Category Archives: sailing

S/V Theros Disappears, crew found in dingy on Sable Island

The Theros departed the Dartmouth yacht club June 11, and was last heard from June 13th. the vessel with 2 persons on board was due in the Azores on July 2. instead they were found, deceased, in their black dingy when it washed up on sable island July 10th.

Family reported them missing June 18th, after they received no further contact form the couple after the 13th. There was no distress call from the vessel, nor did it appear to carry an epirb.

There was a suggestion that the Theros may have been run over by a LNG Carrier Ineos Intuition. this was based on incomplete AIS Data for the Theros, but the last known position provided by the USCG suggests the Theros was well past the track of Ineos Intuition.

SailGP comes to Halifax

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SailGP comes to Canada and Halifax for the First time this weekend. The series, created by Oracle founder Larry Ellison, is currently in its 4th season. 10 teams, will race F50 one-design multi-hulls around the Harbour Saturday and Sunday. Both days will feature 3 races, with the final race only including the top teams from the previous 5 races.

The Boats are an evolution of the 2017 AC50 boats used for the Americas Cup, and 3 of the hulls were raced in that Americas Cup. as a one design series, all the boats are identical, so winning comes down to ability of the crew of 6 – Helmsman, 2 grinders, tactician, trimmer and flight controller. The F50 name drives from Foiling, and the boats length 50′. if you look closely, you will see the boats skimming through the water on a single foil on the downwind side of the vessel.

The boats typically race at 60-80km/h depending on wind conditions, with the top speed of 99.94km/h being recorded in 2022.

The Dawn of a New Age of Sail?

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I first covered the coming Age of Sail in 2021 in the Herald. The Oracel Wind is now looking at 2027, but construction contracts were signed for the NeoLiner earlier this year.

Beluga Skysails now sails as Onego Duesto, and was in Halifax delivering a load of rail for CN in November 2020. sadly i don’t have a photo of the ship.

Arc Gloria for Port Visit

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The ARC Gloria, Barque of the Colombian Navy arrived for a Port visit Sunday. The ship is currently anchored in the harbour, and will be moving to Tall Ships Quay behind NSP on the morning of the 15th. The ship will be open to the public 9am-10pm. ARC Gloria is currently scheduled to sail at 17:00 on the 18th.

The ship is on a tour to celebrate the bicentennial of the Colombia Navy. It was last in Halifax in 2016.

Built to a Blohm &Voss Design, she is a modern version of the Gorch Fock. The original Gorch Fock was built in 1933, and was taken as war reparations from Germany. Her sisters include NRP Sagres, USCG Eagle, and Mircea. The German Navy built a new Gorch Fock in 1958. the 1933 ship is now a museum in Germany.

Arc Gloria is the Oldest of the Modern Set of 4, Having been built in 1968 at the Astilleros Celaya S.A. shipyard in Bilbao. Her contemporaries Include Cuauhtémoc (1982 Mexico) , Guayas (1977 Ecuador) and Simon Bolivar (1980 Venezuela)

The ship was open to the public most nights until 10 PM, with traditional Colombian music playing. The above photo was taken just after 9pm, and the ship was still busy.

Guyot heading back to Europe

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Guyot, a IMOCA 60 competing in the Ocean Race was bound for Newport RI when it was demasted in a storm. The boat made its way to Halifax after taking fuel from a container ship, and under a jury rig.

The Boat was hauled out this afternoon at Fairview Cove, and placed on a mafi, to be shipped back to Europe for repair. Given the placement on the mafi, it will likely go be shipped via ACL

Mari-Cha III

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A Proper yacht is tied up at Purdys Wharf. The Mari-Chi III was built in 1997, and besides being luxurious also puts up some impressive racing numbers. The Boat set the monohull transatlantic record in (NY to S. England) 1998, crossing in in 8d 23h. she also claimed the fastest ever from Sydney to Hobart in 1999.

She normally sails with a crew of 7, but grows to 25 when shes racing. Interior shots and more information can be found at https://www.mari-cha.com/

The Age of Sail Returns

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This week in the Herald I talk about NeoLine, the French firm that is proposing a new transatlantic service by sail powered RO-RO vessel. The Firm has a shipping commitment from Michelin, which would see this service call in Halifax starting in 2023.

Not to be out done, Wallenius Wilhelmsen plans a sail powered PCTC in 2025. The Orcelle Wind will carry 7000 cars at 11 knots under sail.

Cargo under sail happened in Halifax in 2019 in a very traditional manner with the arrival of the Cargo Schooner Avontuur with a load of coffee bound for Just Us.

Ship Tour Photos

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Some recent additions to our ship tours collections, courtesy of our UK Trip. More Can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/hfxshippingnews/collections/72157633267966243/

HMS Belfast is a Town-class light cruiser that was built for the Royal Navy in 1939. She severed until 1961, and became a museum ship in the 70’s.

Cutty Sark was built in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line, she was one of the last and fastest tea clippers to be built. with the Suez open in 1869, steam ships had an advantage, but she contained sailing in the wool trade, before becoming a sail training vessel.

Golden Hind is a replica of Francis Drakes ship that circumnavigated the world between 1577-1580. the replica was built in 1972, and can be sailed.

HMS Warrior from 1860 is a 40 gun frigate. Notable as the first RN armour-plated, iron-hulled warship, she also has a steam engine. from 1904 she served as a shore establishment, working as an oiler from 1927-1979.

HMS Victory was Nelsons flagship at Trafalgar.

HMS M33 is an M29-class monitor of the Royal Navy built in 1915. She saw active service in the Mediterranean during the First World War, and then served in other rolls until being sold in the as an attraction in 80’s.

Sailing Yacht Hetairos at Purdys Wharf.

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Another proper Yacht tied up at Purdys Wharf on Tuesday. The Hetairos is 66.9m long, and the ketch rig was built with masts that reach the maximum air draft of the Panama Canal. The Yacht was built by Baltic Yachts in 2011, and can sleep 10 in 5 cabins.

More Photos, including Interior shots can be found at Charterworld.com

I originally set out to Photograph the Marie, but it had sailed before i arrived.

#Marie is tied up @PurdysWharf this morning. Certainly stands out from some of the yachts that visit us. @developns pic.twitter.com/6cQTxBVyCe
— Sandy McClearn (@sandymcclearn) July 30, 2019

Activ in Lunenburg

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Activ of London is a three masted top gallant schooner built in Denmark in 1951. the ship has been in Lunenburg since may, undergoing general maintenance and replacement of some of her rigging. the ship will be sailing for Svalbard Norway, where it will play a whaler in an upcoming film. Additional pieces to outfit the ship as a whaler, including boat davits were also added during the work period.

The ship serves as an expedition vessel,and besides film appearances is used to conduct oceans research. The ship was built as Mona, and was originally rigged as a ketch. Post war, Fuel and steel were in short supply, so a few years, it made sense to build small wooden freighters that could sail. Active had a load capacity of 211tons and was used to supply villages on the east coast of Greenland. she was converted to her current rig in 1975.