Poavosa Brave, Palanca Sydney and Nagoya Express

There were a couple of unusual names in the port today, brought in by first time visitors.

The first arrival was Poavosa Brave, a bulk carrier, out of Baie-Comeau with a load of grain. It arrived over night for bunkers, but high winds delayed the start of that operation until evening.

Even the harbour gulls are staying close to the water due to the high wind.

 The ship was built in 2009 by Imabari Zosen of Marugame, Japan as ID North Sea and measures 17,018 grt, 28,367 dwt. Certainly on the small size for bulkers, it still carries four cranes. It is also fitted for carrying deck loads such as timber.
Earlier in 2015 it became Poavosa Brave under the Panama flag, managed by Bidsted of Hellerup, Denmark.
The name Poavosa refers to a dialect of the indigenous Taiwanese language Babuza.


The second arrival was also held up by wind. Instead of heading directly to the McAsphalt dock to unload, Palanca Sydney anchored until conditions improved. The McAspahlt dock consists of dolphins with a light bridgework between and would not stand up to any impact.

Built in 2013 by the 3 Maj Brodigradiliste in Rijeka, Croatia, the 10,830 grt, 14,634 dwt ship is specially fitted to carry asphalt and bitumen. The numerous boilers and other equipment on deck give it quite a different look than a conventional tanker.


Its first name, palanca translated from Spanish means lever or leverage. The second, Sydney could refer to either of the ports of that name, one in Australia, and one in Nova Scotia. 

Other activity in the harbour included the arrival of Nagoya Express on the return, eastbound, leg of its G6 service. This time the ship berthed at Halterm to avoid transiting under the Narrows bridges. Despite its huge deckload it was still quite high in the water, signifying a lot of empties headed back to Asia.

When it was here on the westbound leg it docked at Fairview Cove. Check out the difference in draft and deckloads:Shipfax October 27.

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Halterm Action

All the action was at Halterm today. First ship in was the Maersk Penang berthing at pier 42 early and leaving mid-afternoon. The number of empty Maersk reefers containers on the dock is diminishing as the fall season for produce and fish draws to a close.

Late morning the arrival was CMA CGM Figaro, the most recent first time caller on the Columbus Lopp service of 17 ships.  Built in 2010 by Samsung Shipbuidling and Heavy Industroes of South Korea, it is typical of its class. At 99,931 grt, 109,000 dwt it is rated at 8465 TEU.

 

It flies the French flag, carries Marseille on the sternm but is in fact registered in one of the French ofhsore registries.It will sail after dark this evening.

The late afternoon arrival was the perennial Fritz Reuter on its 15th voyage for Melfi Lines, en route Europe to Cuba and the Caribbean.

 
It has been pictured here before, but to recap, it was built as Maruba Zonda in 2006 by Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard Co Ltd in China, and took its present name on delivery to Norddeutsche Rederei Schuldt of Hamburg. It measure 19,840 grt, 23,732 dwt with a container cpacity od 1732 (including 379 reefers) and carries two 45 tonne cranes.

Altair - barely visible

A foggy drizzly day meant that no sun, star or moon was visible, except Altair (the ship that is) which was barely visible as it worked cargo at pier 31.

Owned by the Hermann Buss group of companies, it is in service with Nirint Lines and unloaded a cargo of nickel sulfides from Cuba.
Although registered in Antigua and Barbuda and owned in Germany, it was built in the Netherlands in 2006 by the Bodewes Shipyard in Hoogezand. A standard Trader 7800 type from that yard it measures 4990 grt, 7804 dwt with a container capacity of 390 (270 reefers). It is equipped with two cranes of 40 tonne SWL  capacity.
Delivered as Altair it was renamed Onego River in 2006, Hansen Scan in 2009, Industrial Hong Kong in 2013 and reverted to Altair later in 2013.
According to shipyard literature the ship has accommodation for a crew of ten, each with a single berth cabin. Working through the likely crew roster, that amounts to a very minimal workforce to run a ship: Captain, 2 mates, 2 engineers, 4 general duty seamen (deck/engine) 1 cook.

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Final Goodbye to Novadock

We got our last look at the remaining section of the Novadock floating drydock today as it "sailed" out of Halifax on the back of Boa Barge 33 in tow of the tug Boa Odin.

