Brevik Bridge first call for THE Alliance

The newly formed service called THE Alliance, replacing the old G6 Alliance, brought in a first timer to Halifax today on its Transatlantic Loop 6 (AL6) service from the Mediterranean.


Brevik Bridge is a 4526 TEU ship of 46,444 gt, 58,200 dwt built in 2011 by Samsung SB+HI. Flying the Hong Kong flag it is owned and managed by Hong Kong-based Seaspan Corp, one of the largest ship leasing companies, and part of the Washington Group which also includes Seaspan shipyard and Seaspan towing in Vancouver.

The ship is on a 12 year charter, with two three year options to K-Line, a member of THE Alliance, along with Hapag-Lloyd, MOL and NYK. Yang Ming is also  member, and UASC by virtue of its owners Hapag-Lloyd is also represented in THE Alliance.


Still not on to all those abbreviations and acronyms?
K-Line = Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha
MOL = Mitsui OSK Line
NYK = Nippon Yusen Kaisha
UASC = United Arab Shipping Co


The three Japanese lines will be pooling their container fleets, and possibly re-branding.
UASC will also likely lose its identity when  fully merged into Hapag-Lloyd.
Yang Ming (of Taiwan) is on a sort of probation until it resolves some of its financial issues, which it may do sometime in 2017, at which time it would become a fully fledged member.
THE Alliance represents about 18% of the world's container capacity and is thus the smallest and potentially weakest of the latest round of shipping agreements.


The other major alliances are 2M which joins Maersk Line and MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Co) and Ocean Alliance which includes CMA-CGM, Evergreen (of Taiwan), OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line, Hong Kong) and COSCO (China).

The best I could do was a photo from the parking lot, where Cosco Japan dominates pier 41.

Interestingly, yesterday CMA CGM's Columbus Loop service call in Halifax was made by COSCO Japan, which is also a Seaspan owned ship on long charter to COSCO. The 91,051 gt, 101,500 dwt ship has a 8500 TEU capacity and is on a 12 year charter (plus three one year options) from its 2010 year of build by Hyundai.

With COSCO funnel marking and the Washington Group logo below the bridge.

Dalian Express - big ship in the Narrows, and small ship repairs

Dalian Express ran the Narrows this afternoon in a stiff breeze as it made it way to Fairview Cove. Ably assisted by the tugs Atlantic Willow and Spitfire III (see Tugfax) the ship made quite a sight as it made a seemingly effortless passage.

The Dalian Express was built in 2001 as Hamburg Express by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd in Ulsan. The 88,493 grt, 100,006 dwt ship has a capacity of 7506 TEU (including 700 reefers). It was renamed in 2011 to free up the name for an even bigger Hapag-Lloyd ship. The new Hamburg Express carries in excess of 10,000 TEU.

As a reminder that driving ships is not always trouble free, Nolhanava is still tied up at pier 9c but repairs to its crumpled bridge wing have now begun.

 The crumpled bridge wing as it appeared on the weekend.

By today the damaged portion had been cut off.

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Sunday ins and outs and no shows

Oceanex Sanderling sailed this afternoon for St.John's. While normally a Friday departure, the ship has been in port since April 8 when it was taken out of service for repairs to an ice damaged bulbous bow. Fleet mate Ocean Connaigra was also out of service in St.John's with a similar problem. A mild winter and high winds have have brought vast quantities of multi-year ice in along the Newfoundland shore. While both ships are ice strengthened, they normally only encounter year old ice. Multi-year is much tougher stuff and can cause severe damage with only slight contact.

The Oceanex Sanderling is a tough veteran of the Halifax / Newfoundland trade. Built in 1977 in Sasebo, Japan it has been kept running due to its ConRo capability which would be costly to replace. Owners Oceanex claim they would replace the ship, but artificially low rates on Marine Atlantic are depriving them of rightful business and profits.

The autocarrier Adriatic Highway left anchorage off Halifax this afternoon and  made its way in toward Autoport. The ship appeared to have its anchor ready in case it was needed.

