the french navy support vessel BSAH Rhone is due to sail at 4pm today from the dockyard.
the ship arrved earlier this week on a circumnavigation of the world via the North-east passage, and the Panama Canal. She will be returning to her home port of Brest.
USS Witchita,LCS-13, the newest Freedom Class Littoral combat ship arrived this morning. The ship is headed to her home port after completing construction in Wisconsin, and being accepted by the US Navy August 22. USS Sioux City Arrived on the 6th, having also been delivered on the 22nd of August. She was the first LCS I missed photographing due to work and weather.
The others to Call So far include:
USS Freedom – Nov 2008
USS Fort Worth – Aug 2012
USS Milwaukee – Dec 2015
USS Detroit – Nov 2016
USS Little Rock – April 2018
Tuesday features tow visits by foreign naval vessels.
the First – USS Witchita, the newest Freedom Class Littoral combat ship is due in the morning, likely tieing up at the dockyard around 7:30 am. the ship is headed to her home port after completing construction in Wisconsin, and being accepted by the US Navy.
the second ship – BSAH Rhone is a support ship belonging to the French Navy. Bâtiment de soutien et d’assistance hauturiers (BSAH) vessles will be used by the French Navy for rescue missions, environmental protection, work in military ports and general support for other navy units.Commissioned in June of this year, the ship is the second of four vessels in her class.
ths ship is on quite a tour – She tied up in Esquimalt at the end of September.
BSAH Rhone will be a dockyard 3:45-4pm ish.
KNM Helge is a Nansen Class Frigate. Pictured is KNM Thor Heyerdahl on a2012 port visit to Halifax
The Norwegian frigate KNM Helge Ingstad was stuck early this morning by the tanker SOLA TS while anchored west of Bergen. The tanker had just loaded North Sea Crude oil, and was departing the fjord when the incident happened.
the frigate appears to have been stuck in the stern area, and flooding continues, with the latest images showing the frigate nearly on its side, a significantly worse state then shortly after the collision, when the frigate was simply low in the stern. the ship also appears to have deliberately run aground at the bow, in an attempt to keep the ship from sinking,
the Frigate was participating in the Nato Exercise Trident Juncture, which also featured Canadian frigates HMCS Halifax and HMCS Toronto. the 137 crew members were able to evacuate the ship, with 7 minor injuries reported. Marine traffic reports the frigate was not broadcasting AIS at the time.
UPDATE 11/09:
New imagery from the Norwegians this morning. looks like the ship has settled on her side. She was not broadcasting AIS at the time of the collision, and appears to have been holed by the tankers protruding anchor hawsepipe, which looks to have left a large gash from the hanger aft.
Still taken from this video
from yesterday:
Just speculation; looks like these might be collision points on 🇳🇴frigate KNM Helge Ingstad and 🇲🇹tanker Sola TS. No other part of tanker hull that sharp, and strong too to take anchor strain. Damage below waterline prob. from bulbous bow. #shipspotting #HelgeIngstad pic.twitter.com/csFlKMmxHm
— Daniel Wilson (@danielw_rosala) November 8, 2018
Images of the damage caused to #Norwegian #frigate #HELGE INGSTAD F313 from #collision with tanker SOLA TS. Views are obvioiusly before the ship partially sank. The below-water damage to the ship was more extensive than the photos can show. pic.twitter.com/7Nbgo8U7Bc
— Chris Cavas (@CavasShips) November 8, 2018
Update 11/10:
she looks to be down more on her side.
Update 11/13:
Shes Sunk. Overnight the 7 lines holding the ship to shore broke, and she slipped beneath the waves. The Norwegian government announced on the 12th that the ship was secure.
Word is she was actually sailing when the incident occured, and not anchored, and was aware of the presence of the outgoing tanker. An audio log obtained by Norwegian media has revealed that the frigate failed to change course despite repeated warnings that she was on collision course with the tanker. Significant questions about Seamanship and damage control need to be asked after this incident.
Update 11/14
#HelgeIngstad: radar and radio logs indicate she was speeding south at 17 knots. Minutes before collision, Sola appeared to suggest Ingstad to swing stbd (pass portside to portside), but Ingstad feared getting too close to shore, so tried to pass stbd-stbd https://t.co/E7yRRzzZJ5 pic.twitter.com/ItoHSmH9TO
— Timothy Choi (@TimDotChoi) November 10, 2018
The USS Sioux City is due for a Port visit today, arriving at the dockyard around 1:15.
A Freedom Class Littoral Combat ship, she is on her delivery trip from the builders in Marinette Wisconsin. USS Wichita is also on a delivery trip, and currently tied up in Montreal
USS Freedom – Nov 2008
USS Fort Worth – Aug 2012
USS Milwaukee – Dec 2015
USS Detroit – Nov 2016
USS Little Rock – April 2018
the class will feature 8 more ships.
Managed to get a better picture of her over the weekend.
the Royal Fleet Auxillery oiler RFA Tidespring arriving in the harbour.
the ship went into service, and is likely bound to join the Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth currently anchored in New York Harbour. Photos are via NS Webcams – more to come later.
the Noon hour brought the arrival of the French Rubis class submarine. the exact identity is currently secret, but it would have to be one of the 6 boats in the class.
Powered by a nuclear reactor, she tied up at Shearwater.
The Tug Glenivis met the sub off Maugher’s beach with a barge, and recovered a towed array. this suggests the array may have gotten stuck in the deployed position and this was an unplanned stop to deal with that.
UPDATE: Marlant tweeted that the sub is FS Améthyste, and is here to re-supply.
A french Nuclear submarine is due in port tomorrow around noon, and will be tying up at Shearwater. The French Navy last had a Submarine here in September 2016.
Updates will be posted at https://blog.halifaxshippingnews.ca/2018/10/french-submarine-due-tomorrow.html
The Bay class icebreaking tug USCGC KATMAI BAY arrived at Tall ships Quay overnight.
the Bay class usually works in the great lakes, breaking ice, the ship is likely headed back to her home port of at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
Katmai Bay, is named after an area of saltwater shoreline in the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, is the lead ship of a class.
