the general cargo ship Boreas sailed for Havana Cuba today after loading a cargo at the grain elevator at Pier 28.
the ship was built in 2008, and is a petite 116m in length. and has been in the Cuba trade as of late making trips to the Island from Dakar, Spain, Las Palmas, and Jamaica.
this past weekend brought two Bulkers to national gypsum. the First was CSL’s Thunder Bay, a trillium class laker. while it was loading, the Handy size Algoma Integrity took to the anchorage in Bedford Basin to wait its turn.
Due to sail tonight at 2230, the CSL Trillium Class self unloading bulk carrier Thunder Bay finishing loading at National Gypsum.
CHCH News in Hamilton interviewed me yesterday via Facetime about my thoughts on the collision between the Alanis and Florence Spirit in the Welland Canal which occurred July 11th. The Canal, and entire lakes shipping industry got lucky that neither ship sunk. You can see the interview here.
The collision was caught by at least two individuals who were out watching ships. the two video’s of the collision are included below. both of these videos were pretty promptly posted to Social Media.
This is crazy. This just happened less than 2 hours ago. Two cargo ships collided in the #WellandCanal. @Welland @WellandTribune. Video courtesy of Jeremy Barton. pic.twitter.com/l1oXNldnYm
— Nathan Howes (@HowesNathan) July 11, 2020
in what was likely a steering failure, the general cargo ship Alanis loaded with wind turbine parts bound for Cleveland, and the bulker Florence Spirit, Port Colburn for Grand Anse PQ collided. It looks as though the Florence Spirit crossed the channel in front of the Alanis, in the video an alarm can be heard sounding prior to the collision.
had the Florence Spirit sunk, across the canal, it could have taken weeks or months to clear the vessel. Photos of the Florence Spirit taken after the collision show it listing and down in the bow, suggesting that the hull was punctured by the Bulbous bow of the Alanis.
Despite Pilots being aboard the vessel, they can do little in the case of a machinery issue. a blockage in the canal would trap ships on both sides of the canal, and would have major trade impacts due to the quantities of bulk product that moves through the canal, including Grain and Iron Ore. Perhaps its time to consider compulsory tugs for vessels transiting the canal.
The Welland Canal is located in Ontario. The 43 km passage is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway system, connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie through the Niagara Peninsula. It enables ships to bypass the Niagara Falls.
Approximately 40million tonnes of cargo are carried through the Canal each year by some 3,000 vessels,of various types. These vessels are comprised of ocean-going vessels, along with Canadian and U.S. lakers.
CSL Tacoma at anchor in the Basin.
Fednav bulker Federal Mosel is sitting at anchor in the inner Harbour.
the ship sailed from Thunder Bay via Port Cartier PQ, and appears to be loaded with grain for export. Built in China in 2017, the ship is on long term charter to fednav. It is unclear why the ship has stopped in Halifax.
CSL Tacoma spent a few days at anchor in the basin, before moving to pier 27 this morning, presumably to take on bunkers. The ship moved to National Gypsum this Afternoon.
floating very high out of the water, the empty wood ship carrier Mcqueen took the inner anchorage for Asian Gypsy moth inspection. Mcqueen sailed from Dafeng China February 23. the ship is due to sail mid afternoon.
Built in 2009 in Japan as Ocean Destiny, the ship took its current name in 2016. it is owned by Hope Well Shipping, based in Shandong.
UPDATE: on departure, the Ship gave Belledune NB as its destination.
The Trillium class laker Baie St. Paul made her Second call to Halifax, stopping at pier 9. the ship visited National Gypsum in June 2019.
So far she is the only trillium Class laker to make to Halifax, though the Trillium Class Bulkers are a more common site, with CSL Tecumseh calling last week, and CSL Tacoma and, Rt. Hon Paul E Martin also making calls in the past.
with no movements into or out of the harbour, since the Ethan sailed yesterday at noon, the First ship of 2019 looks to be the Algoma Verity, due at the pilot at 6:30pm tonight, bound for National Gypsum.
UPDATE 7:25pm: Algoma Verity has twice delayed its arrival, and is now due at 7am tomorrow. the car carrier MEDITERRANEAN HIGHWAY is due at 5:30am, bound for autoport, and will now likely be the first arrival of the New Year. there was one departure today – the tug Spitfire III bound for Saint John.