The ship has made several visits to Halifax recently, including March 19 and January 29.


On the eastbound leg of its trip for Atlantic Container Line, the Liberian flag Hammonia Antofagasta made its second call in Halifax. (It was here on the westbound leg April 7-8.  The ship is operated by Hammonia Reederei of Hamburg, a ship management company formed by ship owner Peter Dohle, fund investor  HCI Capital and General Electric Corp's ship financing arm.

Built in 2008 by Zhejiang Yangan Shipbuilding Co Ltd [FanShip Group] it is a 32,901 grt, 35,534 dwt ship with a capacity of 2797 TEU (including 746 reefers). Originally named Antofagasta, it was named Maersk Jennings from 2008 to 2013, then became Hammonia Antofagasta. In 2016 it took up a short term charter as CMA CGM Pointe Marin and was renamed again earlier this year.

There was no ship for the Maersk / CMA CGM transatlantic service this week. Normally it would be Maersk Pembroke but that ship is reported to be in Spain, perhaps for a refit. It substitute, Louis S is due tomorrow. The tough weekly transatlantic service is maintained by just four ships, which must take a beating.

See Tugfax for another of today's arrivals.

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Saturday - seeing stars

The ship Nica sailed this afternoon after discharging her cargo of nickel from Cuba (see yesterday's post). The ship belongs to the Lingenberg fleet of Albert Hauschild which specializes in smallish container feeder types. However Nica carries a pair of 40 tonne cranes, and can also carry general cargo, including the bagged nickel.

 

 Built in 2003 by Jinling Shipyard, Nanjing, it is one of a large number of similar feeder ships.
The ship is returning to Moa, Cuba, for Nirint Lines, perhaps for more of the same cargo.
 
There were a pair of NYK ship movements today - hence the "seeing stars". Arriving for Autoport, the Eridanus Leader passed the awaiting Adriatic Highway (from rival K-Line) still anchored offshore - it will not come in until late tomorrow.

Built in 2010 by Shin Kurushima, Toyohashi, Eridanus Leader measures 59,501 grt, 18,056 dwt.

The other NYK Line ship in port was NYK Rigel, on its regular rotation for the G6 Alliance. Built in 2009 Hyundai, Samho, the ship has a capacity of 4922 TEU (including 330 reefers) on 55,487 grt, 66,051 dwt.

It was pictured yesterday anchored off port.

Also in was Zim San Francisco, 50.963 gt, 63,355 dwt. Built in 2010 by Daewoo, Okpo, the 4884 TEU (including 560 reefers) stubbornly remained alongside so that I could not get a picture of it underway.
 

When the ship was built, its deadweight tonnage was listed as 50,963. This was increased dramatically to the current figure, when it was  determined that the deck load could be increased in height.
The ship is owned by an investment syndicate and managed by Niderelbe Schiffahrts GmbH + Co KG.

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Friday report

Friday was a holiday for most, altoughh wa some limited activity in the port.

At pier 31 the Antigua and Barbuda registered Nica was idle, part way through discharging a cargo of nickel from Cuba. In the photo taken Thursday the ship was busy unloading and taking on fuel, although some ballasting /trimming was going to be necessary!

The ship was built in 2003  as Atlantic Hawk, renamed Caribbean Sina in 20903, Atlantic Hawk again in 2003 and becoming Nica in 2014. The 4450 grt, 5577 dwt ship is using its own cranes to unload some cargo into waiting rail cars and some into storage.

There were also ships waiting outside. The autocarrier Adriatic Highway will wait for another ship, Eridanus Leader to visit Autoport tomorrow before coming in to take its turn.
NYK Rigel will wait until 0500 hrs tomorrow to take its pilot into Fairview Cove.

The ships are anchored 7 miles from my vantage point at the Point Pleasant breakwater, and because I was only about 15 feet above sea level the ships appear to be over the horizon.

