Though it has few natural enemies, this Harbour Hopper has fallen victim to the Ruggles, and is dragged back to its lair to be disemboweled
Harbour Hopper
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Category Archives: oops
TSB Report into Arca1 Grounding
The Transportation Safety Board released its report into the Grounding of the Arca 1 Off Sydney NS. The investigation found that
the main propulsion clutch was not checked and adjusted before or during the voyage as per the manufacturer’s recommendation. As a result, the clutch failed due to slippage, causing the loss of port propulsion and a reduction of vessel speed. The loss of speed increased the time required to reach Sydney, preventing the vessel’s arrival before weather deteriorated. The vessel gradually could not continue moving forward in the severe weather, causing it to drift to the west. The anchor was deployed to attempt to secure the vessel, but it could not hold and the vessel continued to drift further west towards the shore until it ran aground.
as well, the report notes
the master was not qualified to act as master of the vessel and the motorman was not qualified to act as chief engineer. Voyage planning was carried out in a manner that was not consistent with best practices, as contingencies and limitations were not taken into account.
You can read the Report Here (PDF).
Breaking:Nordika Desgagnés Loses Steering Off Cape Breton
The Nordika Desgagnés has lost steering off cape breton. She Sailed from Montreal bound for Sydney Austrailia. CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell is on scene and A tug has been dispatched by the vessel owner to tow the Nordika Desgagnes to Port.
(Above) current location via Marine Traffic. (Below) CCGS On Scene Photo.
This Story will be continually be updated at http://blog.halifaxshippingnews.ca/2018/03/breakingnordika-desgagnes-looses-steering-off-cape-breton.html
UPDATE 03/16 12:00:
the ship is apparently facing some weather, and is still in roughly the same area of the Ocean.
The M/V Nordika Desgagnés, a multi-purpose cargo ship built in 2010. With a length of143meters, she has a dead weight of17,000tons and a carrying capacity of nearly 20,000cubic meters excluding the main deck, at a draft of 9.70meters. She is equipped with two cranes of 250tons capacity each which can be combined to lift a total of 500tons,has an additional80-ton crane, holds an ice class equivalent to Lloyd’s 1A and can reach a speed of 15knots. a full spec sheet is available (PDF)
UPDATE 13:14:
Reports are that she is now bound for Port Hawksbury under tow by supply vessel Atlantic Tern
UPDATE 16:00:
CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell was relieved by CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent. apparently Atlantic Larch attempted the tow first last night, but the tow line failed.
Final Update: the Nordika Desgagnés has been towed to Port Hawksbury, reportedly with Hull damage after one of her cranes came loose. the Tug, Atlantic Tern tied up in Halifax over the weekend.
Derailment in Rockingham Yard
Looks like a couple of empty cars were pushed beyond the end of track, causing a derailment. This occurred on the yard tracks, so it was likely a low speed affair. CN has recently made a number of changes to the tracks here.
TSB Report Into Near Collision of the Summer Bay and Grandeur of the Seas.
On June 29, 2016 the Tour boat Summer Bay had a very near miss with the Grandeur of the Seas. From the TSB Report
the master of the Summer Bay altered course to 071° and crossed the bulbous bow of the Grandeur of the Seas at a distance of about 25 m. The fog signal from the Grandeur of the Seas was heard on the Summer Bay about 10 seconds prior to the course alteration. The Grandeur of the Seas bridge team was unaware that the Summer Bay was crossing their bow until the pilot saw the Summer Bay‘s mast as it appeared from underneath the bow on the starboard side, after it had already crossed.
the weather at the time was foggy, and the Summer Bay altered course, from the pre-arranged passing plan while in the Grandeur of the Seas radar blind spot.
the report indicates that the master of the Summer bay was new to Murphys, and had limited experience operating vessels in Halifax Harbour and in low visibility. Murphy’s also lacked procedures for operations in low visibility.
Murphy’s the Cable Wharf has made the following changes to its tour vessels:
- It has added automatic identification system units to all vessels except those that are amphibious.
