Monthly Archives: December 2013

2013 in review

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2013 was a good year. we had the most readers yet, and set records for page views in a month and a single day.

In Incidents – the year began in an eventful manor. January brought the tow issues with HMCS Athabaskan. The Tug Craig Trans was abandoned in Halifax,  The Lubov Orlova also broke her tow, and is presumed sunk.

At Halifax Shipyard, The Hero Class program continued, with launched. the FELEX refits continued, and the AOPS Design Contracts were signed. the Joint Support Ship design was chosen and the ships named. The Expansion Also continued, with new piers, and Parking grarage, and the removal of older assembly buildings.
several vessels being

In Service news, March brought the announcement of the New G6 Service. November brought a signed Yarmouth ferry deal

April brought the french warship FS Aquitaine. the year was light in ship visits, with a few USCGnorthland, Seneca, Morrow Bay, and Eagle) Visits early in the year. The german Navy research vessel FGS Planet visited, as did the JMSDF training Squadron, and Royal Navy Survey Vessel HMS Scott. the sole US Navy visitor was USS Nicholas, likely due to the American Budget situation

Several new ships joined the Canadian Fleet – Scunda Bought Scotia Sea, Degagnes bought Bella Degagnes, and Atlantic towing Bought Atlantic Merlin for 2014 Delivery.  HRM also Bought a New Ferry for april 2014 Delivery. Oceanex took delivery of the Connaigra.

New Cranes Arrived at Halterm in August. The Dartmouth Refinery Shutdown, and Converted to a terminal in the fall, after a June announcement. The CSS Acadia turned 100, and Shell spent the sumer looking for offshore oil

MSC Container Ship in trouble off NF

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The JRCC is reporting that 2 helicopters from 103 Squadron have evacuated all non essential crew from a MSC Container ship. Also on scene is CCGS Teleost, and a C-130 from Greenwood. There were 24 persons Aboard.

No word on the Issue, However the ship is reportedly in danger of sinking, 34 NM South of Portugal Cove NL.

More is it becomes Known. Details and Photo from JTF Atlantic Via Twitter.

I believe the vessel may be MSC Aniello,  though that is speculation on my part.

CBC reports the Vessel Is MSC Monterey, Lehave for Newark NJ. Given her location off the great circle route, trouble likely began earlier, and a decision was made to sail for NF.

UPDATE: GCaptain made a phone call to the JRCC, seems a crack has developed in the Hull. Distress call was made around 11am.

The ship was built in 2008 – the same year as the MOL Comfort, which broke its back and sank earlier this year. Halifax Regular Yantain Express rescued the crew off yemen, after a crack in her hull was discovered.

UPDATE: Video from one of the Helo’s below. The SAR case has now been closed, and the vessel is the responsibility of Transport Canada.


JRCC Reported that she was at anchor, Marinetraffic.com shows her position as Placentia Bay

UPDATE DEC 30: The Ships owners today issued a press release.

Liberian flagged container vessel MSC MONTEREY was on her way from Antwerp to Boston when on Friday 27th of December a crack of approximately 1.5 m in the main deck near the superstructure was discovered by the crew. At that moment, the vessel was situated southeast of the coast of Newfoundland. After the crack had extended by approximately 30 cm into the outer hull and the further measures had been coordinated with the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada, the vessel was anchored in the bay of Cape Pine.
The crew consisting of 20 seafarers from Europe and the Philippines is well. Four passengers from the United States and Switzerland which were travelling on MSC MONTEREY have been taken on shore by helicopter as requested by themselves and are doing well. MSC MONTEREY is not posing a danger to the environment. The crack has not resulted in any oil spillages or other hazards.
After close coordination with the authorities, MSC MONTEREY will proceed from Cape Pine to St. Mary’s Bay on Monday morning. This bay provides better shelter against the predicted adverse weather conditions. In St. Mary’s Bay, a local surveyor of Germanischer Lloyd will board the vessel. In addition, a representative of a shipyard and the insurance will inspect the vessel. Jointly, they will develop a concept for a provisional repair which will enable MSC MONTEREY to continue its voyage to its port of destination Boston. REEDEREI NSB is in constant contact with the Emergency Response Service of Germanischer Lloyd in Hamburg.
MSC MONTEREY is expected in St. Mary’s Bay in the early morning hours of December 30.

UPDATE DEC31. The TSB has announced they will be sending investigators tomorrow.

Irving Oil to Replace Wharf?