An unusual visitor did come into port to work today. Umiak I is a Canadian registered bulker, built specifically to carry nickel concentrate from the Voisey's Bay Mine in Labrador. It is built to a very high ice class, so is able to work year round from Voisey's Bay for Vale Inco delivering cargo to the Long Harbour nickel processor in Newfoundland.
This does not occupy the ship full time, so it also able to run from Deception Bay in northern Quebec's Nunavik region carrying nickel ore from Xstrata's RaglanMine.
 

Built in 2006 by Universal Shipbuilding Co in Maizuru, Jpaan, the 22,462 grt, 31,992 dwt ship is owned by the Fednav Group. It is one of three Canadian flag extreme ice class ships in the Fednav fleet that work in the north, the other two are Arctic and Nunavik.

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Some comings - but no goings

Another arrival at Irving Woodside with refined product from Ijmuiden, Netherlands. This time is the Swedish owned, Bahamas flagged Ami operated for Gotland Rederi AB. Other ships of the same fleet have called here many times, but usually they carry the "Gotland" name as a prefix to a woman's name, such as Gotland Sofia which was here last month. However those ships have also been from the company's "Superice" class with full width bridge.

This ship has open bridge wings, so is apparently of a different class. Built in 2012 by Guangzhou Shipyard International in China, it has a grt of 24,494, but a deadweight of only 39,310 (versus about 50,000 for ships of its size.) The reason appears to be that at 183.2m x 27.4m x 11.7m, it is about 4m narrower and 1m shallower than Gotland Sofia, but the same length. According to the company web site the ship is on charter to Shell Tankers Singapore.

Nolhanava arrived on an unaccustomed day - usually it is a Thursday arrival / Friday departure on its weekly service to St-Pierre et Miquelon. After unloading at pier 41 it moved to pier 9c. The reason for which only became apparent after the ship turned to back alongside.

  

A severely crumpled starboard bridge wing - carefully tarped over, will evidently need some repair before it puts to sea again. Details I have none, except it must be a fairly recent occurrence.
In view of the coming Easter weekend it may well be into next week before the ship sails.

At pier 36, Oceanex Sanderling has been alongside ballasted down by the stern since Saturday. It did not sail on schedule and the parking lot is full of cargo awaiting conclusion of whatever repairs it is undergoing. It is so blocked from view, that there is no way of telling what may be going on near the waterline.

The ship had a barge alongside and a crane on shore over the weekend, but that appears to be gone now. Again - I have no details - but at a guess I would think it is thruster repairs.

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Roundup

Shipfax was beset in the space of a few days last week, but has now overhauled most of its rigging and has resumed its course. What happened in the harbour was noted but not photo'd  observed, but there is still left over info from the previous weekend.

April 1

The bulker Longshore (ex Ethel -16) 23,456 *grt, 34,399 dwt arrived and anchored in Bedford Basin.
After few days of hold cleaning the ship moved to pier 28 and loaded grain.

It sailed April 8. Although the AIS shows its destination as Belledune, NB, that is clearly not the case since it headed south.
* with a grt of 23456 it should have a dwt of 34567!

Sailing April 1, the cargo ship Saimagraacht made its second call this year, on what has become a regular service for Spliethoff's.
Built in 2005 by Szczecinska Nowa in Poland the 18,321 grt, 23,660 dwt ship has side loading doors and enclosed elevators specifically for forest products, but as on this trip she was also carrying a few containers on deck. She can carry 1273 TEU.

The ship is also retro-fitted with an exhaust gas scrubber system (and none too elegantly either)  - which like most of those installation smokes like an old stogy. Nothing like removing SOx and NOx and leaving a trail of particulate.

The Frankenstein version scrubber system was added after the ship was built.



Also sailing on April 1, the CCGS Alfred Needler on temporary winter assignment to work out of Halifax, the research trawler headed for the Gulf and Argentia.

