Tokyo Express - reuse, recycle

Like most many shipping companies HAPAG-Lloyd has a theme for its ship's names, Nowadays its container ships use a city name and the word "Express". The cities chosen are important trading, manufacturing or business centres or ports, and there seems to be a limited number of each. Therefore the names are re-used. New ships are often assigned the names of the most prestigious cities, sometimes commandeering the names from existing ships which are then given the names of lesser cities. (This is how we finally got a Halifax Express in 2002, After being a city in waiting for decades a new New York Express usurped the name from an older ship, which was demoted to our city.)

Today's arrival has always carried the name Tokyo Express since it was built in 2000 by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd in Ulsan, South Korea. The 54,465 grt, 67,145 dwt ship, with a capacity of 4890 TEU (including 370 reefers) may lose its name when a newer larger ship needs to be named for an important city. Ships of her size are considered inefficient in this age of meaga ships, so that could happen sooner rather than later.

The ship is not the first ship named for that port, however its predecessor used a German spelling. Tokio Express came from Hamburg's Blohm+Voss Steinwerder yard in 1973. At 57,802 grt it had a more modest 49,532 dwt and a container capacity of  just 2894 TEU. It was powered with steam turbine machinery developing an impressive 81,132 shp for a speed of 23 knots.

The newer Tokyo Express makes do with a 7 cylinder Burmeister+Wain diesel engine, built under license by Hyundai, of 54,438 bhp. Despite ship's greater cargo capacity it is rated for a 23 knot cruising speed. The improvement in engine and hull efficiency alone over a 25 year period is remarkable.
 

The earlier Tokio Express was reassigned for a year in 1984 and renamed Scandutch Edo, but reverted to Tokio Express again in 1985 and served out its years as such until it arrived in Jiangyin, China for scrapping January 10, 2000. It was a regular caller in Halifax in the mid 1990s.

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Venture -a bulker, plus tankers and a few containers

The self-unloading bulker Venture anchored in Bedfrod Basin for bunkers today. The ship is the former Klavenes owned Balder. When Klavenes sold off its self-unloader fleet to CSL and Algoma last year, this ship went to Marbulk Shipping Ltds a copmany that is 50/50 owned by Algoma and CSL.

The 30,739 grt, 48,184 dwt ship dates from 2002 when it was built by Oshima Shipbuilding of Japan. It features a unique self-unloadfing system with a travelling shelter that contains the cargo reclaimer.  It has loaded gypsum in Halifax from time to time, but is more frequentlyu used to carry coal and aggregates where the deck housing is used to contain dust.

Since taking over the ship in January Marbulk has succeeded in painting out the Klavenes "K" on the funnel and paiting on the new name. Over time it will eventually get the black hull with blue funnel and golden seahorse used by Marbulk ships for many years.

Also at anchor in Bedford Basin, and also due to take bunkers is the tranker Citrine. Operated by Sinok Petrochemical Co Ltd of Soeul, South Korea, the ship was built in the same country by SPP Shipbuilding Co of Sacheon.  A typical handysize it measures 29,767 grt, 49,990 dwt.

Another Korean built tanker sailed today from anchorage in the lower harbour. Skyros (see previous posts) used the tug Atlantic Fir to turn seaward due to strong winds.

It was a slow day for containers with only the small Icelandic Steamship Co (Eimskip) carrier Bruarfoss calling at Halterm. On sailing it met the Halifax Tugger inbound from the Northwest Arm. The tug had already been to Bedford today, likely assisting the various yacht clubs to launch boats.

Bruarfoss was built in 1992 by Orskov Christensens in Frederikshavn, Denmark. It was launched as Maersk Forto but renamed Maersk Euro Quarto on entering service. It became Bruarfoss in 2001 and has been a frequent caller on Eimskip's Green Line service to Argentia, Halifax, Portland and Boston and  Iceland to Europe.
http://eimskip.is/EN/about/schedule/Amer%C3%ADkulei%C3%B0.html

Algoma Mariner completed unloading its grain cargo amd sailed this evening for Saint John, NB in ballast.