- It has developed standard operating procedures for its vessel masters in reduced‑visibility conditions.
- It has commissioned an external audit of its safety management system.
Given the recent issue with the Harbour Queen, one should question if these changes were enough.
The full report can be read at http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/2016/m16a0141/m16a0141.asp
Harbour Queen 1 runs into trouble. Rescued.
The Halifax tour boat Harbour Queen 1 appears to have run into trouble around 8:30pm tonight. the vessel was attended to by Atlantic Oak, Halifax Tugger, and the Coast guard. Passengers were evacuated to the Peggys Cove Express and the vessel was reported secure along side the cable wharf by Halifax Tugger just after 9pm.
I have no additional details – will update when i learn more.
Update. I have seen photos posted to Facebook the show the harbour queen on breakwater rocks at point pleasant park along halterm. The photos can be found at: https://m.facebook.com/groups/260587024079958?view=permalink&id=963367327135254
The story so far is that the harbour Queen Lost power and dropped anchor. She began dragging the anchor. Peggy’s Cove Express Evacuated the 32 passengers off the harbour queen before she drifted on the rocks. Halifax Tugger and Atlantic oak then pulled her off the rocks and returned her to the cable wharf.
Sailing Vessel Sorca runs into trouble, crew rescued
The Sailing vessel Sorca, has been lost, while on her way to Bermuda. The Sorca was a regular caller in Halifax, and requested assistance after she began to take on water 155nm SE of Halifax. The Joint Rescue Coordination center dispatched a Hercules and a cormorant helicopter. The 4 Sailors aboard the Sorca were rescued by the Onego Capri. the Cormorant then hoisted the crew and brought them to Halifax airport.
Sorca was built in 1978 in Lunenburg
Yacht Hop Aground in St. Martin
The former trawler Cape Chidley, was laid up in Lunenburg for a number of years. She was modified, and renamed Yacht Hop, and Sailed South.
She has apparently broke free in late February and is now aground on the beach.
we wrote about the conversion earlier
Thorco Crown Safe in Sydney
The Thorco Crown was successfully towed to Sydney by Svitzer Bedford, and tied up last night. The vessel was sailing of Newfoundland, when she suffered an Engine room Fire and lost power. Thorco Crown is 3 years old. Svitzer has 3 tugs based in the port Hawksbury area. After the Thorco Crown Lost power, the CCGS William Alexander was able to take her under tow.
M/V Arrow Oil Spill circa 1970
ARROW was an enlarged version of the standard American wartime tanker design. She was one of the oldest tankers in the fleet of Aristotle Onassis, owned by the holding company Sunstone Marine Panama. At only 11379 Tons, she is about the size of AlgoCanada, one of the many products tankers that frequent Halifax.
On February 4, 1970 ARROW was approaching Port Hawkesbury under charter to Imperial Oil Limited and just about to complete a voyage from Aruba. She was carrying 10 million litres of Bunker “C” oil bound for a paper company near Point Tupper. Entering Chedabucto Bay, the tanker encountered severe weather and gale force winds. She ran aground on Cerberus Rock, a well-known navigational hazard that lies in wait just below the surface of the bay. While it initially appeared that there was no threat of fuel leakage, the heavy weather continued to pound the stricken tanker.
Imperial Oil issued an oil spill alert and the crew were evacuated. By the next day, an oil slick one mile long had formed and on the 8th, the ship finally split in two, with the stern sinking in deeper water. Attempts to take off the cargo were not successful nor were the attempts to recover her stern. In all, about 10,330 tons of fuel were spilled, coating 75 miles of the shoreline with thick black sludge threatening wildlife and the fishery.
Shore cleanup was a long difficult process as was the transfer of what was left of the oil aboard ARROW to the barge, IRVING WHALE (Ironically the IRVING WHALE became an another environmental concern a few months later when she sank off Prince Edward Island with oil and PCBs which had to be recovered in 1996.) The final retrieval of oil from the ARROW wreck was completed on April 11 and pioneered many clean-up techniques used in later tanker disasters.
