Category Archives: opps

An Act of Piracy – CCGS Corporal Mclaren is Damaged

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Early Saturday morning, the CCGS Corporal Mclaren was sabotaged, when 2 cables and a chain were cut at the CME Shipyard in Sambro Head. the cradle the boat was on slid back, and the MSPV came off the blocks. there was some water ingress.

From statements made by CME, we know the ship was fine at the midnight check, and in the water at the subsequent check. A call to Halifax fire for fuel leaking from a boat was reported at 0751 by @hrmfirewire on twitter. the yard has cameras, but no fence, so its easy to gain access, though its unclear if anything was caught on tape.

the boat was on the lift for 6 weeks of maintenance. general repair and upkeep. A few modifications were being made the vessel, including new electronics, rope cutters on the shafts, and additional limber holes in the engine room bilge.

 

 

the ship was built by Halifax Shipyards, as the 6th of 9 Hero Class midshore patrol vessels. she first emerged for painting in in May 2013, and the ship was launched in September 2013. the launching was witnessed by Corporal Mclaren’s family, after i was contacted by Canadian Heros, and they were able to get an invite to the launch. the ship was fitted out at pier 9, and went on trials in October, and was accepted by the coast guard at the end of the month. She was formally commissioned in June of 2014, at a ceremony at BIO

CME Posted these photos to their facebook page of the work period.

 

 

Akademik Ioffe Runs Aground in the Arctic.

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The Russian icebreaker Akademik Ioffe, operated for One Ocean Expeditions, ran aground in the Arctic on August 24. the ship left Kugaaruk, Nunavut, on Thursday the 23rd, before grounding in the Gulf of Boothia in the early afternoon Friday.

AIS tracks show the path of the Ship

JRCC dispatched Aircraft from Trenton and Winnipeg, but they arrived on scene 7 hours later. Coast Guard Icebreakers Amundsen and Pierre Raddison also responded, however the closest vessel was the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, also operating for One Ocean Expeditions. Passengers were evacuated by the The Passengers were taken back to Kugaaruk, then flown to Edmonton. Arriving on the 27th.

the Akademik Ioffe was refloated the day after she ran aground. Catherine Lawton, One Ocean Expeditions’s general manager told that CBC that “The hull damage was limited and contained to closed, empty tanks, which are secure from the rest of the ship,” Lawton said. “Those are actively being managed.”  Being managed is a subtle way of saying they are pumping water, meaning the hull is breached. 6 days after the grounding, the ship remains anchored away from the grounding site. The ships owners – the Russian Academy of Science, have yet to file a salvage plan, causing the Coast Guard and Transport Canada to take control of the ship August 28th in order to complete all required inspections and develop a plan to get the ship to its next destination safely

One Ocean has canceled the next 2 tours for the ship, and now that the passengers have returned home, refered all enquireies to the ships owners.

Among the people on board the ship when it grounded was researcher Dr. Donglai Gong who tweeted photos about the experience

Yale also produced this Article about the Experience. In 2010, the Clipper Adventurer also ran aground on a Discovered, but uncharted shoal. the TSB released a report into that incident.

Updates to this story will be posted Here

UPDATE 08/31:

Still no news. and inquiry to the Coast guard referred me to Transport Canada – who have not yet responded. A source told me he heard the vessel was surveyed yesterday by divers.

the ice situation looks interesting.

Note the Location of Nanisivik , in the top left corner of the Ice Chart below. Nanisivik is the site of the slowly under development permanent Arctic naval Base – and a perfect location to base an arctic response capability.

for the ship to leave the area, she will likely have to pass through the Fury and Hecla Straight, which is fully iced over. Additionally, the Louis St. Laurent, is headed to Bellot Straight to free the Claude Desgagnes

Update Sept 4
CBC Interviewed Ed Struzik – at 8 minutes its a good listen.

I also Have this Piece in the Chronicle Herald about the grounding and its response.

Update Sept 5

The TSB tweeted this photo (above), which seems to show the ship floating at anchor at close to a regular waterline. I hear the damage is relatively minor – there are  no big holes.

Update Sept 6

It looks like the Pierre Radisson was re-assigned. Her last position was in the Lancaster sound earlier today. There is now no government presence on site, unless TC has someone Aboard the ship.

Update Sept 7
CBC is reporting that the RCAF response cost $513,000

UPDATE Sept 12.

It looks like the Ioffe has sailed, and appears to be Unaccompanied. AIS Data is showing that she has moved from her anchored position earlier today.

