Category Archives: tanker

Tug Genesis Victory and barge GW6506

Appearing to be loaded, and arriving from Texas, the Articulated Tug and barge Genesis Victory / GW6506 likely is waiting in the basin to offload at one of the terminals in Halifax. there are currently 6 Oil terminals in the Port. the First is the Tufts Cove Power plant, the Second is Wilson’s Fuel at Pier 9.

Irving has revamped their wharf at woodside, and is now accepting their own product. Imperial oil is still operating their terminal on the refinery site, McAsphalt industries operates a wharf in eastern passage to accept liquid asphalt products, and Valero has their wharf in Eastern Passage.

Arca 1 aground off Sydney.


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.

Saturday Arrivals

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Maersk Penang made the weekly stop today at Pier 41. NYK Demeter Tied up at Fairview Cove. Both arrived for 8am. Maersk Penang sailed mid afternoon, with NYK Demeter sailing in he early evening.

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Serenity Ace tied up at autoport for 5pm. Cap Lara spent the day at anchorage 1, awaiting CFIA Moth inspection. The first vessel of the ear to stop for this. She arrived for 9.

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Also making appearances today were the tanker Citrine, who anchored in the basin, Atlantic Huron for National gypsum at 8am, and CSL Metis, who anchored, and will take Atlantic Hurons place at Nation Gypsum.

Overseas Jademar Tops up Tufts Cove

Another vessel that sailed last night, Overseas Jademar spent 2 days offloading into Tufts cove tank.
The Power Plant can burn both heavy oil and Natural Gas, and will see a tanker once a year or so.

Built in 2002, Overseas Jademar is a Panamax tanker. Noteably she failed a port state control inspection in Washington State last year, due to faulty fire fighting equipment. She was allowed to sail once repairs were made.

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.

British Merlin Arrives – Svitzer Nerthus gets a Job

The Disabled Tanker British Merlin arrived after midnight this morning, and took to anchorage 1. She was towed to port by Maersk Cutter, and Helped to Anchor by Altantic Oak and Willow.

Once she took up anchor, Svitzer Nerthus went along side to provide propulsion if needed.

British Merlin suffered from an engine failure enroute from Whiffen Head NL to Philidephia.

Milo for Montreal

The Tanker Milo Arrived Jan 17th. She is reportedly bound for Montreal where she will take on bunkering duties for Shell. She will likely be Canadianized, and renamed here before sailing to Montreal.

Update: She sailed tonight, for Montreal, maintaining her Name and Belize registry.

Centio with Product.

the product tanker Centio  Arrived yesterday from Texas, and tied up at imperial oil. Built in 2009 in Guangzhou China, She is registered in Napoli Italy, and operated by LGR Di Navigazione.

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