Wallenius Wilhelmsen - double header

Autocarriers from Wallenius Wilhelmsen are such familiar sights in Halifax that they draw little attention. However when there are two in port at the same time, it is worthy of mention.

Don Carlos picks up its tugs inbound for Autoport.

As per a previous post the Don Carlos arrived at Autoport on Sunday January 29. After discharging a mix of European autos it sailed again at noon time on Monday. While it was at Autoport, its younger sister ship Elektra arrived at Pier 9C early Monday. It offloaded RoRo cargo consisting of the usual hoard of JCBs, several Sandvik mine trucks and a mix of shrink wrapped boats an other wheeled equipment.

Only a small portion of Elektra's cargo had been offloaded when I took this photo.

Elektra dates from 1999 (Don Carlos from 1997) when it was built by Daewoo Okpo. As with its sister, it was lengthened 28 meters in 2005 and is now 67,264 gt, 28,126 dwt with a capacity of 7,194  autos.  Its stern ramp is rated for 125 tonnes. 

The Elektra moved to Autoport this morning (January 31) to unload cars, while the berth at Pier 9C was immediately occupied by the BBC Topaz (see previous post). Autoport operations were delayed today by a 5cm snow fall, so the ship is now scheduled to sail tomorrow Febraury 1.

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BBC Topaz at Pier 9C

The heavy lift ship BBC Topaz arrived at Pier 9C this morning, January 31, to load a consignment of four package boilers, which arrived in Halifax some time ago on rail cars. The boilers were built by IST (Innovative Steam Techologies) based in Cambridge, ON. The "Once Through Heat Recovery Steam Generators" employ waste heat from gas turbines and other industrial processes, to generate steam.

Large green and yellow package boilers on rail cars are positioned along the pier face ready to be lifted on the ship by its own cranes.(A fourth unit is out of sight to the right).

BBC Chartering operates the BBC Topaz which was built in 2010 by Sainty Jiangdu shipyard in China. The 12,810 gt, 14,288 dwt ship is equipped with two 400 tonne capacity and one 80 tonne capacity cranes. It also has large and unobstructed holds with two position tween decks and can be configured to carry a wide variety of heavy and oversize cargoes. With its accommodation block and wheelhouse forward, it can carry high deck loads that would otherwise obstruct visibility. 

The ship was launched as the Eris J but delivered as Industrial Fighter. In 2013 it became HHI Everest then Eris J again in 2014, Daniella in 2015, Eris J in 2015, Industrial Fighter again in 2018 and BBC Topaz in 2019. Although operating in the BBC Chartering fleet the ship is owned by Jüngerhans Heavy-Lift and is still shown as member of the fleet on the Reederei Jüngerhans website as Eris J.

Weather permitting (it is expected to snow all day) the loading should be completed by late afternoon. The boilers, built as package units, are relatively easy to stow, as they don't require special rigging to secure. The destination for the boilers is unknown to me, but the ship is giving an ETA of February 7 for the Panama Canal.

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More Algo - revised

 Algoma Tankers Ltd continues to make the news, this time not with a purchase, but with a sale*. The Algonorth a frequent visitor to Halifax has been sold* to an Algoma partner company Furetank and is en route to Kalundborg, Denmark for handover. A reliable report says that it will be drydocked, then renamed.[Algoma and Furetank operate a 50/50 owned company in European trades]. 

[ Revision - there ship may not have been sold, but has been transferred the 50.50 operation]

The ship was last in Halifax earlier this month, arrriving January 11 from Lévis, QC. After unloading at Imperial Oil, it moved over to Pier 28 where it was bow to bow with one of Algoma's recent additions the Chantaco, which was subsequently renamed Algotitan. The latter is still in Halifax and is due to sail this evening, January 30, for Sydney, NS, with its first cargo.

On January 17 Algonorth moved back to Imperial Oil and loaded for Sydney, sailing January 18. Arriving there January 19 it discharged cargo and departed January 20 for Baltimore.

The purpose of its visit to Baltimore is unknown, but its sailing draft was reported to be 6.7m (nearly 22 ft), so it must have loaded some cargo there. It sailed January 25 and is now due in Kalundborg on February 8.