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Reports are that as a result of the refinery shutdown, Irving Oil is looking to rebuild their wharf at woodside. Irving currently Has a tank farm at woodside, however since their old wharf was condemned, have been accessing it via Imperial Oil. recently core drilling has been taking place in its vicintiy.

With the Shutdown of the refinery, Other Oil Producers will want to have less reliance on Imperial Oils facilities – Especially Irving, who now operated the only east coast refinery in Canada.

(Above – Irving Tanker Acadian at Imperial Oil Wharf) See this ShipFax Post for photos of the old Irving Oil Dock

1 ship Christmas Day

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With the port mostly shutdown for christmas, Only one vessel Arrived. The bulker Garganey arrived and proceeded to anchor. The 24th Brought the arrivals of container vessels Amanda (to anchor) Oceanex Sanderling (Pier 41) and Soul Express (Fairview Cove)

Garganey arrived with a load of grain from the great lakes, and will be topped off before heading overseas.

Cornelia at Pier 31

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the Bulker Cornelia arrived yesterday, and tied up at pier 31. Owned and operated by Minship, she was built in 2001. She has a single deck, with box shaped holds, and can be unloaded via crane and clam shell bucket. Compare this to CSL Acadian’s Self unloading boom, in this case capacity is increased for a decrease in unloading time.

Unsure of her cargo intentions.

UPDATE: Apparently in For hull repairs after bumping a lock on the St Lawrence system.

CSL Acadian

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Hot on the heels of sister ship CSL Metis first visit to Halifax for a load at national Gypsum, CSL Americas Bulker  CSL Acadian arrived last week for some repair work. Like the Metis, She was built as an oil tanker in 1981, and when purchased by CSL, the tanker portion was removed, and a new build bulk carrier forebody installed.

She moved to Anchor this morning. It is believed this is CSL Acadian’s first visit to Halifax.

UPDATE: Apparently she was to have her prop removed and repaired, however the work crew was unable to remove it. She Sailed on the 23rd, but is due to return where another crew will attempt it.

Boat Construction At MMA

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With the Maritime Heritage store gone for the winter, the NSMMA has opened up their shed to the Halifax Art Boat Project.  From their Website:

The Halifax Art Boat Project is a community-focused art project where everybody can come join in building a real, floating, traditional boat right on the waterfront! We’ll launch the boat in Spring and turn it into a beautiful artwork as a community.

Funded by HRM Community Arts and in partnership with the Khyber Centre for the Arts and Eyelevel Gallery, the Halifax Art Boat is a community project inviting all ages and interests to collectively build a carefully designed boat. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and Waterfront Development have generously contributed space and resources as well.

This boat will be used as artist-in-residence housing, waterfront gallery and exhibit space, and sustainable off-grid living model. Featuring the five principles of youth involvement, community building, sustainability, artistic inspiration, and coastal exploration, everyone can explore their recreational interests while enjoying a traditional and fun community building project.

This project promotes individual participation by people who might be interested but who would be limited by financial barriers or otherwise unable to afford enrolling in a program that would offer similar skills and experiences.

Our core team guides the process of this multi-phase project and works hard to create opportunities for involvement of people from different age groups, culture identities, and backgrounds.

We’re also offering an Artist-in-Residence program and gallery which will be curated and operated by a team of artistic peers chosen from and by the local communities. This openness allows for innovative ideas to be quickly implemented and provides a safe mechanism for experimentation and exploration amongst the community and the artists.

In a Maritime province with long-standing cultural ties to coastal recreation, community boat building and strong families and communities, the Art Boat is a celebration and reinvigoration of this identity. Come join us on the Halifax Waterfront!

Last winter the NS Sea School Rebuilt their vessel Dorothea

The plan is to Build This:

So far, they have 2 sides built.

HRM Looks to build More new Ferries

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HRM released an Expressions of interest for the construction of 2 new Ferries. These new vessels will be built to the same plans as the 4th ferry currently under construction by AF Theriault & Son.

From the Document:

Metro Transit’s existing ferries were constructed in 1978 (Dartmouth III and Halifax Ill)
and 1986(Woodside I). As such, these ferries are approaching the end of their economic
lifespan. Metro Transit is currently engaged in a project to expand the ferry fleet with the
construction of an additional vessel in support of planned service improvements on the
Woodside ferry route to be completed in the spring of 2014 and as awarded to A.F.
Theriault & Son Ltd. – (Tender No. 13-009).

HRM now plans to construct two more ferries in years 2014-2015 and 2017-18

The documentation presented to Council surrounding the construction of the 4th ferry mentioned that it was the start of fleet renewal, and that engineering work would be transferable to replacement ferries fro Halifax III and Dartmouth III

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