Much ado (Post #1)

 There was much coming and going in Halifax harbour today, August 2, with some interesting background. I have therefore made three seperate posts.

An early morning arrival at Pier 22 was the cruise ship Viking Neptune, one of the frequent callers this Summer (see my post of June 25 for more detail) . It tied up at Pier 22 as usual and was soon attended by the tug Dominion Rumbler and the Honey Barge. Meanwhile a utility boat from HMC Dockyard, YFU 121, was in the area. A general purpose workboat, it is constructed as a landing craft (LCVP = Landing Craft, Vehicle - Personnel) and fitted with a bow ramp and reinforced for beach landings. The 35 foot aluminum vessel is often seen at speed (up to 25 knots). Some information sources show it attached to HMC Dockyard Esquimalt.

An even earlier arrival (0100 hrs ADT at the pilot station) was the Irving Oil tanker Nor'easter. This is the ship's second visit recently on the "milk run" delivering product from the Saint John, NB refinery to Irving Oil's terminals in Halifax, Charlottetown and St.John's.

 The ship normally trades from Saint John to US east coast ports and is flagged in the Marshall Islands. It is currently operating under a coasting licnse while the Canadian flagged fleet mate Acadian is in refit in Setubal, Portugal. The expected 45 day duration of the coasting license (July 12 to August 26) covers the period of the Acadian's refit and its transit time to and from the shipyard. Nor'easter's first visit was July 23-24.

The ship is one of five ships under long term charter to Irving Oil from Vroon / Iver Ships of the Netherlands. Four of the ships were built by Hyundai Mipo, Ulsan in 2005 including the first Nor'easter. It was moved from Marshall Islands flag to Canadian in 2014. Renamed East Coast it joined Acadian and continues to work chiefly in Canadian waters. 

Today's caller, the current Nor'easter, is a  23,589 gt, 37,412 dwt ship built in 2007, also by Hyundai Mipo, Ulsan, as Iver Progress. From about 2015 it was dedicated to Irving Oil and renamed Nor'easter in 2016. It works with New England and Great Eastern in international service, between Saint John and the United States.

An unsual arrival was next - the French navy vessel Garonne on a courtesy call to HMC Dockyard.

 The offshore support and assistance vessel (bâtiment de soutien et d'assistance métropolitain = BATM) began active duty in January 2020. It is the fourth ship of the Loire class and is based in Brest.  Sister ships Loire and Seine are based in Toulon. Rhône, which visited Halifax in 2018 and 2022, is also based in Brest. [see older posts]

The ship was reported in St-Pierre July 18-20, Quebec City July 25-29 and St-Pierre July 31.

PSA Atlantic Gaetway had the ONE Falcon arriving mid-morning. It is on the eastbound leg of its EC5 route for THE Alliance. It was here July 11 in fog. Today it was only possible to see the ship heavily back lit. Nevertheless these 14,026 TEU ships in their magenta colour scheme are impressive under any conditions.

It was still possible to watch the ship make its way inbound in the deep water western channel, with the stern tethered escort tug assisting in the turns.

to be continued...

Viking Neptune - back again and sanitized

 The nearly new cruise ship Viking Neptune made its first call here June 18 en route from Iceland and Greenland, to the New York area cruise port of Cape Liberty, NJ. Thanks to fog and rain there was no photo op on June 18. Today was somewhat better as the ship emerged from the fog inside Mauger's Beach, inbound from Boston.

 The fog may persist today, but there is only the chance of showers, so visitors will have a decent time ashore. As the ship circled George's Island to dock at Pier 22, starboard side to, its lines became clearer.

Delivered in November 2022 by Fincantieri, Ancona, the 47,878 gt ship has 464 cabins - all balcony - and can carry a maximum 930 passengers and 465 crew. 

On that last trip it arrived in Cape Liberty reporting that 110 of its 838 passengers and nine of its crew were suffering from gastro-intestinal illness. As the port was the end of the trip, the ship was vacated and sanitized before the current group embarked and sailed on June 21 for Boston. It sailed from Boston June 22. What it did in the intervening three days was apparently to steam slowly in the general direction of Halifax.

The ship's itinerary from here is Gaspé  June 27, Saguenay June 29, Quebec City June 30 and Montreal July 1. It will embark on a new cruise July 2, retracing its route and expects be back in Halifax July 9.

.