Using its powerful thruster and the tug Atlantic Oak to get off the dock the ship moved from the shelter of the camber there was quite a chop off the end of the pier as the ship moved into the wind. 

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Delays

The tanker Skyros moved out from Imperial Oil to an anchorage today and was expected to sail this afternoon. However that did not happen, and no new ETD has been posted.

Note the silhouetted crew members standing bridge watch while the ship is at anchor.

Meanwhile the ferry Christopher Stannix was busy shuttling back and forth on the Woodside run. The Woodside route, normally served by two ferries, was down to one boat this morning and thus running on a half hour schedule. Halifax Transit cited "staffing issues" for the service reduction.
It does seem odd that they could not find staff willing to work. Could this be a polite way of saying that they have some labour relations problems?   

In the background several McNally Construction barges are spudded down off the old Coast Guard base in Dartmouth.

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Algoma Mariner - correction

Arriving at pier 25-26 this morning the coastal class laker Algoma Mariner is carrying the season's first cargo of grain from the Great Lakes.

Algoma Mariner secured at pier 25-26, positioned to use its self-unloader boom to discharge into the grain gallery. Its cargo will be transferred by conveyors to the grain elevators.

Completed in 2011 by Chengxi Shipyard in China the ship was the first new Canadian laker built since 1985. The forebody of the ship was built in 2009 and it was intended to be joined with the after section of the Algoport. However that ship sank en route to China and a new after section was built and joined on in 2011. It is therefore a precursor of the Equinox class of lakers for Algoma Central Corp. These modern ships incorporate numerous 'green' initiatives and other efficient features.


Algoma Mariner is built to maximum St.Lawrence Seaway dimensions of 740' x 77'-11", but its hull design permits it to conduct coastal voyages to the Gulf of St.Lawrence and  beyond to such ports as Saint John, NB and Portland, ME.


The ship wintered in Mechins, QC sand was upbound on the Seaway March 29, and downbound April 9. The ship's cargo on this trip is feed (likely corn) for local consumption, loaded in Windsor, ON. grain, loaded at Thunder Bay. [Thanks to reader Andy for this correction.]


See also: http://www.algonet.com/business-units/domestic-shipping/fleet-renewal/algoma-mariner/

By late afternoon unloading was well underway and was expected to be completed during the night.
The unloading speed is governed by the capacity of the shoreside conveyor sysatem. The ship itself can self-unload at a rate of up to 5440 tonnes per hour depending on the cargo.

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Allise P in daylight

Although the ship has been a regular caller for Hapag-Lloyd since February 2015 I never seem to catch it during daylight hours. Most ships like to arrive in the early morning and sail in the late afternoon or evening and winter lighting conditions make it hard to get good photos.

Today Allise P arrived at the pilot station at 1500 hrs, and transited the Narrows just at 1600.

 Atlantic Willlow paces the ship through the Narrows and is about to come alongside near the bow.

Once into the Basin the Atlantic Fir, the stern escort tug, swung the ship around with Atlantic Willow assisting on the bow.

 The Atlantic Fir is new to Halifax and at 5,000 bhp can handle stern tethered escort work, as can sister Atlantic Oak.

Allise P was built in 2007 by Hyundai, Ulsan for Stefan Patjens Reederei, GmbH as Maersk Dubrovnik. It operated in the China, Korea, India, Asia loop known as the Chennai Express.
The 5041 TEU ship took its present name in 2014 on completion of the charter to Maersk. It measures 53,481 grt, 53,900 dwt.

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Nanny sails, Skyros and Elka Elefsis unload at Esso

Nanny completed unloading product for Wilson's Fuels and sailed for Come by Chance this afternoon.

After springing off the dock, she made a tight turn right off pier 9, unassisted by tugs, and headed for sea, passing west of George's Island.

 By the time I unlimbered the camera for a shot over toward Imperial Oil, the sun had faded again.
 Once more there are two Greek tankers tied up there.

