The first arrival of 2023 was the Fednav Bulker Federal Dee, Which arrived at 0436 on January 2nd, and took to the Anchorage in the inner harbour. AlgoScotia sailed just after 9pm on January 1st, for the sole movement into or out of the harbour on the first day of the year. (Plus the Pilot Boat)
Its time for the Annual year in review post, a tradition now in its 11th year.
Previous Years: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
We added an Air Arm. I drove to Montreal and stopped to visit HMCS Onadonga in Rimouski, and spent time at the plane spotting park at YUL and there was the titanic experience that wasen’t.
With the COVID situation as it is, some things returned to normal. Cruise ships returned, Including Oasis OTS, and Ocean Explorer.The Herring fishing Fleet was back on the waterfront, as were the mega yachts also returned to the waterfront.
PSA announced new cranes for 2023. PSA Also bought the Ceres terminal at Fairview cove. The port finished the infill project at Fairview, and began filling in Basin A1 at the ocean terminals. As a result, Logistec moved thier operation to Pier 9. CN added a daily train
CCGS Hudson returned to Halifax for the final time, after the decision was taken to retire her following a fire in a generator. As a result, several research vessels paid visits, including NOAA’s Atlantis and RRS James Cook.
CCGS Kolpit Hopson 1752 was moved to Halifax due to the sale of Shelburne ship repair to Mersey sefoods. Kolpit Hopson 1752 was turned back over to the Coast Guard in December.
CSL Nukumi made her first call in Canada on her delivery trip. The Norwegian Ferry SVANØY was chartered for use in Quebec. IT Infinity was added to IT Telecom’s fleet Tuffs cove took two tankers, one in January, and one in December
Oceanex Sanderling went for a work period in Europe, which saw Other Oceanex ships cover the route on rotation
Visiting Warships included Submarines USS New Hampshire and USS Delaware . The USS Gerald R Ford and its Carrier strike group also visited. SD Victoria also supported joint exercises with the UK. Op Nanook saw HDMS Triton, FS Rohne and USCGC Bear visit the dockyard, with additional visits by USCGC Morro Bay, USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, USS Cooperstown, USCGC Tybee, The Irish Naval Vessel LE James Joyce,
with the Invasion of Ukraine, HMCS Halifax Joined HMCS Montreal on Nato duties, and two MCDV’s deployed with the Nato Mine Countermeasures group. Max Bernays underwent trials, was turned over to the navy, and needed a bow thruster repair. Margaret Brooke was commissioned and AOPS#4, William Hall was launched.
MSC Kim went Adrift. Hyundai Force also had engine issues enroute. A sailing vessel was lost, and found. The Hydra Mariner was Removed. The Ferry Holiday Island caught fire, and fleet mate Confederation ran aground. ZIM Vancouver lost both anchors in Heavy Seas
The Lunching Barge was towed out earlier this morning, and has now begun its slow submersion. Atlantic Willow, and Divers from RMI are on scene
William Hall Floated Free just after 3pm, and was alongside at the shipyard by 4pm. Teh Boa Barge 37 remained in the basin, where it will be refloated, and returned to Halifax Shipyard tomorrow.
word has been floating around of something big and interesting appearing in the harbour this month. I suspected it might be the USS Gerald R. Ford – The US Navy’s newest carrier on her maiden deployment.
The ship had been exercising with nato partners, including HMCS Fredericton. Seawaves have listed a Port visit by a German frigate FGS Hessen, which was also exercising with the Carrier group in October, and also reported a 2022 visit by the Ford to Halifax, with no date.
NSBuzz is now reporting the ship is due on Friday.
4 AIS targets “Patrol Craft 1 (ca)”, “Patrol Craft 2 (ca)”, “Patrol Craft 3 (ca)”, and “Patrol Craft 4 (ca)” have been working in the Anchorage 1 area today. The CA designation likely identifies them as RCN to foreign naval vessels.
UPDATE: two C-2 Aircraft arrived in YHZ this afternoon from Virginia. the aircraft are carrier capable, and likely will be bringing dignitaries to the ship, based on activities before the Eisenhowers arrival.
UPDATE:
USS Gerald R Ford Pilot order is for 0800 tomorrow. Also Arriving are:
USS NORMANDY 10am
HNLMS DE ZEVEN PROVINCIEN 10:30
FGS HESSEN 11:00
USS RAMAGE 11:30
HNLMS VAN AMSTEL 12:00
HDMS PETER WILLEMOES 12:30
ALVARO DE BAZAN 13:00
Note all times are for the Pilot Station. they should appear in the inner harbour 30-45 minutes later.
The vessel is now being chopped up. The deck house and Forecastle were removed, and portions of the upper deck.
The removal of the Hydra Mariner from Navy Island is progressing. So far it looks like debris and pollutants have been removed from the vessel, but the actual disasembly has yet to begin.
ed note: this article was written in 2010 by Mario Vittone, USCG Rescue Swimmer #368 it has been released into the public domain, and has been reprinted into numerous publications. I tweet it regularly, because its important.
The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the couple swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”
Think this story doesn’t happen? Check out this rescue in Hawaii. A girl is in trouble surrounded by people, and no one notices shes in trouble.
How did this captain know – from fifty feet away – what the father couldn’t recognize from just ten? Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew know what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life.
