l'Atalante, Endeavor and research

The French research vessel l'Atalante arrived in Halifax this afternoon, April 22 and tied up at the Bedford Institute. It is on a month long mission from its base in Brest, France.

 

An impresssive ship of 3559 gt, it was built originally in 1989 by Atelier et Chantier du Havre but was extensively refitted in 2009 and in 2021. It is a multi-purpose oceanography, biology and marine geosciences research ship. Its numerous capabilities include the operation of a crewed submersible to -6,000 meters and a remotely operated vessel. It has eight labs on board and can also carry containerised mission-specific labs on deck.

It is equipped with a 22 tonne capacity stern A-frame, a 10 tonne deck crane and a 4 tonne traveling crane and a 800mm diameter well or moon pool. It is diesel electric powered with twin screws.

The ship is owned by the Flotte Océanographique Française par IFREMER. (Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer). Its actual operation is conducted by SHOM which is the Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine (the French Navy). Depending on the mission the ship carries a crew of 17 to 30 and can accommodate 30 technicians and scientists.

The ship was last in Halifax in June 2023, which apparently escaped the notice of Shipfax. It had assisted in the location and recovery efforts related to the Oceangate Titan submersible loss at the Titanic wreck site, using its ROV Victor 6000.

The ship's arrival in Halifax follows on the departure of the US flagged Endeavor on April 21 after carrying out some reseach for Canada.

 The Endeavor first arrived in Halifax March 26, sailed on March 19 and returned April 18 (photo). The long awaited replacement for the deep sea research ship CCGS Hudson has not yet been completed, which means that the Bedford Institue has chartered in ships to carry out some of its research work - particularly annual fish stock surveys that are conducted jointly with the United States.

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MSC Cagliari IV for Montreal and other Chinese built ships

 The MSC Cagliari IV on MSC's Canada Express service called today, April 19, at PSA Halifax Atlantic Hub, Pier 42. The ship's last port was Antwerp and it is en route to en route to Montreal.

 

The ship may have been here before under a previous name. It was built in 2007 as ZIM Genova and became Genova in 2018 and MSC Genova IV in 2022. It is a 40,372 gt, 52,943 dwt ship with a capacity of 4253 TEU including 400 reefers. The Roman numeral "IV" in its name indicates the ship's capacity range. It is therefore an aid to classifying the ship in the bewildering array of ships in the Mediterranean Shipping Company fleet.

That fleet has just reached the (almost) unheard of number of 900 ships. Aside from Helen of Troy's reputed flotilla, no other shipping fleet has reached that size. (MSC owns several separate companies which are included to make up the 900 ship total.) The fleet consists of 609 owned and 291 chartered vessels with a capacity of 6.7 million TEU (that's a million TEU larger than Maersk). A further 132 ships are on firm order with various shipyards. 

This one was built at the Dalian Ship Industry Co in Dalian, China, and as such may soon be facing  a Trump tax on Chinese built ships.

Another ship that will be facing that punishing tax also called in Halifax today. The auto carrier Lake Tazawa docked first at Pier 9C with RoRo cargo then moved to Autoport to discharge cars.

The 71,631 gt, 19,213 dwt ship has a capacity of 7,000 CEU on 12 decks with a 150 tonne capacity stern ramp and a 20 tonne starboard side ramp.The ship is dual fuel to Tier III standard and carries two 2,000 cubic meter LNG tanks. It also has shaft generators and lithium battery storage and can connect to shore power.

It was built in 2024 by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Co Ltd, and is one of series of ships to be operated by Eukor. It and its sister ship Lake Shirasagi are now regular callers on the Wallenius Wilhemsen transatlantic service - at least for now. The addition of punishing tarifs on imported cars may well change that.

Another familiar caller is back again and will not be facing any similar taxes. As one the few US built cruise ships Victory I resumes its usual itinerary of cruises to the Great Lakes. 

Docked at Pier 23, its heavy fendering shows up well. The combination of standoffs and a full length rub rail protect the ship's hull while transiting the Seaway locks. With sister ship Victory II they have had checkered careers since delivered by Atlantic Marine of Jacksonville, FL in 2001and 2004 as Cape May  Light and Cape Cod Light respectively. After several renamings and ownership changes, the 200 paasnger ships remain popular.

