More signs of spring (maybe)

One sure sign of spring is the opening of the St.Lawrence Seaway, due Monday, March 20. Once decried as the death knell of the port of Halifax (along with winter navigation on the St.Lawrence River) neither has proven to be the case over time.

Halifax was once favoured as an ice free winter port when ice in the St.Lawrence closed the waterway to most navigation. However when the federal government began to break ice for commercial shipping in the 1950s (under the guise of flood control on the upper river - which it always had done in spring) the Port of Halifax feared that it would become a backwater. In fact it became year round port - just the opposite of conventional thinking of the day.

So it was when the St.Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959 and larger ships could access the Great Lakes for the first time, the doomsayers predicted it would be the end of the Halifax as a port. That has also not proven to be the case. Many ships are too large for the Seaway anyway and the trip is too long for priority cargoes such as containers, and Halifax has certainly not suffered. For a time the port was a busy transfer port for grain coming from western Canada via the Seaway. That was a result of skewed rail rates, and now Halifax only gets periodic grain cargoes, mostly for domestic use. Nevertheless , on balance, Halifax has not been harmed by the Seaway, and has probably seen some benefits.

In fact we now have our own "export" cargoes to the Great Lakes too.
National Gypsum exports most of its cargo to the US, but Canadian ships also load from time to time. Such was the case today as the Atlantic Huron took on its first cargo of the season and headed for "Upper Canada" this afternoon
 

Atlantic Huron at National Gypsum has its self unloading boom swung out overside to allow the travelling ship-loader to move along the docck and reach all hatches in turn. It makes several passes the length of the ship during the loading process to ensure an even loading pattern. The loader is visible at left with its high control cab and covered conveyor house.

After a winter maintenance period in Halifax since January 2, the ship got under way yesterday and moved to the gypsum pier at Wright's Cove in Bedford Basin to load.

Another sign of spring the arrival of the Fisheries and Oceans research ship CCGS Teleost. It often goes into refit for the winter and then comes to work in Halifax until ice clears out of the Gulf of St.Lawrence - its usual area of operation. The ship is based in St.John;s, NL as is fleet mate CCGS Alfred Needler, which also works from Halifax in winter.

Fresh from drydocking, Teleost has spotless paint, but apparently needs some ballast adjustment. While turning to back into its berth at the Bedford Basin it listed noticeably several times.

The ship was built as the factory stern trawler Atlantic Champion in 1988. Construction started at Tangen Verft, Kragero, Norway, but was completed at Langsten Slip-Batbyggeri A/S in Tomrefjord. Acquired from Clearwater Seafoods in 1994 it was converted for research work and renamed. It now measures 2405 grt - up from 2336 as built.

Autoport is still processing hoards of cars for the spring sales rush. Some of the backlog has been cleared however and overflow areas emptied - but the cars keep coming.

Today's caller was the Blue Ridge Highway. Despite being built as recently as 2009, it has the appearance of a much older type of autocarrier. The 48,927 grt, 15.290 dwt ship was delivered by Nantong COSCO KHI in Nantong, China to Fukunaga Kaiun KK, and operates for K-Line.

An overflow car storage area is empty now, but was full for the past few months. 

The line tug Roseway awaits departure time to let the head lines go from the Autoport mooring buoy (at right - out of the picture).

Unlike modern autocarriers the ship does not have the streamlined rounded car decks above the bow, and has numerous deck openings in the sides of the ship.

Yesterday's caller Tosca is more typical:

 Built in 2013 by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki Tosca is a 61,106 grt, 22,585 dwt ship with a capacity of 6,459 cars.

Also in port yesterday the autocarrier MSC Immacolata required crane assistance to release a fouled wire, and was turned end for end at Pier 31 after unloading some RoRo machinery. It had unloaded cars at Autoport Thursday.

File photo ofMSC Immacolata built in 2012 by STX Dalian, Wafangdian, China. 59,835 grt, 22,196 dwt.

.

Opera Stars

Wallenius Lines Tosca sailed this afternoon after discharging construction and farm vehilces at pier 30 yesterday and autos at Autoport last night and today. The ship carries the name of an opera and the name of the main character.