Update Sept 13:
Word is repairs are complete. she sailed for Kugaaruk, where she will meet an inspector – Presumably TC is Flying someone in. Once Cleared, she will head to Montreal.

Update Sept 17:
TC has cleared the Ioffe to sail, and she will be escorted through the Ice by CCGS Henry Larsen, bound for Les Mechins PQ, where Verreault Navigation has a large dry dock.

Bunker C fuel spill in the Harbour @ NSP Tufts Cove Power Plant

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Word is there a significant fuel spill of bunker C fuel at Tufts Cove. Sources indicate a pipe burst at the power plant leaking bunker C oil.

The Coastguard has Halifax Inshore rescue on scene. As well Connors Diving was deploying oil boom.

UPDATES Will Be Posted at https://blog.halifaxshippingnews.ca/2018/08/tuftsspill.html
as they become available below

UPDATE 21:00: ECRC D03 (Above) was on scene as part of the  cleanup. the East Coast Response Co Maintains staff and equipment to deal with oil spills at oil production and shipping facilities, and maintain equipment at the Ultramar dock in Eastern Passage.

Bunker C tends to float, and it looks like boom was deployed quickly, probably easing the cleanup in the Harbour. I would expect Transport Canada to have there red Dash-8 100 aircraft performing NASP Flights looking for additional pollution.

UPDATE 22:54
NSP Has issued a statement

NSP have also promised an update tomorrow morning

Though the Tufts Cove plant normally runs natural gas, it was originally built as an oil fired plant to replace the coal fired plant in the south end (which has now been remade into Nova Scotia Power headquarters) the plant typically tops up the bunker C from a tanker every year.

UPDATE 08/03 10:00

UPDATE 10:23
I’m getting reports of Oil on the water well south of the narrows. there also appears to be a helicopter performing an aerial survey in the area. Yesterday Evening a NotShip (Notice to Shipping) was issued requesting a Low Wake and Wide birth when passing tufts cove.

UPDATE 1045:
Photos via our friends at Haligonia (Via Twitter), from the shores of Shannon Park. Oil on shore where the tide went out, also Birds and Seals potentially effected.

UPDATE 11:49: NSP’s promised update by 11:30 is now 19 minutes late.

UPDATE 1215:

NSP Issued their Update. From the Release:

The leak was discovered in an exterior pipe that runs from the onsite storage tanks into the facility by staff during a routine inspection. Plant staff immediately activated environmental response protocols by stopping oil flow through the pipe to prevent further leakage, deploying a boom in the area of the water nearest to the leak, and alerting the company’s environmental services contractors.

Work last night and this morning included the installation of two additional booms in Halifax Harbour in front of the plant as a precaution to contain the oil. Vacuum trucks and oil absorbent materials (pom poms) are being used to remove the oil from the water surface. Additionally, workers are actively assessing the water and shoreline in the area by helicopter and by boat to prioritize areas requiring cleanup.

We still don’t know how much oil was released, or since this was apparently discovered by routine inspection – how long oil was leaking for.

Update 08/07: Cleanup continued over the long weekend, and a large area infront of the power plant is still boomed off. There are also reports of Oil on shore outside the boomed area – which is likely, as the outgoing tide would draw the oil south.  NSP reports the spill happened within 2 hours of discovery, which would have the spill occurring on the rising tide.

NSP Claims the spill was 5000L – onto Land this sounds like its under reported, given the oil still in the water, and the reports of oil not contained within the booms.

Oceanex, Ice, and Bow Damage.

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Oceanex has recently been having a rough go of it in the ice.  The other week, Oceanex Connaigra was sporting large dents in her bulbous bow after encountering ice. The same fate appears to have occurred to Oceanex Sanderling, who is currently tied up at pier 36, with new plating being installed on her bow.

 

given the limited extent of the damage, my guess is the ships struck Growlers, basically “small” chunks of ice floating floting south. While much smaller then a an Iceberg, they clearly can do alot of damage.

Arca 1 aground off Sydney.

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Above photos from don. Used with permission
DFO is reporting that the former Montreal based bunkering tanker Arca 1 has run aground off Sydney NS. JRCC Confirmed that the Vessel lost power, and went aground at 10am.

 

Location of Arca 1. Red dot in upper left corner.

The vessel was recently sold to Dominican interests after being laid up, and was bound for the Caribbean, with a stop in Shelburne, likely for a survey or work period.

Designed to work in sheltered waters of the port of Montreal the vessel was skirting the coast, and sheltering from weather. She was built at Port Weller in 1963 as Imperial Lachine and changed hands a few times. She finally was laid up for sale in 2014.

More to follow

Updated 13:47. Images from JRCC via twitter.