Coming from the direction of the Great Lakes is the Canadian tanker Kivalliq W. of Coastal Shipping Ltd. It anchored in the lower harbour waiting its turn at Imperial Oil with cargo from Sarnia, ON.

The ship's owner, part of the Woodward Group, is headquartered in Goose Bay, NL, but the ship operates out of Lewisporte, NL and in the summer season serves the far north. In the off season, as it was this past winter, it is flagged out to operate overseas. Its registration was shifted to the Marshall Islands December 1, 2024 and it returned to Canadian flag April 7.

Built in 2004 by Jiangyang Shipyard, Shanghai it is listed at 8882 gt, 13,670 dwt. Initially named Falcon it was renamed Sten Fjord in 2009 and renamed again when acquired by Coastal Shipping in 2018. It rarely trades to the United States so will likely escape the tax on Chinese built ships.

 

Algoberta at Imperial dock number 3, April 18.

Algoma's thanker Algoberta also working for Imperial Oil sailed back to Nanticoke this morning after unloading and Algoscotia, which has been waiting at Pier 27, moved over to Imperial Oil on departure. Algoscotia most commonly runs between Halifax and Sydney, NS.

 While Algoscotia was at Pier 27 April 8, there was a tank truck on the dock (not visible in the photo) possibly for refueling or possibly to take off tank washings.

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Yellowbill - new for Canfornav - CORRECTED

 Canada Forest Navigation, CANFORNAVfor short, is a growing Canadian based deep sea shipping company. Its current fleet of 47 ships trade internationally in and out of the Great Lakes. All owned or chartered bulk carriers, they are registered offshore. Their green hull colour is distinctive - as are the ship's names which are all species of ducks. 

 One of their newest ships, the Handysize Yellowbill, arrived in Halifax this afternoon, April 17, and anchored in the lower harbour. It was soon met by the launch Halmar presumably bearing inspectors from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 

At 32 m wide, it is too large for the St.Lawrence Seaway and comes in at 25,069 gt, 39,633 dwt and carries four 31 tonne SWL cranes. It was delivered in Jul 2025 by Saiki Heavy Industries in Saiki, Japan. CANFORNAV ships are frequent grain carriers, despite the name of the operating company.

 The ship arrived from Asian ports, most recently Singapore, and is due to sail this evening for Quebec City likely for grain.

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Polar Prince

 The privately owned icebreaker Polar Prince got away from its winter layup berth at COVE (the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship) this morning for a day at sea. Since 2021 the ship has been operated by Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services Ltd, It serves as a training vessel for Miawpukek First Nation seafarers, but also carries out expedition and research work.

Built in 1959 by Davie Shipbuilding + Repair Co Ltd in Lauzon as CGS Sir Humphrey Gilbert, it received a major rebuild at Halifax Shipyards in 1983 when it was given a new, stronger bow. It was declared surplus in 2001 and renamed 2001-06 until  sold in 2002 and renamed Gilbert I and soon after, Polar Prince. Since then it has engaged in a variety of work in the north including seismic research, and the notable 2017 C3 Expedition. It was given the temporary, unoffical name of Canada C3 for its trip from Toronto to Victoria via the Northwest Passage.  

Its trip to sea today (April 16) nearly coincides with the sinking of the Titanic April 15, 2012. That event, with the tragic loss of 1500 lives, and the resulting fascination with the event, resulted in the best known but most unfortunate event in the story of the Polar Prince. The ship was the mother ship for the submersible ROV Titan which imploded while descending to the Titanic wreck site on June 18, 2023. All five persons on baord died including the founder of OceanGate, the expedition organizer and owner of the submersible.

Wreckage of the ROV (Remotely Operated Vessel) was subsequently located 500 meters from the bow of the Titanic wreck in 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) of water.

The Polar Prince has been the subject of nearly a dozen posts on this blog over the years. Search for these posts will turn up numerous photos.

 

More Cars

 A new to Halifax auto carrier arrived in Halifax this afternoon, April 15, after spending some time anchored offshore. The Morning Chant is on the usual Wallenius Wilhelmsen transatlantic service from Goteborg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp and Zeebrugge.

Built in 2014 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Gunsan, it is a 59,615 gt, 20.190 dwt ship with a capacity of 6,674 cars.

The ship's movements prior to this loop show a departure from Shanghai January 21 then calling in Civitavecchia March 2 to 4, Koper, Piraeus and Izmir before heading for Goteborg.

