Tuvaq

The icebreaking tanker Tuvaq anchored in Halifax for bunkers today. Although the ship was built in 1977, it still appears very modern. This can be attributed to its Finnish designers who still cared about the appearance of ships, not just their functionality.

The ship's impressive icebreaking bow is much in evidence when she is in ballast.

Built for the tough winter conditions of the Baltic Sea, the ship now works for Coastal Shipping of St.John's, Newfoundland, an offshoot of the Woodward Group. The ship delivers fuel to far north locations.

The name Tuvaq is Inuit for "shore fast ice" one of a dozen or more terms in that language to describe the various stages of arctic ice.

She is shown in this photo with the bunkering tanker Algoma Dartmouth alongside.

Maersk Challenger

The giant Danish AP Moller Maersk company is best known as owners of the largest fleet of container ships in the world. They are also a major player in the offshore oil construction and supply business. Their Canadian arm, Maersk Supply Canada is based in St.John's, and has an extensive fleet there.

One of their Canadian ships is Maersk Challenger, built in 1986 in Denmark. She has been in Halifax for the last few weeks supporting the rig Rowan Gorilla III while it is spudded down in the harbour. Maersk Challenger runs back and forth from the Exxon Mobil dock in Woodside to the rig with such stores as fuel, water and supplies. The trip is so short, she just backs away from the dock and backs out to the rig in number 6 anchorage. That is what she is doing in this photo taken November 14.

The launch/tug Halmar also stands by when the Challenger is doing her work.

Mattea

One of the big shuttle tankers, built to transport Newfoundland offshore oil, put in for a brief maintenance session. Mattea was built in 1997 in Koje, South Korea by Samsung and measures 76,216 gross tons and has a deadweight tonnage (carrying capacity) of 124,365 tonnes.

She has several special features adapting her to the shuttle work. The large loading apparatus on the bow, permits her to load from offshore installations using a floating monobuoy and underwater pipeline. She is also fitted with twin screws, allowing her much greater maneuverability than conventional single screw tankers.

She arrived November 14 for a two day intensive work session, and tied up at pier 31.

She can run from Hibernia to the Whiffen Head or Point Tupper storage facilities or directly to US refineries.

Algosea

Algoma Corporation of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario became a major player in the domestic tanker business, when it took over the coastal fleet of Imperial Oil in 1998. Since then they have replaced most of the aging fleet with newer vessesl. One of the first they acquired was Algosea, ex Aggersborg -05, 11290/98. Built by the Alabama Shipyard to a European design, the tanker worked for the important Danish firm Dannebrog. When purchsed by Algoma in 2005, she was brought under Canadian registry and modified for use on the Great Lakes. A sister ship, Amelienborg also joined the Algoma fleet but trades internationally.

Algosea is shown here passing pier 20 on November 13, bound for pier 9 where she will layover for a few days. She would normally have berthed in the deep water piers, but was displaced by the big tanker Mattea (see above.)

Malmnes

The small Norwegian bulk carrier Malmnes is visiting pier 9. The ship is a self-unloader, specializing in carrying stone. It often loads on the Strait of Canso and heads for the Caribbean. On its last trip to Halifax in October it headed to Brazil. The ship's own conveyor system is capable of discharging its cargo quite precisely, so it is often used to deliver the stone directly to a new wharf or pier or other marine structure.

Built in 1993 she measures 5,883 gross tons, with a deadweight tonnage of 9,891.

Usually when she stops over for a few days she takes bunker fuel and ties up at the deep water piers, however this time she is at pier 9 because pier 31 will be occupied by Mattea (see above.)

She is shown arriving on November 13.

Cruise Finale

The last cruise ship for the season pulled in this morning. Crystal Symphony at 51044 gross tons, carries 992 passengers, but very few were visible on deck at 0730 hrs. Although the ship was built in 1995 it has received two major upgrades, including a $25 million do-over from September 17 to October 1 in Boston.

Consistently scoring as the best large cruise line in the world, Crystal is not afraid to spend big money on this "six star" vessel which features more than 60 butler served penthouse cabins and suites. This ship has been #2 in the list of best cruise ships in the world for two years running (her sister Crystal Serenity has been first.) It also scored a perfect 100 in a recent Centres for Disease Control inspection.

When she sails this afternoon that will be it for the 2009 cruise season in Halifax. Final figures are not in, but it seems that the year met expectations despite the economy.

Oldies........ Halifax II and Dartmouth II

From 1956 to Sunday September 9, 1979, these two ferries plied the route between Halifax and Dartmouth. They replaced car ferries when the Angus L. Macdonald bridge opened for traffic, joining the two sides of Halifax harbour for vehicles, including trolley busses.

These wooden hulled sisters were built by the Smith & Rhuland yard in Lunenburg. The only similarlity they had to their illustrious yard-mate, the schooner Bluenose, was their designer, William Roue.

The chevron/arrow head designs were added not long before their retirement, and were intended to give a trendy look to the aging boats. The designs did not do much for their well worn interiors (two cabins - one for smokers and one for non-smokers) featured linoleum deckcovering and varnished slat benches, resembling church pews in appearance and comfort, and wood panelling.

The delightfully grubby ferry terminals, built in ancient times, were also replaced in 1979 when new ferries came into service.

It is hard to believe that these vessels only served for twenty-three years whereas the current boats have been in service for thirty.

The boats are shown laid up on September 23, 1979.