Skyros arrived last night and is tied up at number 3 dock. Built by Hyundai Mipo the 23,270 grt, 36,660 dwt tanker is small for the handysize range, which usually goes at 50,000 dwt. This may explain why it has had a series of names and owners since built as Adonis in 2006. In the same year it was renamed Omega Princess, and in 2013 became Juniper 2. Later in 2013 it was renamed Morgane and in February of this year took its present name for Eletson Corp.


Elka Elefis is still at number 3 dock. It arrived April 1 and anchored in Bedford Basin http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2016/04/greek-tankers-in-basin-and-at-imperial.html 
and moved to the oil dock April 5.

It has been gradually discharging ever since. (April 10 photo).

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Another busy weekend

Stormy weather at the end of last week, and some mechanical "issues" meant some ships spent longer in port or arrived later than expected. Other ships opted to remain in port rather than sailing into bad weather. All this lead to busy times at the container terminals and in the Bedford Basin anchorages. 

NYK Diana arrived on Thursday.

On Friday it moved out to anchor in Bedford Basin, joining Bahri Jazan which had moved out earlier to layover during the incoming weather.
It was too windy to board pilots for much of the day Friday and several ship werr delayed in arriving. These including NYK Constellation, Dinkeldiep and BBC London.

On Saturday, things had returned to normal and the North Atlantic veteran Atlantic Conveyor arrived on what may be its last trip.

It is debraggled looking as little effort is made to maintain the ship which is expected to head to the scrap yard very soon.

As it arrived the Atlantic Star moved out to anchor, having been in port since Wednesday with "mechanical issues". Atlantic Conveyor then moved alongside Fairveiw Cove.

BBC London was busy at Pier 9C, unloading more riser pipe for Shell's exploration drill ship Stena Icemax. BBC London  was built in 2011 by Dongfang Shipbuilding Group in Yueqing, China as Rhoon. It was renamed in 2014. It measures 7138 grt, 7892 dwt and carrieds a pair of 80 tonne cranes that in combination can lift up to 160 tonnes. 

 Unlike the first shipment, this pipe came with the flotation collars already applied.

As Saturday wore on Bahri Jazan sailed, passing the CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell tied up at pier 9A. The ship spent early Friday morning wandering around Bedford Basin dragging anchor. A pilot was called in and the ship re-established its position. See Halifax Shipping News for a plot of its track.
While Bedfrod Bassin is well sheltered from the sea, it does not provide great "holding ground" for anchored ships. High sided vessels can often find themselves drifting in windy conditions.

After disembarking some technicians by service launch, Atlantic Star sailed at low tide. 

As it made its way through the Narrows, the stern tethered escort tug Atlantic Oak earned its keep by pulling the ship's stern around as it cleared the dogleg at pier 9.

CCGS Hudson went out to Bedford Basin for trials, then cleared for sea.

At the McAsphalt dock in Eastern Passage the tanker Esta Desgagnés made one of its infrequent visits. Normally dedicated to Ultramar service on the St.Lawrence it does make the odd trip to these parts. After bunkering at anchor from Algoma Dartmouth in the afternoon, it returned to the dock then sailed Sunday morning.

A heavy snow fall early Sunday followed freezing rain Saturday night, but it was melting quickly by early afternoon

Nanny is becoming a regular at pier 9 with cargo from Come-by-Chance for Wilson's Fuel. It arrived Sunday morning and connected to the underground pipeline.

BBC London completed unloading its cargo of risers,seen neatly arrayed on pier 9C, and prepared to sail in the evening.

Another North Atlantic veteran Atlantic Compass made a westbound port call today to, making it a three ACL weekend.

Chebucto Pilot sets out as Atlantic Compass sails. It is also carrying the pilot for the next inbound ship.

That ship was the post-Panamax (for now but not for long as the new canal is about to open) OOCL Kaohsiung for Fairview Cove.

A stiff breeze blowing across the Basin gave Atlantic Fir and Atlantic Oak a bit of a workout.

The last daytime arrival was Maersk Palermo in from Montreal. It would normally be here on a Saturday, but was likely slowed by the bad weather Friday and Saturday night.