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Aircraft components and Euro fuel

 The multi-purpose general cargo ship Unistar arrived this morning, April 14, at Pier 9C to offload aircraft components from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

 

Despite the pier being full of wind farm parts and pieces, enclosed in whire wrap, there was still room to land to plane parts to waiting trucks. 

The Unistar is 6351 gt, 9688 dwt ship built initially in 2012 by Jiangsu Yangzi Changbo Shipbuilding in Jiangjiang, China, and completed by Volharding, Foxhol. It started off with the name Sinus Roris but was renamed Thorco Autora later in 2012 and became Unistar in 2027. It is equipped with portable tween decks (some of which can be seen stowed on deck) and two 60 tonne SWL cranes, The cranes can work in tandem for a 160 tonne lift. The ship can also carry 258 TEU on deck and 210 TEU below.

In failing light and a stiff breeze, the ship let go from Pier 9C and headed to Bedford Basin to turn (without tug assisatance) and put out to sea destined for Point Comfort, Texas.
 

 In the late afternoon the tanker Canal Street arrived from Antwerp, Belgium with refined product for Imperial Oil.

 The ship was delivered in 2012 by Onomichi Zosen with the name Pacific Topaz, which it carried until 2014. It is a typical long range tanker of 28,426 gt, 49,993 dwt. 

Its name is likely from the well known street in Lower Manhattan, New York, but there is also a Canal Street on the Dartmouth side of Halifax harbour. It was the site of an ambitious project to link Halifax harbour with the Bay of Fundy, using an ancient canoe route. Portages were to be replaced with locks and access to the Canal in Dartmouth Cove was via an inclined plane. The project began in 1826, was in used by 1856 but was not completed until 1861. It was closed in 1871 with the advent of railroads. 

The inclind plane has been replicated as a static display and parts of the inland locks have been preserved. Canal Street is a short street roughly parallel to the canal entrance / outfall.

Algoma East Coast

 The new product tanker Algoma East Coast arrived in Halifax today, April 13, on its delivery trip from the Hyundai Mipo shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. 

 

The ship, which is carrying the Liberian flag temporarily, has yet to carry a cargo. It will undergo Canadian regulatory inspection here, and will transfer to Canadian flag over the next few days.

A thin weld bead of the outline of Saint John is faintly visible on the transom.

 It will then proceed to Saint John, NB to load cargo for Irving Oil and assume its spot in the usual port rotation, delivering refined product to Halifax, Charlottetown and St.John's. It will be an occasional caller in other ports including Quebec City and Montreal and some US ports such as Boston.

The ABS Ice Class 1B ship measures 23,451 gt, 37,242 dwt and includes many features such as cold-ironing (shore power) capable and methanol fuel ready.

The ice knife, installed above and in line with the rudder, prevents ice from jamming the rudder when backing or turning. The hull plating is also thicker to well above the waterline. The transition line is visible in the photo.

Irving Oil has chartered the ship from Algoma Tankers Ltd, and unlike Irving Oil's most recently chartered ships, this one bears no indication of any connection with Irving Oil. It is painted in Algoma Tankers colours and carries the parent company  Algoma Central Corporation "bear" funnel mark and bow crest.   

The ship takes the place of the similarly sized East Coast (23,552 gt, 37,515 dwt) which completed a twenty year charter from Vroon last month and has since been reported in Turkey for refit.  It arrived inYaklova on March 31. 

Irving Oil has contracted with Algoma for two ships, and the second, the Algoma Acadian, has departed  Korea and has been reported arriving in Tarjun, Indonesia, April 7. It will replace the chartered Acadian which is currently unloading at Irving Oil's terminal in Halifax harbour.

 Acadian in Halifax April 5 (it has since been to Charlottetown and Saint John)

 Acadian will be the last ship to carry the well known Irving Oil colours of green boot topping, "biscuit" hull colour and black capped yellow funnel with the Irving logo. It arrived in Halifax April 12.

Algoma Tankers was established in 1998 to take over the Imperial Oil domestic product tanker fleet. It has since become the premier Canadian flag tanker operator with nine ships. It also has an interest in one foreign flag tanker with ten more under construction.

The Algoma East Coast will soon become a familiar sight in Halifax, but seldom in the Narrows. It is seen on arrival today coming alongside Pier 9B. It shows some "lock rash" from its recent Panama Canal passage.

 

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