Trillium with a difference

When CSL (Canada Steamship Lines) embarked on its ambitious fleet renewal program, it called the new class of ships Trillium, after the Province of Ontario's official wildflower. Intended to replace older inefficient ships, the program was to incorporate new greener technologies and other improvements in vessel design and construction. 
The Canadian shipbuilding industry had long ceased to be competitive on the world stage, and so it was to China that CSL turned, and the Changxi Shipyard in Jiangyin City. That Canada was ready to give up the tariff on foreign built ships may have been a factor in the final decision, but ships in this quantity and of this size could certainly never have been built in Canada so quickly and for the price.
In fact the Trillium class consists of nine ships of three different types.

To serve CSL's domestic fleet there were four self-unloading Seaway max self-unloading bulk carriers, Baie St. Paul (2012), Baie Comeau, Whitefish Bay and Thunder Bay (2013). The 24,430 grt ships measure 225.2m x 23.76m x 14.75m depth, and 8.077m Seaway draft, with a cargo capacity of 37,690 tonnes.

They have now been followed by two more ships without self-unloading capability (called straight-deckers in Great Lakes parlance)  CSL Welland has arrived in Port Cartier to load a cargo of iron ore for winter storage in Montreal. CSL St-Laurent is en route from China and is in the Pacific Ocean. Essentially identical in exterior form to the self-unloaders, these two ships have greater cargo carrying capacity.

CSL Americas (the former CSL International) and its pool of self-unloaders also received Trillium class ships, but these are built to Panamax size standards 228.6m x 32.26m x 20.15m depth, 13.48m summer draft, and a cargo capacity of roughly 70,000 tonnes.Of these Rt.Hon. Paul E. Martin, CSL Tecumseh and CSL Tacoma are operated directly by CSL. However two more were built for CSL Pool partner Thorvald Klaveness, of Oslo, named Balto and Balchem.

Balto arrived in Halifax today and anchored in Bedford Basin. It was quite a n arrival, in very high winds, when the ship had to make at least two if not three complete 360 degree turns off the pilot station while creating a lee for the pilot boat to board the pilot. As sen from shore through binoculars, the ship took some vicious rolls - close to 10 degrees by my estimate.

Once inbound its bluff bow, similar to the Seaway type, but with a bit of bulbous shape below the waterline, kicked up lots of spray in today's gale force winds.

Fitted with an 80m long slewing boom to unload, the ship presents a much cleaner profile than fleet mate Barkald which arrived in Friday.

Crew members work on the forepeak to prepare for anchoring.

The Panamax version of the Trilliums are speedy unloaders: coal:4200 tonnes per hour, gypsum 4500 tph, stone 5,000 tph, iron ore 6,000 tph. (Compared to Barkald's 1,000 tph using buckets and conveyors.) 

Balto measures 43,691 grt, 71,405.3 dwt, and was built in 2013.

 

The ship went to anchor in Bedford Basin, due to the high winds, which are expected to continue through tonight.

CSL Tacoma - now a regular

CSL Tacoma sailed this foggy morning with another load of gypsum. The Trillium class self-unloader now seems to be the most frequent gypsum carrier to call at National Gypsum and has become a regular.

After the ship cleared the MacKay bridge, I noticed the crew setting the combination ladder for the pilot to disembark. He will use the accommodation ladder to get partway down, then swing onto the traditonal pilot ladder to reach the pilot boat. Thus a combination of ladders.

The pilot ladder is much safer in any kind of swell, since the pilot boat could hit the accommodation ladder if it were rigged alone and close to the water. The pilot ladder however can swing and sway in the breezes and seas, so it is stabilized by the accommodation ladder. The crew man on the accommodation ladder is rigging them together. Although it is not clear in the photo, the crew man is wearing a safety harness, which is tied off to a stanchion of the accommodation ladder, and he is wearing a pfd.

Modern ships have "tug marks" - safe spots for tugs to push (usually on a main frame or bulkhead), but also "pilot marks" where the pilot boards or disembarks. Usually painted white with a red border or sometimes red over white, the pilot marks show up in the dark or in fog (like today). This pilot mark is almost amidships, just two meters or so aft of the plimsoll mark.

Note the ship is not drawing its full draft. There is a limited depth of water at the National Gypsum dock, so ships of this size could not load to full draft.

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