New to Halifax - Updated

 A pair of  "new to Halifax" ships arrived today. They are both veteran ships of 17 and 18 years of age however, so are not otherwise new.

First along was MSC Shristi sailing on the Mediterranean Shipping Company's Turkey and Greece service via Sines, Portugal.

 Hyundai, Ulsan built the ship in 2005 for service with K-Line as Venice Bridge. It was renamed Baltic East in 2019, then MSC Shristi in 2020 when acquired by MSC. The 54,519 gt, 64,989 dwt ship has a capacity of 4738 TEU, including 374 reefers.

It is one of the many ships purchased by MSC in the last few years that have projected the line into the position as the world's largest container shipping fleet. The most recent figures I have seen show MSC with 775 ships with a capacity of 5.1 million TEU plus 125 more ships on order. Maersk is in second place with 4.1 million TEU capacity and 33 ships on order.

The second new to Halifax arrival is an auto carrier, but not from one of the fleets we usually see here. Lake Taupo belongs to the Eastern Pacific (UK) Shipping fleet of 22 such ships. 

Built in 2006 by Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co, it served as Morning Miracle for EUKOR until 2017. The 46,800 gt, 12,600 dwt ship has a modest capacity of 4,902 Car Equivalent Units.

The ship was not shown on the Port's vessel schedule, and unusually for an autocarrier is eastbound from Houston, Veracruz and Jacksonville, sailing from the last port of September 16.  The ship also arrived with a slight list to starboard, which makes me wonder if it had an encounter with Hurricane Lee, en route. If so it might be here to re-secure some cargo.

...to be updated if new information is received.

Post Script

I couls see no sign of anything amiss from shofreside, and the ship was happily unloading Volkswagons, presumably made in Mexico. 

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Lee update

 Although there was coastal flooding and shore erosion due to the storm surge, Post Tropical storm Lee did not create the widespread damage to boats and harbours that last year's Hurrucane Fiona did. That is not to belittle the impact of the storm - it was severe - but perhaps it was as much due to wise precautions as to the somewhat less powerful distrurbance.

As previously noted ships vacated Halifax harbour and went well offshore to the east as the storm tracked across mainland Nova Scotia on Septmber 16. For instance the container ship ZIM Iberia which cleared Halifax on Friday September 15 and was destined for New York, instead headed northeasterly and was spotted on AIS well offshore. Similarly the cruise ship Zaandam which sailed on the 15th got ahead of the storm and made for CornerBrook, NL after a day or more at sea.

The heavy load ship GPO Sapphire, which had been anchored off Halifax made for the shelter of Chedabucto Bay. It likely did not anchor because with its Dynamic Positioning capability, it was able to keep station. The huge windage of its deck load of six wind turbine tower components could have put unbearable strain on conventional anchors and chain.

GPO Sapphire anchored off Halifax on September 13.

Speaking of anchors however, the stress was too much for one of those red white and blue navy trot buoys off Macnab's Cove (on the right and left of the photo above.) It and a green navigation buoy were spotted adrift in the harbour, but were later coralled by tugs.

Coastal tankers sought shelter too with Acadian off Lismore and Big Island to the eastern of the Northumberland Strait. (It was bound for Charlottetown.)

Algoscotia and Mia Desgagnés were in St.Ann's Bay (northeast coast of Cape Breton) and not far away the cruise ship Norwegian Joy (which had been due in Halifax September 17) stood by off Wreck Cove (an inauspicious name under the circumstances.)

That made today (Monday, September 18) a double header Norwegian day in Halifax with both Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Pearl in at the same time. They were joined by the Pearl Mist which must have had a rough time of it en route from Portland, ME.

 Wind gusts of 117 kph (72 miles per hour) were recorded at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport (well inland) and there were power outages all over NovA Scotia and New Brunswick. Ship Centreal Eastern (- the home of Shipfax) was without electricity for 28 hours from roughly 0715 hrs ADT Saturday, September 16 to 1100 hrs Sunday, September 17.

The storm was well passed by Sunday, Septemeber 17, but the only commercial activity in the harbour was the arrival and departure of the EM Kea on the Maersk / CMA CGM St-Laurent 1 service. It would normally have been here on Saturday en route from Montreal to Bremerhavem but can quite likely make up the time on the long transatlantic leg.

By today harbour activity had returned to normal (ferry service had been suspended on Saturday for example) with comings and goings at both container terminals. 

CMA CGM Mexico (15,000 plus TEU) made its call (westbound from Tanger Med) at PSA Halifax Atlantic Gateway, along with Tropic Hope...

 ... and Atlantic Sky at PSA Fairview Cove (west bound en route for New York).

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Preparing for Lee

 Hurricane Lee is making its way up the United States eastern seaboard heading directly for southwestern Nova Scotia. By the time it gets here it may be downgraded slightly to a Tropical Storm or Post Tropical storm, but it will still be acccompanied by very high winds, very heavy rain and a storm surge. Highest winds as usual will be on the western side of the track, which would be the Bay of Fundy and southern New Brunswick. However Halifax will not be completely spared, and preparations were well underway today (September 15) to secure ships and boats that will remain in port, and hasten the departure of others for sea.