At 12,164 gt,16,979 dwt, 144m x 23m, the Algonorth has a slightly smaller cargo capacity than the Algotitan's 11,793 gt, 18,734 dwt, 143m x 23m. Built in 2008 it is one year newer than the Algotitan. Both were built in Turkey, but at different yeards, Algonorth at Tuzla Gemi and Algotitan at R.M.K. Tuzla. There must be some feature of the Algonorth that makes it desirable to Furetank, but as previously reported it is due for survey this year.

Algonorth's bright red hull paint and white racing stripe made it an easily identifiable (and admired) member of the Algoma Tankers fleet.

 

Unfortunatetly, several years of work in the Seaway locks left the ship much worse for the wear (at least in appearance).

Algoma did not own the ship long enough for a required drydocking and repainting in traditional Algoma colours, so it was a standout in the fleet even if a bit shop worn. Originally named Gan-Gesture for various Turkish owners it was renamed Ramira in 2009 by Swedish owners Alvtank Rederi AB and carried that name until 2019 when renamed by Algoma.

Algoma Tankers also operates the 2004 built Algoscotia on the east coast. It is a 13,352 gt, 18,610 dwt ship. The company also has ships that see mostly Great Lakes service and rarely travel to the Atlantic. They sold one of those ships earlier this year too. The Algoma Hansa, renamed Algo sailed from Halifax January 21 and is due in Las Palmas February 2 where  it will be drydocked before taking up a new career reported to be as a shuttle tanker, possibly in Africa.

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Polar Circle - heading north

 The icebreaking tug supplier Arctic Circle made a splendid sight when it sailed this afternoon (January 30) for St.John's, NL.

Its Norwegian owners, G.C.Reiber Shipping AS, withdrew the ship from work in the Russian north late last year and it sailed via the Panama Canal arriving in Halifax October 7. Since then it has spent most of the time at anchor in Bedford Basin aside from one quick trip to Boston and back December 16 to 22. It also came alongside for provisions.

There has been much speculation on what might be in store for the ship, including work for the Canadian Coast Guard, to fill in for the CCGS Terry Fox which will be entering a life extension  refit. So far no official announcement has been made, but if a trip to St.John's includes a drydocking, then there might be some news forthcoming.

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Meet and Greet

 The navigation channels leading into Halifax from sea and within the harbour itself can be narrow in places (viz. The Narrows) and therefore large ships heading in opposite directions need to coordinate their "meets". Failure to do so can have disastrous results, and the December 6, 1917 explosion is still a reminder of what can happen. 

There were two big ship meets in Halifax Harbour today, January 29, and both were well co-ordinated by the respective harbour pilots and went off without a hitch.

The first meet was between the inbound MOL Experience heading for PSA Fairview Cove from Antwerp on THE Alliance's AL5 service and NYK Rigel outbound for Southampton on the eastward leg of the same service. The ships arranged to meet "port to port" in the broad section of the lower harbour north of George's Island, with NYK Rigel taking the channel west of George's Island and MOL Experience taking to the east.

As MOL Experience rounds George's Island inbound...

...NYK Rigel passes close to the Halifax shore outbound...

...giving lots of room...

...for the ships to pass each other safely....

.. and for MOL Experience uninterrupted passage to the Narrows and into Bedford Basin.
 

MOL Experience built by Hyundai, Ulsan in 2007, is a 54,098 gt, 62,953 dwt ship with a capacity of 4803 TEU including 330 reefers. It carried the name APL Experience from 2008 to 2010.

NYK Rigel built by Hyundai, Samho in 2009 is a 55,487 gt, 66,051 dwt ship with a capacity of 4922 TEU including 330 reefers.

The other meet was in mid-afternoon and conditions were not quite as placid, as the wind had picked up a bit, however visibility was unlimited and conditions were good. At PSA Halifax Hub, Southend Terminal, the MSC Aniello was getting underway. The ship arrived early this morning from Italy and Portugal to lighter off some cargo to reduce draft before proceeding to Montreal on MSC's Canada Express 1 service.

Once clear of the berth the ship met the inbound autocarrier Don Carlos in the Middle Ground, the area between the Ocean Terminals and the Mauger's Beach lighthouse. MSC Aniello favoured the western side of the channel for a "port to port" meet with Don Carlos in the eastern or main channel.

 

MSC Aniello continued on to the western channel as tugs met the Don Carlos and headed for Autoport.