The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening. Drowning does not look like drowning – Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene Magazine: Fall 2006 (page 14), described the instinctive drowning response like this:
This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble – they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.
Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:
So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks OK – don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents – children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.
Pool Drains can be Dangerous.
Do you have a backyard pool or spa? Before you or your family jumps into the pool this summer, check the drain. The very quick and valuable lesson on what to look for (and why) is brought to you by the ZAC Foundation. To learn more about how to help keep your family, friends and community safe, visit www.thezacfoundation.com and www.abbeyshope.org.
Back in July 2008, before this blog was a thing, the Tug Jerry Newbery towed the retired sub HMCS Onadonga to Rimouski Quebec where it would become a museum piece at the Pointe -aux Pere Sit Historique maritime. That site includes the Point aux Pere light station, and the Empress of Ireland museum.
The first attempt to get under way didnt even make the Macdonald bridge before the tow line parted, and the pair gingerly made its way back to the Dockyard Jetty NL in Dartmouth. The tow was successfully got under way a few days later.
Saturday, I went to see her.
Onadonga served for 22 June 1967 to 28 July 2000, at which point she was laid up at the Dockyard Annex in Dartmouth, the last of the Oberons to be retired.
When Visiting, you enter at the stern and work your way forward. Though the sub consisted of 2 decks, only the main deck is available to tour. (Above) the 2 16 cylinder diesel engines that power the generators. (Below) the steering position in the Ops room.
(Above) 3 bunks. the hallway is cozy enough that children have trouble passing each other. Note the top bunk, which has a wall at 45 degrees, and a valve sticking out. (Below) the forward torpedo room feels huge by comparison.
The Full gallery of photos can be found on Flickr.
So news broke today of a proposed 300million dollar Titanic Experience. The proposal is by Halifax business consultants Clarke Squires & Associates. Saltwire reported on it, based on the Linkedin Post Below.
Both the Saltwire article and the linkedin post were edited after they were posted. The original Saltwire article this morning indicated that the Titanic Experience would be located at the Port of Halifax, and included details about an aquarium, and that it would feature escape hatches. I assume both have been toned down since they were initially posted.
My Initial Reaction was oh god, that’s horrible. The building looks tacky, like an lightweight industrial building with ship bits attached – think a smaller version of the Assembly hall at Halifax Shipyards. because its not clear its the Titanic, the name needs to be plastered on the Awning over the front door.
Even the concept is ugh. 150 cabins. and escape hatches? Look the titanic was luxurious by ocean transport standards of the day, but compared to a modern cruise ship its tiny – smaller then the modern day Holland America lines callers to Halifax. I get the appeal of a reproduction of the Titanic’s banquet hall, but then just do that and run a banquet facility.
I reached out to the Port Authority – they know nothing about this proposal, and are not providing land. Comments in the Linked in post say location is under NDA, but in an email, Clark Squires indicated “it will be hopefully close to water at or close to Halifax Harbor” that says to me next to a lake in a business park,which is backed up by the architecture. The linkedin post suggests this is part of a larger development, likely ruling out a central location.
Halifax has many Titanic stories. they are currently well told, in a respectful and dignified manner. Halifax is the final resting place for victims of the disaster who were recovered. You can visit there graves at Fairview lawn cemetery. the Cable ships that were sent out to recover them tied up at the Cable Wharf. what is now the 5 fisherman, was the J.A Snow Mortuary, where the bodies were taken. Barnstead lane is named for the corner who pioneered techniques for forensic identification of victims of mass casualty incidents, as he worked to identify the recovered bodies. The Titanic Disaster established the International Ice Patrol. It led to what is now the SOLAS Convention. It directly made shipping safer.
Lots of folks try to make money off the Titanic. A Chinese company is building a sailing replica of the ship you will be able to book a cruise on. RMS Titanic Inc is a thing, and has recovered artifacts from the ship and operates an experience in Orlando Florida of all places.
This proposal just throws kitsch at it, and is all over the place – Hotel, distillery holographic theatre, banquet hall. The aquarium, is kinda garish if you stop and think about it. The proposal looks like an attempt to throw a bunch of cool sounding stuff at a wall and see what sticks. its perhaps surprising that the bow isn’t rigged up for the movie shot. they could probably sell alot of $20 photos.
The proposal is all over the place, and its hard to take seriously. Clark Squires bio on the website is full of buzzwords, and is not particularly readable or understandable also, if your going to pitch a 300million development project, how about not having a gmail address as your primary email contact. How can anyone trust you with details on a 300million dollar project, when you cant even properly brand your email, or pay someone to do it for you.
If we want to celebrate our maritime history, and we should, then this is not the project. This is tourist tackiness that belongs at Niagara Falls, or in Orlando. Battle of the Atlantic place would actually be a benefit to the city, and is 100million less to build.
the 50′ Sailing vessel Strange Situation (above) was expected in Lunenburg on the 25th but did not arrive. The vessel departed Bermuda May 16th, with 3 persons on board.
Earlier today the Joint Rescue Coordination Center released the following two tweets, indicating that a search was underway for a missing sailboat, but no furether information was provided.
thanks the the US Coast Guard, who became involved in the search, we learned complete details about the vessel.
the CCGS Earl grey is searching off the coast of Nova Scotia, between Shelburne and Lunenburg.
Update: the vessel was located in Clarke’s Harbour yesterday evening, and is safe. they have updated the destination with a new ETA.
