Seven Seas Navigator

The Seven Seas Navigator has made several calls in Halifax this year and is due for two more before the end of the cruise season. Since I hadn't attempted a photo of her yet this year, I was pleased when she got away from pier 22 and made course northbound around George's Island before turning south for sea and her next port of Bar Harbor. On an fairly dismal evening with mist in the air, she still looked pretty good.
As I am not a close follower of all developments in the cruise industry, I had missed the fact that she had a duck tail and sponsons added in a major refit in 2009-02010. These do nothing to improve her appearance, but did have other benefits.
Originally laid down as  naval support ship for the USSR, her hull was launched by Admiralty Shipyard in St.Petersburg. She was towed round to the T.Mariotti SpA yard in Genoa for completion as a luxury suite cruiser for Radisson Seven Seas Cruises in 1999. As a sort of Eliza Doolittle in the luxe cruise world she was noted for her excellent amenities, including mostly all verandah cabins, and high crew/guest ratio. Nevertheless there were many complaints about the build quality, systems, vibration and stability/comfort.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises took over in 2006 and have made numerous upgrades, including the big refit at Lloyd-Weft, Bremerhaven in 2009-2010.
The duck tail and associated sponsons (and new stern geometry) coupled with new high lift rudders and new props have by most accounts reduced the vibration issues to tolerable levels. New water tankage (whether for ballast or potable I don't know) have improved stability, maneuverability and speed. More recent renos in early 2012 have seen many cabins refurbed too.
Originally to be delivered as Akademik Nikolay Pilyugin, the Seven Seas Navigator measures 28,550 gross tons (this may not include the added sponsons and duck tail) and now carries an advertised 490 passengers with 345 crew (that's a 1:1.5 crew/pax ratio).

2. A large duck tail and sponsons added on each side did not improve the ship's appearance but had some other benefits. 

3. As the ship looked in her pre-sponson days, sailing on a brighter day in October 2004.

Way Hay Up She Rises

1. A crane has raised the boat to the surface.

The sloop Rascal broke surface this afternoon after six weeks on the bottom of the Northwest Arm. The pleasure craft sank at its mooring on August 2 . The Halifax Port Authority, which has responsibility for the Arm placed the owner on notice to raise the boat, but there was no response by the deadline.
This morning RMI Marine mobilized a tug, crane scow, tender and motorboat to the scene. Divers secured the hull and placed slings around it, and by early afternoon the crane had raised the boat to the surface.
The Port Authority has possession of the boat and will attempt to sell it to recoup costs.

2. After casting off the slings, the launch Lady Shirleen takes the boat in hand and sets out for pier 29.

3. The job done, the tug Belle D. leaves the scene with the sectional scow and crane.

Artania aka Royal Princess

1. Artania sailed at dusk this evening.

The veteran cruise ship Artania paid a return visit to Halifax today, many years after its first visit and under a different name.
Built in 1985 by Oy Wartsila in Helsinki as Royal Princess the ship first visited Halifax in 1991. It returned  for several years thereafter until renamed Artemis in 2005. Last year it took on its current name Artania for V Ships Leisure of Monaco.
Still very smart looking, the ship the ship carries only some 1300 passengers in 600 cabins.

2. Royal Princess sailing from Halifax on October 2, 1993.

Maran Sagitta - a quick turnaround

The crude oil tanker Maran Sagitta made a quick turn around at the Imperial Oil refinery, sailing this evening after less than 48 hours in port.
The ship anchored off Halifax for a time before heading into port late Thursday evening, tying up about midnight.  It had tugs alongside preparing to sail at 6 pm tonight.
It was also on a rather strange route for a crude tanker in Halifax. Its last port was Houston, TX and it sailed for Fawley, UK. (Other sources claim its last ports were Puerto La Cruz and Sint Eustatius - who can you believe these days?)
Built in 1999 by Hyundai in Ulsan, South Korea and the ship measures 56,957 gross tons, 105,333 deadweight and is owned and registered in Greece.

The World at our doorstep

The cruise ship The World sailed this evening after spending two days in Halifax. It arrived yesterday morning and tied up at pier 31 - not at a regular cruise ship terminal. But of course it is not a regular cruise ship. Built as a sort of floating condominium, the travelers actually own their suites (and can rent them out like time shares if they wish.)
This ship initiated the concept when it was built in 2002. It also called in Halifax September 26 of that first year. Measuring a modest 41,388 gross tons it has a high ratio of staff to passengers and provides a more intimate experience than the behemoths such as Jewel of the Seas at 90,090 gross tons (seen leaving port in the background).

Oops - landing craft sinks in Dartmouth

The small landing craft belonging to Larinda Ltd sank in Dartmouth recently. It's bow has enough trapped air in it that the boat is not completely submerged, but most of it is under water.

I don't know the boat's history, because it is registered as a small craft, with registration number C11040QC, which tells me only that it was built by E.S.M. Quebec Ltd and it measures 13.25 gross tons. I suspect that it was built for the Canadian Coast Guard, and assigned to one of its ships for supply/buoy maintenance work and declared surplus by them in 2010. It has been anchored at the same spot in Dartmouth since last year and I have never seen it working.
At the moment is seems to be tethered to the small tug Carly J and well secured and boomed with absorbent material, so it likely poses no risk.
This is just as well since Larinda Ltd and its associated company are very busy now with removing international garbage from cruise ships. One of their barges was moored nearby this morning waiting to unload.

This is what the boat looked like before its recent dive:

If I were to speculate I would say that recent heavy rains may have been a factor in it sinking.

Cruise Parade

It is the height of the cruise season, with up to five ships in port on a given day. The late afternoon parade of ships is a great sight.
Sunday, September 30 -the weather was not too pleasant, and Eurodam was the only ship in port.

When it sailed in the late afternoon, the fog and rain did not bode well for a pleasant trip on to Boston.

Yesterday, October 1 -there were five ships in port:

left to right:
Maasdam, pier 20; Caribbean Princess pier 22; Quest for Adventure pier 23;  Emerald Princess pier 31, Regatta pier 34. Unfortunately weather did not co-operate for departure time photos.

Today was a different case however and there were four ships in :

left to right:
Norwegian Gem pier 31; Quest for Adventure pier 23, Norwegian Dawn pier 22, Arcadia pier 20.

The weather certainly did co-operate at departure time and the ships left in the following order:

Did you notice Wilhelmsen's Topeka? The autocarrier certainly stands out in crowd!