UPDATE:15:20 – Crew Hoisted off. Vessel is in the surf zone, and will probably get pushed higher up onto the beach/ torn apart.

See  Shipfax for a better description of the vessel. The engines are located on deck, and could easily be overcome by following seas.

 

Update 0900 01/09:

Looks like CCGS Earl Grey and several tugs, including Robert Mckeil Arrived on scene over night. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is deploying a team of investigators to Sydney. The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence.

UPDATE 14:30:

TSB has arrived on Scene. Tugs have returned to port – Tim Mckeil was also in attendance (Mckeil has an operation in Sydney) NASP Overflights to monitor for pollution continue.

 

Update 1600:

Offshore wind forecast tomorrow morning. An attempt will be made to pull her of the ground then. High Tide is at 6:31am tomorrow, so I would guess that’s when they will try.

 

Update 2100:

Mckeil will be performing the salvage on the 6:30am High Tide. The plan is to have the Small tug Kaliutik attempt to pull the Arca 1 free. If she cant do it, she will run a tow line to the Tim Mckeil, 1/2 mile off shore in deeper water, who can offer a more powerful pull. Apparently the bottom is sandy there, so there is little damage to the ship, and once free will be towed into Sydney.

The owners, Mexician Oil Company Petroil, have been using Inchcape Shipping Services as agents. Inchcape hired Mckeil to do the salvage work.

I have also learned from industry Sources that the Captain is believed to be American, but the other 5 crew members are Canadian.

Update 2345:

Crews boarded the vessel to prepare for the tow earlier tonight.

 

Update: 0800 01/10

unconfirmed – Looks like she is still aground. seas look calm, so Im guessing shes really stuck in the sand. CCGS Earl grey was headed into port earlier.

Update 1100:

Reports are (from Local Xpress) that they will go for tonight’s high tide instead. Salvage crews will pump out ballast water which should lighten the vessel. there is no damage to the hull. High tide tonight is at 6:31, and tonight’s will be about 20cm higher then this mornings tide.

Update 1500:

CG reports towline is attached. deballasting operations are underway.

NASP overflight photo from earlier today.

update 1600:

found this photo on Facebook – shows the drive units raised out of water.

Update 1630: looks like dewatering has raised the vessel

Update 0830 01/11:

The attempt last night to pull Arca 1 off the shore failed. Mckeil is reporting needing a larger tug, which will take a couple of days to arrive. As well, weather is deteriorating, which will cause a few days delay. Salvage crews pumped ballast water back in to ensure the vessel stays put.

On Stuck icebreakers in the Antarctic.

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The world media as of late have been covering the story of Russian Icebreaker Akademik Shokalskiy which has been beset by ice since December 24. It should be noted that Akademik has operated their vessel Akademik Ioffe in the Canadian Arctic in the past.

One Ocean Expeditions Has applied for a coasting trade license for the Akademik Ioffe to offer arctic cruises between July and September. they advertise a trip to the ice edge in Davis Straight.

This is not to say that the icebreaker will get stuck, or to imply that Akademik runs a shoddy outfit. just to say to it could happen.

DS Crown to the Rescue

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Tradewinds is reporting that

A post panamax containership is on fire in the middle of the North Atlantic after an explosion in a containerstack. The crew of the 6,732-teu MSC Flaminia (built 2001) have abandoned ship with four of the 25 seafarers reported to have suffered injuries and one missing. A rescue is currently underway with the oil tanker DS Crown the nearest vessel able to provide assistance to the crew who took to a lifeboat and liferaft. The incident happened about 1,000 miles from the Canadian and UK coasts so beyond the range of rescue helicopters.

DS Crown is the former Front Crown which was sold to new owners and was renamed in Anchorage 1, before she sailed in last week

UPDATE:

Tradewinds reports that 2 crew have died, and 2 tugs with firefighting equipment are on route. A Lloyds Open Form salvage agreement has been signed with SMIT.

UPDATE 2:
See http://www.reederei-nsb.com/site_en/index.php?node_id=2338 for official releases from the ships owner. Firefighting equipent has arrived, and the plan is to extinguish the flames and tow the vessel to europe. Reederei NSB also released the following Photos:

 

UPDATE 3 (July 19) There has apperntly been a second explosion, leading to a halt of fire fighting Efforts. An addtional Tug is also enroute

APA 18 Broken?

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Its a good thing Chubucto Pilot Arrived when it Did. APA 18 was towed in by Atlantic Oak, Presumably due to some sort of mechanicle failure. It did not appear to be under power when she was towed in.
 
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