Triton Ace out, Cape Roger in

Yesterday's arrival at Autoport (seen only on the horizon in yesterday's post) sailed this afternoon after completing its cargo work.

Triton Ace dates from 2009 when it was delivered by Imabari Zosen, Marugame to NYK Line and placed under Mitsui OSK Line commercial management, flying the Panama flag. Listed at 60,8766 grt, 22,723 dwt  it is of the largest class in the MOL fleet with a capacity of 6400 cars.

 To give it room to pass around Ives Knoll, the inbound CCGS Cape Roger worked well over the west, for a starboard to starboard passing.

 Built in  1977 by Ferguson Industries in Pictou NS, the 699 grt vessel is based in Newfoundland and was scarcely seen in Nova Scotia until the 2000s. It works out of Halifax sometimes, covering for refits of other ships or ice conditions. The CCG fleet in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia is particularly short handed now with CCGS Earl Grey and Edward Cornwallis in refit and Ann Harvey in repair.

Cape Roger received a major refit in 1996 in Shelburne, NS, and again in 2010-2011 at the now defunct Seaway Marine Industries yard in Port Weller, ON. However its helicopter deck remains decommissioned.

New Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) (up to five in number) are among the vessels to be built by Seaspan in Vancouver under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy.

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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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