The ship was built in 1982 in Pictou and based in Halifax. After an engine room fire in 2003 it was laid up, but then rebuilt and transferred to Newfoundland,replacing sister ship Wilfred Templeman when it was retired in 2011.
Three replacement ships (one for the west coast) will be built by Seaspan as part of the National Ship Procurement program now under way.

April 2: becalmed 

April 3: in irons

April 4: broached to

April 5: decks swept

April 6: abacked

April 7: bilges pumped , jury rigged

The veteran Newfoundland based offshore patrol vessel Cape Roger sailed on another of its frequent patrols. It works out of Halifax in winter (February to April) then returns to Gulf and Newfoundland waters.
Built in 1977 by Ferguson Industries Ltd of Pictou it was modernized in 1996 at Shelburne, and wintered over in St.Catharines, ON 2010-2011 where it was refitted at the Port Weller drydock. At that time its flight deck was decommissioned and hangar removed.
Construction was well underway April 1, 1976 when fisheries minister (and later Governor General) Roméo LeBlanc announced its name and spring 1977 delivery. This year is its 40th anniversary.
A later vessel of the same basic design and class is CCGS Cygnus, built in 1982, and distinguishable by its full width all weather bridge and some smaller details such as mast placement. It is alo based in Newfoundland.

April 8: re-rigged and underway 

The big cable ship Dependable got underway for a cable repair job off Nova Scotia. It arrived April 6 to load cable for the work. Followng that job it will return to its normal base of Baltimore.

Dependable arrives in misty weather. The davit forward of amidships is used to deploy a buoy to mark one end of a severed cable while the ship goes off to retrieve the other end.  

Built in 2002 the ship is one of six sisters operated by TE-Subcom (formerlyTyco) world-wide. Some of the sisters, including Reliance and Responder have worked out of Halifax in the past.

 A 12,184 grt ship, built in 2002, it does its cable work over the stern through multiple sheaves.

There is also a gantry (here in the stowed position) that can be hoisted out over the stern to deploy is trenching plow.

The blue structure at left is the shoreside cable loading conveyor.

The usual run of  "car boats" visited Autoport during the week. However Wilhemsen's Toscana unloaded a large quantity of wheeled material and odd loads at pier 31, before shifting to Autoport.

Built in 2009 by MHI Nagasaki Shipyard and Engineering Works, the 61,328 grt ship can carry 6542 cars.
Odd loads? How about a shrink wrapped helicopter?

It was transferred from its Maafi trailer to a highway trailer today, ready for the next leg of its trip.

April 9: arrived in port

There was early morning activity in the harbour as the small chemical tanker Lutsen prepared to sail after taking bunkers overnight.

A.P.A. No.1 takes the pilot out to the departing Lutsen at number 2 anchorage, as Toscana unloads at Autoport.

Lutsen was built in 2006 by Samho Shipbuilding Co Ltd in Tongyong as Songa Diamond. It weas quickly renamed Brovig Bay, then in 2007 it became Liquid Velvet and Ben. It was renamed Lutsen in 2016. Measuring only 8,450 grt and 12,901 dwt, it is small by contemporary standards.  It headed for Montreal.

Also at anchor April the general cargo ship Norderney underwent Asian gypsy moth inspection before proceeding to pier 9c.

At pier 9c work began to fit the ship with prefabbed cable tank components. This is a regular activity at the pier, with several ships fitted with the steel frames in the past few years.

Built in 2012 the ship measures 4591 grt, 5475 dwt. It flies the Antigua and Barbuda flag for German owners. It carries a pair of what appear to be 40 tonne cranes, serving box shaped holds.

Container traffic continues apace with several new faces, but some familiar ones too.


OOCL Kaohsiung a 5888 TEU (including 586 reefers) ship built in 2006 by Koyo Dockyard in Mihara, is operated under OOCL long term charter by Nissen Kaiun Co Ltd.

Where it will go when OOCL finally leaves the G6 Alliance, will be interesting to see since larger ships are displacing "old post Panamax" ships in large numbers.

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