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Updates

May 11, 2015, 8:05 am
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A few posts recently have left readers dangling, so here are some updates:

Jim Kilabuk sailed from Halifax April 30. Before leaving however, it went to the Shearwater military pier and loaded some deck cargo for transport to the west coast. Shearwater is the base for the Royal Canadian Navy's Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic, but is used by all branches of the local military. Due to the position of the work I wasn't able to tell exactly what was being loaded.

Jim Kilabuk loading at Shearwater April 30,. It sailed later in the day.

Lois M sailed April 20 with the barge Nunavut Spirit and a large deck load of steel fabricaiotns for the Hebron gravity base prpoject.
The tug returned to Halifax May 1 with the barge MM300 to load more cargo. On Saturday May 2, I noted a large tank already loaded on deck.

MM300 at the Cherubini dock, with Lois M taking fuel at the Imperial Oil dock in the background.

Svitzer Cartier has arrived at Port Cartier after stops at Méchins, presumably for drydocking, and at Sept Iles. 

Following the sale of Maersk Placentia comes the registration of their latest tug/supplier, Maersk Cutter the 6450 grt ship was registered in St.John's April 28. It is under construction at the Asenav shipyard in Santiago, Chile.


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Towing ex navy ships - sequel

May 11, 2015, 8:06 am
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Former Canadian warships based in Halifax when decommissioned were either sold for scrap to India, the USA or reefed in Canadian waters, with one exception.

That exception was HMCS Provider, Canada's first modern fleet supply ship. A combination tanker and cargo ship it was a more substantial vessel than the lighter weight destroyers, and was sold for scrap to Turkey. It was also not towed overseas by a Russian tug!

Instead it was towed by one of the seven superb tugs from International Towing Contractors (ITC) that were well known in Canadian waters. For Provider the tug was Sirocco, built in 1978 in Japan. The 8200 bhp vessels were among the finest of their type, with a bollard pull of 110 tonnes, and kitted out for salvage.

Most scrap tows of former warships from Halifax departed from the civilian piers, but Provider left from the Naval Armaments Depot jetty in Dartmouth, with the assistance of the naval tug Glenbrook and a send off from the fireboat Firebird.

Sirocco underway with ex HMCS Provider with Glenbrook preparing to take off the riding crew.




Sirocco lets go from the NAD jetty.

CFAV Firebird takes time away from its security round to see the tow off.

Sirocco was on impressive tug from any angle.In 2011 it was sold to Turkish owners and renamed Izmir Bull. Flying the Cook Islands flag, it has been working mostly in African waters.

Provider was also a striking looking ship-even in its lightly ballasted trim.


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Svitzer lands a big one

May 12, 2015, 3:30 pm
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Svitzer Canada has landed a big contract requiring two tugs for work in the far north.

Baffinland Iron Mines, developers of an ambitious project on Baffin Island, (72 degrees north latitude, 79 degrees west longitude)  have constructed a port in Milne Inlet to export iron ore from the Mary River mine, initially between July and October. The mine will be running all year, stockpiling the product for shipping during the open water season, then loading out in summer.

The project originally called for a rail line to a proposed new port facility at Steenby Inlet, and year round shipping with icebreaking bulk carriers. The project was scaled back when the world demand for iron ore softened, and the original promoters sold the project. It is now owned 50% by ArcelorMittal and 50% by Nunavut Iron Ore. After several years of delay the project seems to be back on track.
See the Baffinland web site for more: http://www.baffinland.com/
But also see oppostion to year-round shipping: http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_regulatory_org_says_no_to_baffinland/
There is also a potted history of the project here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baffinland_Iron_Mine

Much of the development work for the port facility was carried out by Groupe Océan, who built two small tugs and used barges to shuttle test samples of ore out to anchored ships. Ocean also transported mining and construction equipment to the site using their tugs and barges. I assumed that the two arctic class tugs, Océan Tundra and its yet to be named sister tug, would also be used in the new Baffin port.*

Other supplies for the port and mine arrived last year on the ships of Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping (NEAS) using their own tugs and lighterage barges.