Although based on a French play written by Victorien Sardou as a vehicle for Sarah Bernhardt, it was not until Puccini wrote the opera that the name Tosca became synonymous with opera. The title soprano role was best interpreted by Maria Callas who sang it first in 1942 and throughout her stellar career until her last performance in 1965. (Callas was also famed for a long running affair with the Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.)
 
The ship Tosca operates under the Wallenius-Wilhelmsen banner, which allows both companies to name ships in company style (Wallenius after opera character, Wilhelmsen ships names begin with the letter "T")   and paint them in company colours- green and orange respectively.

As Tosca sailed another star appeared, the wood chip carrier Stellar Sunrise, which is anchored waiting to load in Sheet Harbour, NS.

Tosca Singapore flag, 61,106 grt, 22,585 dwt, built 2013 Mitsubishi, Nagasaki, 6,459 car capacity, operated by Wallenius Marine, Singapore.
Stellar Sunrise, Panama flag, 43,855 grt, 53,979 dwt, built 2013 Oshima, Saiki, Japan, operated by NYK Line.

.

Comings and Goings, United Breeze, Prisco Irina and updates

Taking the pedestrian approach to harbour watching today, a stroll along the boardwalk was rewarding. Despite mountains of snow, the sun was warm and the footing was good.(Getting to and from the waterfront was a different matter-many sidewalks were down to one foot wide).

United Breeze in number one anchorage, with Tosca still at Autoport.

This morning's arrival was the big bulker United Breeze in number one anchorage for bunkers. That accomplished by 1340 hrs or so it made ready to sail, doing a clockwise turn to head outbound.
 

Turning to starboard, the ship shows off its 45m width. (It is 288.93m length overall)

Built in 2012 by Imabari Zosen in Saijo, Japan, the ship measures 92,752 grt, 191,325 dwt. NS United Kaiun Kaisha of Tokyo operates the ship.The ship is operated by NS United K.K. of Tokyo, the company formed in 2010 by the merger of Nippon Steel Shipping and Shinwa K.K. another large carrier.

Outbound for the main channel.

The inbound Prisco Irina has exited the western channel and joins the main channel after passing the outbound. 

In the foreground the workboat Waterworks I tends its barge at the Tall Ship Quay.

As it was outbound the product tanker Prisco Irina was inbound, timed so that the big ship could take the main channel, and the smaller ship the western channel, making in effect an unusual starboard to starboard meet in the Middle Ground area. The western channel is deeper, but requires the ship to make a dogleg turn. The main channel is a nearly straight run, and therefore easier for the larger ship.

Prisco Irina is another product of STX Corp, Jinhae and measures 29,967 grt, 50,923 dwt. It features the full width bridge of an ice class vessel. It is operated by Prisco Singapore Pte Ltd for Hermine Shipping Ld of Limassol, and flies the Cyprus flag.
For more on Prisco and a detailed spec sheet for the ship see: http://www.prisco.com.sg/our-fleet/

 Prisco Irina is headed for Imperial Oil, but will have to wait for tomorrow's departure of Seavictory.

Seavictory at number 4 dock, and Algoma Dartmouth at number 3 dock, Imperial Oil. A snow covered George's Island protrudes at left.

Updates of previous posts:
Harefield actually did arrive last night and made a stately progression up the harbour at 3 knots. It had two tugs in attendance from the pilot station and was joined by a third tug in the main harbour before entering the Narrows. All this hints at an ice damaged rudder, but I have yet to make it to pier 9c to see for myself.

Redhead is due to sail this evening, indicating that prop repairs were successful. This would mean that the bent blade or blades were straightened by hydraulic press. (Trimming is a last resort) Props are made of malleable/ductile material such as manganese bronze and bend rather than shear off. Good news for ships in ice - they can also be straightened again by specialists such as All-Sea Atlantic Ltd. The company has been active in Halifax for half a dozen years, but their work goes largely unheralded. For some reason shipowners are not keen on publicizing bent props.  More on this another time.

Opal Ace and Tosca As pictured above, Tosca was still at Autoport today, no doubt struggling to unload its cars to clear storage. Opal Ace, which was scheduled for Thursday, March 19, has been pacing back and forth out at sea, and is now due Saturday March 22 after Tosca sails.

.