Barkald outbound

Since I did a follow up on the Balder last week, to show the other side of the of the ship, here is a follow up on Barkald this week's Klaveness bulker for National Gypsum. Unlike the clean deck lines of the Balder, Barkald has its cranes and hoppers on the port side, causing a lot of obstruction.

At each hopper there appears to be an "apron" or 'bib" which would be elevated to catch spillage in the unloading process. These bibs appear to have taken some abuse over the years!
The ship sailed this evening for Baltimore.

Tramper and Pure One

The visit of the heavy lift ship Tramper seems to to have elicited more interest in its deck cargo than the boilers it came here to load. Oh well.
Yesterday the two boilers were loaded without incident:

 1. Note the crane operator on the platform, using a portable control unit. Unlike other ships these cranes have no operator's cab - the operator can move to any one of a number of positions to improve sight lines.

This morning as the ship sailed, it was possible to get a somewhat better look at the deck load "super yacht", but due to deep shadows, photos were iffy.

2. Tramper outbound this morning - next stop Gibraltar.

I have now positively identified the yacht as Pure One, a 151-6" long, 190 ton Leopard 46. Built in 2008 , and refitted in 2012, by Cantieri Navali Arno in Italy, it is powered by 3 MTU engines giving it a top speed in excess of 32 knots, and 26 knots for cruising. It accommodates 10 guests with 5 crew. Charter rates are quoted at 180,000 Euros.
The boat is available in the Med in summer and the Caribbean in winter.
For  more on the yacht see the sales ad here:

http://www.edmistoncompany.com/luxury-yachts-for-sale/pure-one-24/

and an inspiring video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMBgoUfH1_0

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Barkald and Sea Pearl - a line up at National Gypsum

Things must be picking up south of the border. It has been a while since ships have had to wait their turn at National Gyspum.

Arriving last night Sea Pearl was first in to load. A sister of the White Pearl that was in a while ago, http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2013/02/white-pearl-open-hatch-cargo-type.html , is an open hatch ship, usually found in the forest products trade, but pressed into service as a bulk carrier for the relatively benign gypsum ore. Built in 1986 in Poland, as Rio Purus, it carried the name Alanya from 1993 to 2007. At 27,013 gross tons and 38,760 deadweight tonnes, it carries a 25 tonne crane in each of its traveling gantries. The gantries have to be shifted about when the ship is loading at National Gypsum as the conveyor system there moves a long the dock. This is the first time the ship has called here as far as I can recall.

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Barkald is a more frequent caller, and has been seen here off and on since it was built in 2002 (by Oshima in Japan). It is owned by Torvald Klavenes of Norway, but registered in the Marshall Islands. It is a similar ship to the Balder that called last week http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2013/04/balder-revolutionary-in-more-ways-than.html and http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2013/04/more-balder.html. However it has an earlier generation of unloading system. It uses its four 30 tonne cranes to feed a deck mounted conveyor system and boom. Each crane is equipped with two buckets (for different types of cargo) and there is a hopper adjacent to each crane, feeding the conveyor system. The system runs around the stern of the ship and up to the boom, which swings out over the dock to unload.

Part of the CSL International pool, it is also a regular in the Strait of Canso in the coal and aggregates trades. It comes in at 28,924 gross tons and 49,463 deadweight.

HMCS Halifax - post FELEX

After some days of sea trials last week, HMCS Halifax put to sea again today following her FELEX (Frigate Life Extension) project.

She made a splendid sight with her forecastle party gathered on the forepeak.

HR Maria - wind mill blades, but not for us

Another in the long line of ships calling for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency arrived at anchorage number two today for Asian Gyspy Moth inspection. HR Maria, although registered in Liberia is German owned and has carried several names in its history. It was built in 1998 for Dutch owners as Maria Green but became BBC India from 2004 to 2008 then reverted to Maria Green again to 2010 then ran as SE Veridian until 2012 when it received is current name.
Built by Schelde Scheepsbouw. BV in Vlissingen, Netherlands, she is a general cargo ship of 11,894 gross tons and 17,539 deadweight. Strengthened for heavy cargoes and Ice Class 1A, the ship also has three 60 tonne cranes. Large hatches permit the carriage of oversize and project cargoes.

On this particular trip the ship has a load of wind mill vanes bound for Trois-Rivières, QC. Its last port of call was Emden, Germany and it will be sailing this afternoon.

As Maria Green its first visit to Halifax, back in 2001, was more prolonged. Bound for Halifax to be fitted to carry fibreoptic cable, it was struck by an LNG tanker in the Bay of Biscay. Having survived the impact and the subsequent boiler blow off from the tanker, Maria Green was able to carry on to Halifax, arriving May 9. A number of plates had to be cut out of the bow area and replaced while the other work to carry cable was completed.

The ship was able sail on June 2 for Portsmouth, NH where it loaded its cargo and received a final coat of paint. The only outward sign of its ability to carry cable was a railing above the starboard rail, but there was a lot of special framing in her holds.

The ship returned to Halifax in November 2001 from Cape Town to have its cable tanks reconfigured. It sailed again January 5, 2002 for Portsmouth NH (where the cable is manufactured) for another load. 

Dara Desgagnés - out of drydock

Dara Desgagnés emerged from the Novadock late this afternoon (with a shove by the tug Atlantic Willow) and headed directly for Bedford Basin to do a compass swing.
The ship arrived in Halifax March 28  http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2013/03/dara-desgagnes-limps-into-port.html , and http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2013/03/dara-desgagnes-makes-it-into-drydock.html with ice damage to her steering gear, which has now been repaired.

Following her compass swing, she was due to go the Woodside dock again, but now appears to have anchored in the lower harbour. Her stores crane (just aft of the funnel) is in the upright position, leading me to believe she will be taking on stores before she sails.
According to the Port of Quebec web site she is due there on April 22 to resume her charter to Ultramar.

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Tramper - more

I did manage to squeeze my camera through the chain link fence for the arrival of Tramper today. (See previous post).

1. In a snow shower, Tramper rounds pier 26 with a deck load of luxury yachts, with the tug Atlantic Larch giving a hand.

There still appears to be a booming business in transporting yachts from the location to location for the seasons. By my count Tramper had five boats on deck. A small motorboat in a tarp, a small sport cruiser, a sloop rigged sail boat (with mast standing), a traditional luxury yacht and an ultra-modern modern luxury yacht. Despite all these, number one hatchway appeared to be ,ore or less clear to load the tow boilers in Halifax. 

2. Not visible in the 2003 visit due to ice, the BigLift name is front and centre on the ship's huge breakwater.

2. The bow of a traditional style cruising yacht is just visible. It is stowed in its own cradle on the port side. (Yacht's name not visible).

3. An ultra-modern yacht is stowed on the starboard side. A sloop rigged sailboat's mast is visible behind it. (Yachts' names not visible).

4. The pilot is conning the ship from the bridge wing high above the main deck, where two more boats are stowed (see also photo #1). Note the bridge wing has a retractable section to meet St.Lawrence Seaway regulations, which forbid bridge wings from extending beyond the ship's side, due to the depth of the lock chambers.