Svitzer has now won the contract for tug service and will be transferring two tugs from Europe for the work. Both tugs were built in 2009 by East Isle Shipyard in Georgetown, PE for the Danish company Nordane, and were chartered to, then purchased by Svitzer's Swedish subsidiary Svitzer Sverige.

Svitzer Njal is the former Stevns Icequeen (ii), was completed in September 2009 and
Svitzer Nerthus is the former Stevns Iceflower (ii) completed in December 2009.

Stevns Icequeen arriving in Halifax fresh from the shipyard.

After trials, and with spray shields fitted over the engine room air intakes, the tug sails for Denmark.

Both tugs completed final fitout  and conducted their trials and bollard pull tests in Halifax before sailing to Demark on their own hulls.After charter to Svitzer they were repainted in Svitzer colours. They are due in Halifax early in June for "Canadianization" and renaming before entering service in mid-July this summer.
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* Both tugs were also intended for tanker escort on the St.Lawrence River, but a recent decision not to allow a gas port at Cacouna has also reduced demand for these super tugs. At time of writing Océan Tundra is offered for sale or charter through Marcon International with the notation "Owner not keen to sell, but will consider tempting offers."

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Gulf Spray - somebody has to do it

May 28, 2015, 3:34 pm
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The tug Gulf Spray earns its keep towing a scow with garbage  from cruise ships. It may not be glamorous work, but the process is well organized, with a lot of separation on board the ship itself.



Once loaded the scow returns to the pier 9A in tow where it is unloaded by forklift with the "cargo" distributed into bins for recycling or incineration at a special international waste incinerator.


Assistance to Gulf Spray and its scow is provided by the outboard motor boat which has a square bow for pushing and a towing bit.  

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Ryan Leet - off to the oil fields

May 31, 2015, 4:43 am
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After a week of fitting out for a new task the Ryan Leet sailed this morning from pier 9. After a stop in St.John's, the tug will survey the route for a new fibreoptic cable to run to the Hibernia offshore oil field.



It was almost exactly 25 years ago that I got my first glimpse of this mighty tug and its sister, after they arrived in Canada for the first time. Secunda Marine Services, as they were then called, picked up the pair in South America. Despite being built by Belliard Murdoch in Ostend, Belgium in 1978, Abeille Provence and Abeille Normandie were French rescue tugs commissioned in response to several large tanker disasters.
When replaced by larger tugs in 1987 they were sold to Venezuela as Salvor Commander and Salvor General, but their new owners were not able to find sufficient work for them and they were laid up.
Under Secunda ownership they were extensively refitted to become Ryan Leet and Magdalen Sea, and  performed numerous tows and other chores both in Canadian and European waters.

On June 2, 1990 the tugs were reftting for Secunda at Pictou, NS.
 
Ryan Leet has remained with Secunda through its changes in ownership, and has been used extensively as  a standby vessel. Magdalen Sea was sold in 2004 becoming Zouros Hellas and in 2007 Tsavliris Hellas. It has figured in several important salvage operations. It is currently based in Las Palamas.

Ryan Leet won't be doing towing work any time soon, with all the survey gear on its deck. It has also been fitted with a small crane right aft, and a portion of its rolled stern bulwark has been cut out.

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Svitzer Nerthus and Svitzer Njal arrive

June 4, 2015, 3:12 pm
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Two tugs that Svitzer Canada will use in its Baffinland contract arrived in Halifax together this morning.
As previously reported: http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2015/05/svitzer-lands-big-one.html Svitzer will service the contract with two Canadian built tugs, Svitzer Nerthus ex Stevns Iceflower (ii) and Svitzer Njal ex Stevns Icequeen (ii)



 


The two arrived off Halifax sometime last evening and conveniently boarded their pilots in daylight this morning. It is great to see tugs at the Svitzer dock again, although they will only be here for a matter of a few weeks for Canadianization, which will also include new names.The tugs were temporarily registered in Kingstown, St.Vincent and Grenadines for delivery trip from Fredericia, Denmark. Svitzer Nerthus sailed May 18 and Svitzer Njal May 17 with professional delivery crews. 