MSC Aniello dates from 2000 when it was delivered by Hanjin Heavy Industry + Construction in Busan, and is a 40,631 gt, 56,903 dwt ship with a capacity of 4056 TEU including 150 reefers.

Don Carlos was built in 1997 by Daewoo, Okpo and lengthened 8.6 meters in 2006 by Hyundai Vinashin in Vietnam and is now 62,141 gt, 28,147 dwt with a capacity of 7194 CEU. When the ship was lengthened the large billboard lettering on the sides of the ship was not re-centered, giving a slightly unbalanced look.

Not only were these meets an example of well planned pilotage, but the ships themselves represented the major shipbuilders of South Korea.

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Ale moves

 The bulk carrier Ale shifted berths today (January 28) from Pier 9C to Pier 9B. Because the ship is not self-propelled, due to rudder, propellor and hull damage, it took three tugs to perform the "cold move". Atlantic Oak made up astern, Atlantic Willow at the bow and Atlantic Bear took up a position along the starboard side.

The ship's problems began September 14 when it grounded at Long Pond, NL while backing to its berth. The tugs Atlantic Fir from Halifax and Atlantic Larch from Saint John were dispatched to Long Pond and towed the ship to Méchins, QC where it was drydocked for damage survey and temporary repairs. The Italian tug Kamarina was then sent from Rotterdam to tow the ship to Setubal, Portugal for permanent repairs. On leaving drydock December 17 there was more trouble as the ship bumped local tugs and a tanker, and so was towed over to the shelter of Baie-Comeau where the tow was set up. Somewhere in the Gulf of St.Lawrence, while in tow of the Kamarina one of the two legs of the towing bridle (made up of the ship's anchor chain) parted, causing some further damage, and so tug and ship made for Halifax, arriving January 3.

Since then there seems to have been some activity on deck up forward on the ship where the towing rig was set up, but the ship has remained alongside at Pier 9C except for a brief time at anchor January 18 when it was moved off to anchor in Bedford Basin to free the berth for another ship. 

 

In Bedford Basin January 18.

The tug Kamarina has also been idled in the port, much of the time at anchor in Bedford Basin. 

There were some interesting observations from today's move. 

The emergency tow line (or insurance line), leading from the bow is rigged along the port rail. It is secured with light rope, called "yarn" which would break away if the line needed to be retrieved. At sea the end of the line is trailed astern with a float, which can be retrieved by the towing tug in case the main towing line parts completely. Tugging on the line would snap the yarn, freeing the emergency tow line.

It appears that the ship's damaged rudder was removed while in drydock as it is not visible. Some light steel framing appears below the ice knife, which may have been fitted to secure the rudder or prop in place, although the prop is not visible either, so many have been removed too.

It's not uncommon to see bulkheads and frame locations marked out on a ship's hull, along with draft marks and other information, but I don't recall seeing a ship so thoroughly labelled. Reminds me of the tatooed man in the circus.

The small amount of water being discharged near the waterline is likely cooling water from the ship's generators as the main engine is not running. It is likely that the rudder, prop and hull damage may also include distortion of frames and propellor shaft misalignment.  All of which would require extensive repair work.

The 13,579 gt, 17,074 dwt ship was built in 2012 by Taizhou Shanfu Ship Engineering Co in Taizhou, China and is certainly worth repairing. Originally named Raba it sailed for Polish Ocean "Polsteam" until acquired by its current owners and renamed in 2021. Its three cranes have a Safe Working Load of 30 tonnes (24 tonnes with grabs.)

The port of Long Pond, in Conception Bay, NL exports Pyrophyllite or aluminium silicate hydroxide, a chalky talc like substance with many industrial uses. The main deposit in nearby Manuel's, NL, owned by Trinity Resources contains 21 million tons of the stuff, and there is more nearby. It is exported to North America and Europe.

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Right Time, Right Place

 Sometimes you just get lucky. Hoping for a photo of the Algotitan underway, I ventured to Dartmouth this morning (January 27). The ship had returned to anchor yesterday morning to sit out the 100 km per hour gusts and steady high winds and was moving back to Imperial Oil #3 dock for its first load as an Algoma tanker.

The angle of the ship, and the sun position co-operated (they don't always!) for a nice shot from the tug dock.

I expect the ship (the former Chantaco) will be a common sight this winter and over the next several years, but it will be hard to beat this photo.

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