Latvian owned Jurkalne

The Latvian Shipping Company of Riga, Latvia is not unheard of in Halifax - its cargo ships do stop for bunkers from time to time, but their tankers are rarer sights.

Yesterday's arrival of the fine looking product tanker Jurkalne is one of those.

Built in 2006, and measuring 30,641 gross tons, and 52,622 deadweight tonnes, the ship is a product of the 3 Maj yard in Rijeka, Croatia. As with many tankers these days it is registered in the Marshall Islands.

The ship is due to sail this evening.

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More Toronto - ready for prime time

There are two Torontos in Halifax - the more familiar being HMCS Toronto. It is in the graving dock at Halifax Shipyard in the midst of a major refit. Last week the upper works were stripped of their paint, and a new gold coloured prime paint applied. The hull from the main deck down is still showing its orginal gray.

HMCS Halifax is also completing a refit at the shipyard - it is back in the water at the Machine Ship dock, and is partly visible in the background.

Toronto in Halifax

The Pure Car and Truck Carrier Toronto arrived last evening at pier 27. The British flag vessel is a member of the 31 ship strong Wilhelmsen Line of car carriers and operates within the even larger Wallenius Wilhelmsen group. It measures 61,321 gross tons and depending on your source was built in 2004 or 2005.

Although capable of carrying 6350 cars, the ship can also carry project cargoes and containers in its specially constructed internal decks.

The ship did not go to Autoport as mighty be expected for a PCTC, so may have some special cargo on board.
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USCG Eagle

The US Coast Guard training vessel Eagle arrived in port yesterday, and spent the night at anchorage#2 in the harbour. This morning it got under way and tied up at the Cable Wharf, assisted by the navy pup tugs Granville and Merrickville.

A regular caller in Halifax over the years, the ship will be open to the public during its stay in Halifax.

Sub on the move

1. Dominion Diving's Westport Ferry attends Ojibwa [?] at Jetty Lima this morning.

The decommissioned RCN submarine Ojibwa* was on the move yesterday, shifting berths at Jetty November Lima. The sub has been laid up at the jetty since May 1998, but is about to put out to sea again -with a difference.

This time the sub will be riding on a barge and will be headed for Port Burwell, ON to be preserved as a tourist attraction.

The tug Evans McKeil and the floating drydock HM1 are due this weekend, and after suitable preparations, will set out for the Great Lakes sometime next week.

The remaining two subs Okonogan [corrected] and Olympus were recently put up for sale for scrap.

Update: It is reported that they too will be towed to Ontario by the same tug/barge combo.

Since all three subs have no names posted on them, I only assume the above photo is Ojibwa, but it has also been reported that it is the Okanagan.

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Pier Contractor Takeover

McNally Construction, contractor for the Halterm pier extension, and most other major marine construction projects in Halifax over the last several years, has been purchased by the US marine construction firm Weeks Marine, Inc.

McNally, based in Hamilton, ON, but with an important branch in Sorel, QC (it owns the former MIL shipyard site) and its regional office in Halifax (the former Beaver Marine) did about $150mn in business in the year ending April 30.

Weeks Marine, Inc., based in New Jersey, and was involved in the new Irving/Repsol gas terminal in Saint John, did $500mn of work in 2010.

According to a press release from Weeks, dated July 8, McNally will continue to do business under its present name, and will be a wholly owned subsidiary. McNally has a major presence in the US with its tunnel boring operation based in Cleveland, OH., which will also continue to operate under that name.

The takeover will therefore have no visible bearing on the operations at Halterm. However it may mean that McNally's access to capital will be improved and thus an investment in new plant may be expected. Like many marine construction firms in Canada its fleet of work barges, scows and tugs is aging and renewal did not seem probable. Weeks on the other hand is noted for its first class plant and excellent tug fleet. [see also Tugfax]

Atlantic Erie

1. Atlantic Erie looms out of the Halifax fog as it approaches pier 25-26 this morning.

2. The indented knuckle area of the hull shows up in bright sunshine.

3. Atlantic Erie surges downstream passing Cap Charles last Saturday.

The self-unloading bulker Atlantic Erie arrived this morning with another load of grains from the Great Lakes. This is the second time I have seen this ship is less than a week.
The first time was with a group of shipspotters at Cap Charles, QC last Saturday.
It was from that look-off that I first noted the damage to the ship's port bow, at the "knuckle".
As with most ships that transit the St.Lawrence Seaway they do not drive directly into the locks. Instead they come alongside the approach wall at a slight angle, allowing the "knuckle" (that portion of the hull where the curve of the ship's bow transitions into the flat side of the ship) to slide along the wall, guiding the ship into the lock. This behaviour of course causes wear and tear on the hull, and removes the paint quite effectively.
However it appears that at some point Atlantic Erie gave the wall a real slap as she came along, causing a few deep impressions and hull plate distortion. No hull perforation appears to have taken place, so the ship carries on, but repairs will be needed at some point.
Atlantic Erie was built in 1985 in Collingwood as Hon Paul Martin, and became Atlantic Erie in 1988. it flew the Bahamas flag from 1989 to 1996.
In 1998 it became very distinctive by posting the owners web address on the side of the ship - possibly a world's first.