A brief tour aboard revealed that they are both in superb condition, and arrived "all found" with complete equipment and spares.

The tugs have Caterpillar main engines totaling just over 5,000 bhp, with Rolls Royce controllable pitch props in azimuthing stern drives and bow thruster.

For the curious the name Nerthus is that of a goddess of legend, and Njal a figure in ancient Icelandic sagas. Svitzer Canada seems to favour place names from the area of operation,  following the word Svitzer, so it will be interesting to see what names these tugs get now.

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Granville - multi-tasking

June 9, 2015, 4:05 pm
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Following the retirement of the Canadian navy's Halifax fireboat Firebird, it is now the job of the HMC Dockyard tugs to perform security patrols to the Defence Research and Development Agency barge in Bedford Basin.


The pups normally work with their masts struck since they are frequently in an out of places where it would be an obstruction.

CNAV Granville is seen storming along on return from that patrol this morning. The three Halifax based Ville class "pup" tugs assist in ship berthing, do barge movements within the dockyard and three other installations around the harbour. They also tow and tend oil booms and fenders and myriad other chores.
Unlike its Halifax sisters Listerville and Merrickville, Granville has changed its name since it was built. It started life as Marysville, but that was too easily confused with Merrickville over the radio, and so was changed to Parksville. There was another pup tug with the same name in Esquimalt, so in 1993 it was renamed again, becoming Granville.
All three were built in 1974 and have 365 bhp driving a single screw, in a nozzle, delivering 7.5 tonnes bollard pull.     

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Océan Taiga takes shape

June 23, 2015, 4:51 am
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Groupe Océan's latest tug, Océan Taiga is taking shape at the Industrie Océan shipyard in Ile-aux-Coudres, QC.The second in a pair of Robert Allen design ice class 1A Super FS escort tugs is expected to be complete later this year. The 8,000 bhp, 100 tonne bollard pull tug will be used for tanker escort on the St.Lawrence River and  there are hopes that it will be put to work in the far north.

 
Hull painting has just started around the stern of the tug as it sits in the shipyard in Ile-aux-Coudres.

The huge escort winch is also installed on deck forward.

First tug in the series Océan Tundra , completed last year, awaits its next assignment in Quebec City. It is considerably larger than the EastIsle built Océan Keith Rusby berthed astern.

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Small tugs from Quebec

June 29, 2015, 5:39 pm
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On my recent trip to Quebec I was able to see a large number of small tugs. Three different companies were involved in the tugs I saw, including Groupe Océan:


Océan Uannaq is one of a pair that were built for arctic service, but have been working with the dredging fleet for several years, 

paired with notched barges.

With the two tugs and their barges lashed alongside pushing the dredge Océan Basque 2, the Leclerc tug Réjeanne Polaire does the towing.

Océan Nigig free running on a breezy day.

At Ile-aux-Coudres JFFM Leclerc was at work fitting out their fleet of small tugs and barges for summer assignments in the north. Many of the tugs will be carried aboard ships that service remote northern communities that have no port facilities.

The newer tugs are triple screw like Jack Polaire.

Leclerc's Rénard Polaire is triple screw, while Desgagnés smaller Kingoak is twin screw. Both are ready to wheel out on the next high tide.

Vent, Cercle and Ours Polaire are smaller twin screw tugs in the Leclerc fleet.


Groupe Desgagnés has its own fleet of small tugs and lighters, also used in northern supply work.




Lecelerc also maintains the Desgagnés fleet at their shipyard on Ile-aux-Coudres.

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Much travelled tug heads for the Lakes

July 8, 2015, 6:07 pm
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Passing Halifax today en route to a new home on the Great Lakes, the tug Susan McAllister would have  many stories to tell if it could talk.

Built in 1965 by the Equitable Equipment Co it was orginally named Vincent J.Robin IV for Robin International. It moved on the Crescent Towing of New Orleans as Betty Smith before going to work for Sea Containers as Seaco Enterprise. In 1997 it was acquired by Bay Transportation of Tampa and renamed  Leo. The next year Hvide Marine took over Bay and renamed the tug Ybor.

