors and skeleton trailers, now operated by PSA Halifax.

One of more than 50 PCTCs and RoRos in the Wilhelmsen fleet, Tortugas was built in 2006 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki. It is a 61,321 gt, 19,628 dwt* ship with a capacity of 6354 RT43 autos. [*DNV records 14,512 dwt]

Founded in 1861 in Tonsberg, Norway, in sailing ship days, the Wilhelm Wilhelmsen Group's first steamship, bought in 1887 was the Talabot. Company lore has it that this ship was the first to make a profit, and therefore all subsequent ships have been given names starting with the letter "T". Still family owned, the company also operates American RoRo Carriers (ARCO), United European Car Carriers and EUKOR (majority owned by Wilhlemsem, Wallenius, with minority holders Hyundai and Kia).

Tortugas with tug assistance, makes its way cross harbour from Pier 31 to Autoport. Many of its fleet mates have been repainted in new colours.

In 2017 the Swedish Wallenius Lines agreed with Wilhelmsen to merge their vehicle operations to form Wallenius Wilhemsen ASA. As ships cycle through their regular drydockings they are being repainted in new colours, and the traditional Wallenius white over green and Wilhelmsen white over orange are gradually disappearing. Since major drydockings take place on a five year basis, it will may be a few years yet before all ships are repainted.

Tortugas is shown remaining at Autoport until late Monday afternoon.

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Afternoon Activity

There was a good deal of activity all at the same time later in the afternoon with departures and an arrival.

Algoterra sailed from Imperial Oil. It is giving Quebec City as its destination, so may be going for another shuttle run. [see previous post.]

The autocaarier Tortugas was sailing from Autoport, with its place to be taken by Graceful Leader. The two ships met in the number one anchorage area where there was room to pass.

Such are the vagaries of international shipping that the nationalities of builders and operators bear no connection to each other.
Graceful Leader was built in 2007 by Stoc. Gdynia in Poland. The 57,692 grt, 20,986 dwt ship operates on a charter the Japanese company NYK Line.
Tortugas a 61,321 grt, 19,628 dwt ship dates from 2006 and Mitsubishi HI in Nagasaki. It is chartered to Wilhelmsen, a Norwegian company.

Also sailing this afternoon was CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent (which I missed) headed back to the Gulf of St.Lawrence, and CCGS Sir William Alexander, which does not appear to have taken fuel from Edward Cornwallis. (see yesterday's post). It headed southeast.

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Tortugas and Saldanha Bay - southern ports

Two ships with names recalling southern places perhaps brought a little warm weather with them.

The bulk carrier Saldanha Bay stopped in for bunkers en route from Jamaica. Named for a beautiful section of South African coast line, the ship is nevertheless owned by Nissen Kaiun Co Ltd of Japan. The ship was also built in Japan by Shikoku, Takamatsu. It is a member of the 100 ship plus Pacific Basin bulker fleet.
 

Unseasonable temperatures for the next few days mean that some recreational sailors are still enjoying their boats.

 The 21,801 grt, 35,947 dwt ship dates from 2015.  It is likely loaded with alumina - the purified form of bauxite, the basic ore of aluminum. The Port Esquivel facility in Jamaica is a major producer of alumina.

Dominion Diving's Halmar alongside the ship while at anchor, likely with agents or a technician.

Wilhlemsen's Tortugas got away from pier 27 this afternoon after arriving at Autoport yesterday, dropping off autos. It moved over to the Halifax side this morning. It normally would have used pier 30-31, but that berth was tied up by Hollandia unloading its nickel suflides cargo from Cuba.

Tortugas unloaded some machinery, tractors and trucks that will be forwarded on from Halifax by road.
Built in 2006 by Mitsubishi, Nagasaki. Its 61,321 grt equates to a 6,354 car capacity. It is named for an extension of the Florida Keys in Gulf of Mexico, and as with all Wilhelmsen ships, its name begins with a "T".

Also in port is the tanker Doric Pioneer. It arrived yesterday at Imperial Oil from Port Arthur, TX.

Greek owned, Liberian flag, the 29,622 grt, 51,565 dwt ship was built by Hyundai Ulsan, Mipo, South Korea.

Tortugas shows the flag.

1. Tortugas has slowed to allow the tug Atlantic Willow to make up. The ship still carries the traditional Wilhelmsen black funnel with two blue stripes, and painted on the bow is the company flag, a blue W on a white ground with blue outline.

2. Tortugas has been joined by the tug Atlantic Larch (forward) and is preparing to make the turn around Ives Knoll for Eastern Passage.

The Pure Car and Truck Carrier Tortugas arrived late this afternoon on the regular Bremerhaven, Zeebrugge, Southampton, Halifax run with another load of new cars for Autoport. The British registered ship is owned by the Wilhelmsen half of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines and was built in 2006. At 61,321 gross tons, it is a big ship, but with a capacity of 6,354 cars, but it is not the biggest of its type (the biggest can carry 7,500.) In a tradition dating back to the early 29th century Wilhelmsen ships' names start with the letter "T". As one might expect there have been repetitions of the name and this is at least the fourth ship of the name in the fleet. The first was built in 1923 and lost in World War II.
The Wilhelmsen company dates back to 1861 when it was founded in Tönsberg, Norway. It is not surprising that they have had many connections to Canada. These include at least a dozen sailing ships built in Canada in the mid 1800s. Two of their ships were wrecked in Nova Scotia, Heimdal on Sable Island in 1910 and even closer to home, Salerno wrecked on Litchfield Shoal at the entrance to Halifax Harbour in 1905.
No such fate awaits Tortugas I am sure, and she is scheduled to sail this evening for New York, Brunswick, GA and Charleston, SC before heading back across the Atlantic.
The 1967 photo below shows a typical Wilhelmsen ship of the 1960s. Tema was built in 1960 at Helsingör as Brookville for A.F.Klaeveness & Co of Oslo (also still operating, with ships in the CSL pool.) It was a general cargo ship of 5,430 gross tons with a speed of 12 knots and could carry 12 passengers. Wilhelmsen owned it from 1963-1971 and it was broken up in 1985.

3. The tug Foundation Victor has just berthed Tema at pier 26. Freezing spray has formed in the pattern of the ship's bow wave. In the 1960s, when grain was a major export commodity in Halifax, the grain galleries extended to the end of pier 26 and pier 23.

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