The pilot boat Chebucto Pilot (far left) takes the pilot out to the tug Boa Odin at noon.

Within a few minutes, the tug has swing the barge around..

... and is heading outbound. Halifax Tugger took off  the barge deck crew.

The tow made its stately progession to sea. 

Conditions were ideal for the departure, with no seas and no wind. At 1900 hrs this evening, with the tug well offshore it was doing 8.2 knots.

The weather buoy on La Have Bank south of Nov Scotia was recording a height of .5m and south winds 14 gusting to 18 kph (and water temperature of 13 degrees C.)

 Our first look at Novadock was on November 15, 1982, when the tugs Irving Miami and Irving Cedar (assisted by Irving Beech and Irving Teak) towed the larger portion of the dock into Halifax from Sorel, QC where it was built.

A smaller section, built in Pictou, NS, was towed in November 21. The sections were joined and the dock was completed at the shipyard.When the dock was cut in two this time, it was not cut along the same line. Note the position of the control room on the outer wing in the above photo, and compare to today's photos.

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The ones that got away

The mackeral fishermen have stopped fishing off the breakwater at Halterm, and the lobster season hasn't started yet, but there is a different kind of fishing going on.

 No end of boxes at Halterm.

Apparently two twenty foot boxes went overside from pier 41 likely from the ship Zim Vancouver, (the Zim Haifa is at pier 42). One box was recovered, half afloat, by Dominon Diving's Halmar and towed to Dartmouth Cove. Another box is apparently on the bottom, and will likely have to be recovered by crane barge and divers.

 Zim Vancouver at pier 42 in September.

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Tankers

The Canadian flag tanker Nanny tied up at pier 9 yesterday and began to pump its cargo up to Wilson Fuel's tanks on Barrington Street.It is a small tanker of 6544 grt, 9170 dwt.


Owned by Coastal Shipping, part of the Woodward Group of Goose Bay, NL, since 2008 the tanker has retained the name it was given by Swedish owners in 1999. It was built in 1993 by Hyundai Ulsan as Natalie Sif, for Danish owners, and it was under that name that it first appeared in Halifax in July 1998. At that time it loaded equipment to allow it to pump cargo ashore by floating pipeline to remove northern ports.
 

The ship has been back to Halifax, once in June 2012 and again in March 2014, both times for bunkers.

Woodward Group purchases petroleum products on the international market and from Canadian producers and delivers it around Newfoundland and Labrador and to remote northern ports during the summer shipping season.

Unloading operations were winding up this afternoon, and the ship is expected to sail this evening.

Meanwhile in the lower harbour the tanker Zircon made a brief visit to number one anchorage for bunkers. Built earlier this year by SPP Shipbuilding in Sacheon, South Korea, the Marshall Island flag tanker operates for Marina Leasing Ltd of Hong Kong. It measures 29,767 grt, 49,990 dwt.

In for a slightly longer stay is Maersk Magellan at Imperial Oil dock #3. Built in 2010 by Hyundai Mipo, Ulsan, South Korea, as Gan-Trophy It was acquired and renamed by AP Moller in 2013. It is also handy sized at 29,669 grt, 51,551 dwt and  flies the Singapore flag. It arrived yesterday.

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Saint Laurent - and the curse of Portland

While the small cruise ship Saint Laurent was on its way from Halifax to Portland. ME last week, its operators Haimark Line applied in US federal court (in Colorado of all places) for bankruptcy protection under "chapter 11". This US terminology simply means that the company is given time to reorganize before its creditors force liquidation.

Also in Portland the ferry Nova Star was arrested by a creditor as security for payment of outstanding bills.

Saint Laurent in Halifax June 12. On June 18 it sustained serious bow damage in the St.Lawrence Seaway. Repair costs seem to be a factor in the financial woes of the company.

The difference with Saint Laurent appears to be that the creditors are the parent company of the operators and the managers (and perhaps the owners) of the ship. This makes then somewhat more "friendly" and they are apparently willing to allow the ship to continue operating until the finances are straightened out.  The ship has left Portland for Nassau, having cancelled one trip due to weather, but likely to resume its schedule for subsequent cruises.

The parent company Haimark Ltd also operates river cruises in Asia which are not effected.

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