The heavy load ship GPO Emerald, which arrived August 22, and has been in number one anchorage since September 8, moved alongside the IEL dock in Woodside yesterday. It is the only large ship to remain in port and may require tugs to stay alongside if its lines threaten to part.

The corvette Sackville moved to HMC Dockyard at some point today where it will be sheltered, but also where there are sufficient personel to monitor conditions and lines. (Its lines parted during Hurricane Juan in 2003 and it sank an adjacent luxury yacht.)

Numerous small craft were sent to the shelter of Mill Cove in Bedford Basin. Among them: pilot boats Scotia Pilot and APA No.20, harbour tour boats Silva, Harbour Queen I and Kawartha Spirit, Eagle Beach Construction vessels including Eagle Fury, Eagle Leader and their workboats and floats.

Several pleasure craft were also anchored in the Cove. When Hurricane Juan tracked directly through Halifax Harbour in 2003 it took the harbour tour boat Mar II from its berth in Halifax and cast it up on shore at Dook's Dock (now McAsphalt) in Eastern Passage. The lone crew member on board was helpless and could only ride it out.

All remaining commercial shipping had sailed by 2000 hrs September 15 and there are no pilot orders for arrivals (or departures) for tomorrow when Lee is expected to make landfall. The last ship to sail was ZIM Iberia which followed the cruise ship Zaandam which however gave a destination of Halifax again on September 16. Normally it would be headed for Sydney, but Lee is expected to track in that direction.

The chaos that ensued in 2003, when large ships were allowed to remain in port during Hurricane Juan, will not be repeated but little can be done about flooding along the waterfront due to storm surge. Flooding on shore and power outages could limit port activity for a time.

When Saufi Tabuk's lines parted during Hurricane Juan, it was blown across the camber and struck the Albert Oldendorff damaging containers on deck and the ships themselves. (Both ships were carrying National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia containers.)

Most ships are safer at sea where they can steam well away from the storm track given the advance warnings now available, and can miss the worst conditions. 

With power failures anticipated Shipfax may be off line during the next few days.

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The former CCGS Matthew - finds a new home

 A former research ship once based in Halifax arrived in its new home port of Amherstburg, ON on September 13, where it will be converted for a novel new use.

Built in 1990 by Versatile Pacific Shipyards (former Burrard-Yarrows) in North Vancouver, BC, the 857 gt ship was delivered as the survey vessel CGS Matthew for the Canadian Hydrographic Service. Following tradition the ship was painted all white with a buff funnel. Early survey ships were yachts and and were white painted and several other countries continue the tradition for their survey ships (but not Canada).

The ship had large davits to handle survey launches which were used for charting in shallow water, going ashore for landmarks and other duties. (The launches were usually landed ashore at the Bedford Institute when not actually needed.)  There was also a helicopter landing platform above the open launch stowage area. Another feature was the stack of three bright red dories on the bridge deck, forward of the wheelhouse.

The ship was named Matthew after the caravel sailed by John Cabot in 1497 when he "discovered" Newfoundland. The modern Matthew made numerous survey trips to the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts seasonally and was laid up in winter at the Bedford Institute (BIO) in Halifax.

In 1997 when the Canadian Coast Guard became part of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Canadian Hydrographic Service was also included and the CCGS Matthew was painted in Canadian Coast Guard red and white. It may also have assigned other duties, such as search and rescue, as most CCG ships were multi-tasked.

The Matthew was not a particularly successful vessel and it was given a major refit in 2010 and laid up / retired during a budget cutting exercise. It was never recommissioned, so it was declared surplus in 2015 and renamed 2015-03. However it was not offered for sale until 2016, by which time it had deteriorated and was past the 25 year survey date. The $1.5 mn minimum bid was ludicrous for a neglected vessel and it took six tries before someone bid $279,000 - which was accepted. (It might have fetched the asking price if sold promptly in 2011 - so much for cost cutting.)

The new owners, from Goose Bay, Labrador, had the ship towed to North Sydney in April 2019 where it was drydocked, repainted and recertified by Lloyd's and renamed Miss M J. Plans to convert the vessel to an expedition yacht apparently stalled and it was again offered for sale at $2.5 million (CAN).

I understand that it was sold earlier this year by auction and acquired by a new owner in Amherstburg, ON. The McKeil Marine tug Ecosse took the Miss M J in tow out of Sydney harbour on September 3, as a dead ship. It was joined by the tug Vigilant I to assist it through the Seaway and Welland Canal as far as Windsor, ON where they arrived September 13.

Reports indicate that the new owner will convert the ship for use as a restaurant with overnight Airbnb accommodation. It will remain static at a marina in the Windsor area and will not be operating under its own power.