 As Ybor the tug handled a refueling barge in Tampa. FL.

The next year it was sold again to Capt. Arthur Fournier of Portland, ME who renamed it Capt. Sweet. When Fournier sold Portland Tugboat and Shipdocking Co to McAllister Towing in 2001 the tug took the name Susan McAllister. It is now bound for Cleveland, OH for Great Lakes Towing Ltd.

The two screw tug is rated at 2400 bhp with tow Cats and has a diesel powered towing winch.  

Great Lakes Towing has also acquired another McAllister tug, Daniel McAllister a former USN single screw built in 1974.
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Fueled and ready

July 9, 2015, 4:56 pm
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The tugs Svitzer Nerthus and Svitzer Njal took fuel in turns today. Both tugs moved from the Svitzer wharf to Pier 9C, where the fuele was delivered by RST tanker trucks.

Both tugs are now sporting "Halifax" on their quarters as port of registry, as both tugs were registered in Canada June 9. (They had been flagged to St.Vincent and the Grenadines for their delivery from Denmark.)
Also a suggested name change has not been made on either tug (yet).

Svitzer Njal has fueled and is returning to the Svitzer dock.

Svitzer Njal has been loaded with a special Svitzer container holding shore supplies for their new base on Baffin Island, so a sailing date must be nearing.



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Showing Off

July 12, 2015, 5:59 pm
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Atlantic Towing Ltd's three Halifax based harbour tugs usually go about their business without much fanfare or notice Occasionally they do get to show off.

Atlantic Larch looks very business like as it returns to its base after undocking a ship on Saturday. The 4000bhp tug was built in 2000, and is fitted with a towing winch. Despite pushing a lot of water it leaves very little wake.

On Saturday afternoon Atlantic Willow did a couple of high speed 360 degree turns to the delight of harbour watchers. Also of 4,000 bhp, it was built in 1998 and is fitted with a towing winch and firefighting monitors.

On Friday evening Atlantic Oak escorted Queen Mary 2 on its ceremonial departure from Halifax commemorating the 175th anniversary of Cunard's first transatlantic steamship crossing. A 5,050 bhp tug built in 2004, it does not have a towing winch, but is equipped with an array of firefighting equipment.


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Off to the north

July 17, 2015, 7:35 pm
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Svitzer Nerthus and Svitzer Njal sailed early this morning for Milne Inlet, Baffin Island to take up their new duties, ship berthing at the Baffinland Iron Mine project.

 (Photo taken 2015-06-04, when the tugs arrived from Denmark, the container on the dock has been loaded on the stern of Svitzer Njal)

The timing of their departure was related to the departure from Turkey of the first ship scheduled to load iron ore this season. (Believed to be Federal Tiber)
The ship and tugs will rendez-vous off Milne Inlet, which is still blocked by ice, although the port itself is clear. Icebreaker assistance is expected to clear the entry to the bay.

http://www.baffinland.com/the-project/location-and-project-history/?lang=en

There is still no word on what the tugs will be doing after the end of the shipping season in Ocotber.

See also previous posts:
http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2015/06/svitzer-nerthus-and-svitzer-njal-arrive.html
http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2015/07/fueled-and-ready.html


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End of the Line for May C

July 22, 2015, 3:25 pm
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It is not often that I report on a tug being scrapped, but such is the unfortunate news regarding the small tug May C owned by Aecon Atlantic Industrial Inc, (previously known as Aecon Fabco) operators of the Pictou, NS shipyard.. I have just received photos from a reader showing the tug cut up at the shipyard.



Built in 1972, the tug is not old by Canadian standards, and it had been re-engined. It only passed into Aecon's hands in 2011 and it did not see extensive use. It looked pretty good, superficially, when I reported on it as recently as April of this year:
http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2015/04/may-c-gets-spa-treatrment.html

Even as late as June 20 it still appeared intact, but remained hauled out at the shipyard. There must have been a severe problem with the tug to warrant such a drastic solution.