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RRS Discovery departs and MSC Rachelle departs

 RRS Discovery

The Royal Research Ship Discovery sailed from Halifax early this afternoon, September 13, after a one day stop over. The ship initially arrived August 27 and tied up at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) until August 31. 

 

While tied up at BIO on August 27, the decommissioned CCGS Alfred Needler reflected its red hull colour onto the Discovery.

Discovery then conducted research off Nova Scotia, returning to port yesterday. There was a shortage of dock space at the BIO this time so it berthed at Pier 9C. 

The 5954 gt ship was built by the Friere shipyard in Vigo, Spain in 2013 and delivered to the British Natural Environment Research Council. It carries a full array of oceanographic equipment including lab space. It operates with a marine crew of 24 and can accommodate 28 scientists. While in Canada it is presumably conducting reseach for Fisheries and Oceans Canada because Canada presently does not have the ship(s) to do the work. CCGS Hudson is at the scrapyard and its replacement has not yet been completed by Seaspan in Vancouver. Construction on that ship began in 2021 and it may be completed in 2024.

The Discovery is now due in Sydney, NS on October 2, so is presumably conducting more research for Canada - possibly in the Gulf of St.Lawrence.

As it made its way out of Halifax the Discovery had to give warning signals several times. These blasts made little impression on an armada of kayakers inching their way across the harbour. To be fair to them they would not have had visual contact with the ship when they set out, however they certainly could have held off or put back if they had been attentive to the ship's intended course west of George's Island. They certainly should have retreated to a safer area when the ship made its intentions known. They could also have kept together instead of stringing out like a boom.

A couple of small catboats under sail and a harbour tour boat did heed the warnings and stayed clear.

MSC Rachele

The container ship MSC Rachele sailed today for Barcelona, east bound on the Indusa service.

Dating from 2005 it is a 90,745 gt, 101,898 dwt ship built by Hyundai, Ulsan to their 8000 standard design. Its capacity is reported at 8238 TEU including 700 reefers. 

On May 4, 2022 the ship suffered a gear box explosion and resulting engine room fire in which three crew members were injured - two critically. The ship was enroute from Naples to Marseille-Fos and fortunately the French Marine Nationale amphibious assault helicopter carrier Tonnerre was nearby. It was able to scramble an assessment team and a helicopter to airlift the injured the 60 miles or so to hospital. The ship was completely disabled, but the fire was extinguished before it spread to the cargo. Another French naval vessel, the chartered BSAA Pionnier stood by until commercial tugs out of Marseille arrived and towed MSC Rachelle to port the next day.

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Ocean Explorer - aground in Greenland

 A small cruise ship that called in Halifax on April 29 has run aground on the northeast coast of Greenland. The ship found a rocky ledge on Monday September 11 and although in no immediate danger, it is unable to free itself from its perch and the nearest help is a ship 1200 nautical miles away.

The unusual looking ship was built by China Merchants (Jiangsu) in 2021 using the patented Ulstein X-bow, to improve sea keeping. At 8228 gt it is very small by cruise ship standards and is rated for a maximum 170 passengers in eighty cabins, and 70 crew.  At the time of grounding it reported a total of 206 people aboard, but only 134 of which were passengers.

It will take some time for assistance to arrive. Depending on weather, it may be Friday. The Danish authorities, who are responsible for Search and Rescue in Greenland waters have asked if Iceland can assist. The site of the grounding, in Alpefjord, is about midway between the northern and southern tips of Greenland, on the east coast, to the north of Iceland and well inland in the deeply indented coast.

Updates will follow on a new post.

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Amera - collect the set

 The venerable cruise ship Amera arrived to day, September 9, finally allowing me to add to my personal collection of Royal Viking ships. Starting in 1972-1973 with construction of the Royal Viking Star, Royal Viking Sky and Royal Viking Sea a new design standard was set for fabulously stylish luxuary cruise ships. The three ships all lasted into this century (under many owners and with many changes of name) with the Star finally going to the breakers in 2022. 

 

Royal Viking Line was sold to Klosters in 1984 and they ordered a fourth ship, the larger Royal Viking Sun in 1988. It is that latter ship that had eluded me until its arrival today, under its fourth name: Amera.

Perhaps more restrained than its previous fleet mates, the ship is also free from many of the excesses of current cruise ship design. Built by Wärtsilä at the Perno Shipyard in Turku, Finland in 1988 it carried the name Royal Viking Sun until 1999. 

Royal Viking Lines was dissolved in 1994 but the ship was sold to Cunard Lines and continued to operate under the Royal Viking name until 1999. When Cunard was purchased by Carnival Corp the ship was moved into the Seabourn Cruise Line. The ship operated as Seabourn Sun from 1999 to 2002 when it was transferred to another Carnival brand, Holland America Line, and renamed Prinsendam. Phoenix Reisen acquired the ship in 2018 and on completion of a one year charter to Holland America it was renamed Amera in 2019.

Now registered at 39,051 gt (it was 37,845 gt when built) it now has a capacity of 835 passengers (up from 740 as built) and 443 crew members (down from 460).

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