I also covered the tug's history in a post in 2011 when it was operating as Mary Steele for Superport Marine Services Ltd of Port Hawksbury, owners from.1996.

Leaving Halifax with Superport Marine's barge in tow.
 
http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2010/11/mary-steele.html

Its longest tenure was with the federal Department of Public Works as Tignish from 1981 to 1996.

 Tignish often tied up at the Queen's Wharf in Halifax - much has changed since then.
 
With the retired CSS Acadia in the background - both were members of the "buff funnel' fleet of Canadian government ships.
 
It was built as Jacques Rochette and renamed Techno-Rochette in 1975.


Perhaps Aecon will build a new tug for themselves, but I have no news on that front yet.

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That sinking feeling

July 24, 2015, 1:08 pm
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A rash of tug sinkings in the past year has left the Canadian taxpayer on the hook for big bucks.

In July 2014 the former RCN tug St.Charles, later Chebucto Sea, but since 2012 carrying the unlikely name of Matterhorn sank at her berth in Mount Carmel, NL and remains sunken and leaking petroleum. Its registration was suspended July 31, 2014.
The Coast Guard has finally become fed up with the Owner's lack of action in cleaning up and raising the vessel and have issued an ultimatum (now past) . The Coast Guard will do the clean up and bill the owner, but so far have indicated that they will not be raising the wreck - that is up to the owner.
 
Believed to be associated with another Newfoundland tug owning concern, the owner is a single ship company and may well be able to dodge the bullet and get out from under the obligation by walking away.


That is certainly the case with Chaulk Determination, the former Commodore Straits and Haida Brave, which  sank at Trois-Rivières, QC December 26, 2014. Its owner claimed an inability to pay for cleanup. The Coast Guard hired Groupe Océan to raise the wreck, which they did most capably, but the $1 million plus tab was picked up by the taxpayer.

It has recently been announced that the tug will be towed to Matane, QC and broken up by Méridien Maritime - again at some cost to the taxpayer.

The most recent sinking of a tug and workboat in Cornwall, ON, will have a happier outcome at least for  the taxpayer anyway, since the owners have acted responsibly and stepped up to the plate with their salvage plan and have begun work to raise Lac Manitoba and L.C.M. 131 which capsized in turbulent waters June 22. 

It is not yet clear if either vessel will be worth repairing after they are raised. Lac Manitoba was built in 1944, and rebuilt in 1999. The former TANAC tug was operated by Nadro Marine an affiliate of McKeil Workboats. The latter company has taken charge of the salvage. L.C.M. 131 is a landing craft type workboat operated by West Front Construction Ltd which had voluntarily come to the assistance of Lac Manitoba when it was overwhelmed and sank nearby.

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Return (with some corrections)

July 26, 2015, 4:16 pm
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In a somewhat surprising return to Halifax, the tug Océan Arctique, which has had its own strange career,  is due July 28 towing two barges.


Originally the second of a two tug order from Nordane Shipping of Denmark, construction of the tug began in 2003 at the Ile-aux-Coudres shipyard of Industrie Océan. Unfortunately, due to issues related to construction of the first tug in the order (Stevns Océan) the yard had to re-organize. This tug was therefore launched September 16, 2004 as a shell only.


Irving Shipbuilding, which was also building tugs for Nordane, took over the shell, and Atlantic Teak towed it to Halifax. The tug was hauled up the old launchway at Halifax Shipyard, where its superstructure was removed. The two halves then moved into the old building hall where it was completed at Stevns Arctic.It  re-launched April 8, 2005 and sailed for Denmark in September 2005.

In a surprise move, Groupe Océan acquired the two tugs on a charter arrangement when they took over the tug contract for the Iron Ore Company of Canada in Sept-Iles, QC in 2013. The two sister tugs arrived in company at Ile-aux-Coudres, QC, August 7, 2013. Renamed Stevns Océan and Océan Arctique they were are stationed at Sept-Iles, but the collapse of world iron ore demand resulted in the reassignment of Océan Arctique to general towing and winter pilotage work in Quebec City. [Turns out that  Océan Arctique was in Quebec for repairs and is still based in Sept-Iles, although temporarily replaced by Océan Yvan Desgagnes.]

 Left to right: André H. Océan Arctique, Océan Echo II, Océan Charlie. Note the gangways in stalled on Océan Arctique's deck house, similar to those on Océan Charlie. These are used for winter pilot boarding at Quebec City Sept-Iles, which keeps the pilot well above the level of any ice in the river bay. Stevns Océan has been similarly equipped.
 
Adding to the surprise factor, its arrival in Halifax again, is the nature of the tow. More of that will be covered in Shipfaxon the day.

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Océan Arctique returns

July 29, 2015, 6:27 pm
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After successfully handing off its tows (see Shipfax) the tug Océan Arctique passed Halifax Shipyard where it was completed and transited the Narrows to pier 9C to spend the night and take on fuel.





After fueling the tug will proceed to Sept-Iles where it will re-join it sister tug Océan Stevns to provide tug services under the contract with the Iron Ore Company of Canada.
Much more than a harbour tug, it is fully fitted out for towing including towing winch and stern roller. It also has a knuckle boom crane and carries firefighting monitors.

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Winding Down

July 30, 2015, 10:34 am
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Winding down? Over the next few days I will be preparing to take off on my yearly break from computers, e-mails and thus my postings to Tugfax. I expect to back at the keyboard in September.

Q: Is this  a) a giant winch or b) a miniature man?
The answer will be revealed in my next post........
 
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A Brace of Suppliers

September 11, 2015, 6:19 pm
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After last year's major seismic exploration venture in the Shelburne Basin off Nova Scotia, Shell Oil received enough favourable information to begin drilling with the drill ship Stena Icemax..

Canadian supply boat operators had no available/suitable vessels to support the operation and have resorted to chartering in foreign tonnage for the work.

Atlantic Towing Ltd has received Canadian Transport Agency OK to bring in two suppliers on bareboat charter from Tidewater for a year less a day.

Sisters Jones Tide and Breaux Tide arrived in Halifax when I was away in August and their registration was changed from Port Vila, Vanuatu to Halifax, effective August 31.
The suppliers were built by Jiangsu Zhenjiang and measure 3,927 grt and 4,578 dwt.




DOF Rederi AS of Storebo, Norway, through their Canadian subsidiary DOF Subsea Canada Corp have brought in Skandi Flora, which was built in 2009 by STX Norway Offshore in Trondheim. It measures 4469 grt, 5005 dwt.

 

It was registered in Halifax September 3. So far it is the only one of the boats that has moved, but only to shift piers. 

They are all still awaiting arrival of the Stena Icemax, which was to start work roughly September 1, but is still reported to be in the Gulf of Mexico.

Oh and the Quiz answer from my last post. That is my friend in front of a giant winch reel in a shipyard in Singapore.
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Boa and Boa

September 27, 2015, 6:05 pm
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The tug Boa Odin arrived this morning towing the Boa Barge 33. The big Norwegian tug towed the barge from Stavanger in 22 days, averaging 6.2 knots.



The tug was built by Astilleros Zamakona Pasaia in 2010 as Svitzer Pembroke. A Robert Allen RAStar 3600 design, it is powered by two GM engines of 4083 bhp driving Schottel ASDs. It is rated at a surprising 97 tonnes bollard pull on its forward winch and 105 t BP on its towing winch. Fitted for salvage, towing and offshore work, it also has firefigthing and escort capabilities. Boa Tugs acquired the tug in 2014.


Its tow, the 12,303 grt barge is semi-submersible for heavy lifts with a carrying capacity of 24,800 tonnes.It was built in 2011 by Nanjing Wujiazui Shipbuilding Co Ltd. The 140m x 36m barge can submerge 8m below deck forward and 12m above deck aft and its 4,690 m3 deck can support 31.5 tonnes/m2.


The barge will load the two sections of the panamax floating drydock Novadock. It was renamed  F.D. Novadock under foreign flag, before it was cut in two. The severed sections have now been plated in and will be used as two floating drydocks by new owners in Florida.

Novadock in the background as the tug eases up on its towline.

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