Techno-St-Laurent under the torch

January 24, 2016, 5:43 pm

≫ Next: Criag Trans - it's still not over

As reported in Boatnerd January 24 the Techno-St-Laurent is now being cut up at Port Colborne, ON. After languishing in the scrap yard since 2006, the tug's end is finally in sight.

Built as Riverton in 1944 it was one of the eight strong Norton class of tugs for the Royal Canadian Navy. They were to be used for towing gunnery targets, general towing, salvage and ship berthing. They were armed with a Lewis gun and ice strengthened. After World War II ended, four were sold for civilian use and four retained by the Navy. Soon after that the four were assigned to the Canadian Naval Auxiliary fleet and instead of the 26 navy crew, they were manned by a civilian crew that varied in number depending on duty.
They were powerful tugs for the day with a 1,000 bhp Dominion Sulzer direct drive diesel engine. They were also fitted with a towing winch, 1.5 ton derrick and they were ice strengthened.
Riverton's construction was contracted to Canadian Bridge Co of Walkerville, ON, but construction was transferred to Chantier Maritime de St-Laurent, at St-Laurent, Ile d'Orléans, Quebec.
Riverton was based in Halifax but traveled widely as the following photos show.

As HMCS Riverton the tug wore pennant number W-47 and carried a large military crew.

(Photo taken in St.John's, Newfoundland.)

Post war the tug was fitted with radar (the antenna is atop the main mast) and painted in naval auxiliary colours. (Photo taken in St.John's, Newfoundland.)

The main mast and derrick were later removed and a small derrick fitted to the funnel. It carried the pennant number ATA-528. (Photo taken in Digby, NS.)

In 1979 the navy sold Riverton to Techno Maritime of Quebec City and it was renamed Techno-St-Laurent at the Dartmouth Marine Slip before sailing to its new home port.

At Dartmouth Marine Slips, and newly renamed, it shares a berth with the coaster Mount Blair and the tug Karob. In the background CCGS Sir William Alexander (i), Louis S. St-Laurent and Labrador have just just returned from spring icebreaking.

Later in Quebec City with the launch tug Techno-Mingan, the tug is in pusser naval condition. complete with impressive rope pudding on the bow.

Seen from the stern with Techno-Manic alongside. With the smaller civilian crew it carried only one lifeboat. stowed amidships.

It was given a major refit in 1982-83, and received a "new" Sulzer engine rated at 1100 bhp. The owners were also renamed Techno-Navigation in the same year.

Techno acquired the sister tug Capitaine Simard, ex Birchton and salvaged many spares and other parts before sending it to scrap at Petite-Rivière-St-François. The ship on the right is Petrel V, which became the tall ship Caledonia in 2002.)

By 1992 the tug was looking a bit tired, and was laid up at Ile-aux-Coudres before getting another refit.

Back in Quebec City, the tug looked very smart after a complete repainting. It is tied up with the Public Works tug Feuille d'Érable (ex Foundation Viceroy) and the dredge DPW 130 (now Harbour Development's D-6.)

Eventually the tug migrated to McKeil ownership and headed up through the Seaway November 30, 1997 for Toronto and on to Buffalo, NY to pick up the barge Dupuis No.10. However the barge sank December 24, and the tug remained on the Lakes thereafter.
Even though it was retired and out of service in Hamilton, ON, it was renamed Kirstin in 2001. That name was never applied but was its official name.

In the fall of 2006 it was finally towed to Port Colborne at tied up at the IMS scrap yard where it is now under the torch.

There is one Norton tug still service in Canada. The former Norton works in Thunder Bay, ON as Peninsula, and is likely the sole remaining tug of its class.

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Criag Trans - it's still not over

February 1, 2016, 6:42 am

≫ Next: Atlantic Larch and Atlantic Willow on a Double Date

≪ Previous: Techno-St-Laurent under the torch

The story of the tug Craig Trans should have been over long before now, but it seems that another chapter will be added on February 17. On that date bids will be opened at the office of Cox+Palmer, attorneys, after its most recent owner walked away from the tug (or perhaps more accurately he ran away).

The tug's story as far as Halifax was concerned began with its arrival here December 18, 2012, but in fact it started in 1943 at Tampa Machine Corp where it was built for the US Army's Transportation Corps as LT-648. I told a bit about its subsequent career as Craig Foss on this blog December 18, 2012., but to summarize the legendary Seattle operators, the Foss Maritime Company acquired the tug from the Army in 1960, but kept it mothballed until 1966 when they overhauled it completely, and installed two new GM-EMD engines of 2,000 bhp each, replacing the single Fairbanks Morse. Foss completed all the work at its own shipyard in 1967.

For the first few years of its life with Foss the tug was constantly towing a log barge barge back and forth to Hawaii (40 days each way). Then in 1972 it towed a barge load of lumber from Coos Bay, OR to Camden, NJ and Portsmouth, NH, returning it empty to Mobile AB. Its seagoing capabilities were never in doubt.

The tug towed regularly on the west coast including many trips to Alaska until 1978 when it made another tow to the east coast, this time from Tacoma, WA to Chester, PA Earl, NJ, Norfolk, VA and Charleston, SC. It then went on to Bay City, MI to tow a dredge to Baltimore, MD, tow scows to Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, and two offshore suppliers to Seattle. It was then back to Alaska runs until the early 2000s when the tug was laid up and sold in 2011.

It then entered a shady period where its movements become hard to trace. It did show up September 8, 2012 as Craig Trans when it towed the derelict ferry Queen of Saanich from Anvil Island BC to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico for scrap. The old Swartz Bay-Tsawassan ferry, built in 1963 had been sold by BC Ferries in 2008 and ended up arrested and derelict until a Federal Court ordered sale in January 2012. It was moored on Anvil Island while copper was stripped out, then towed away.

In its prime, Queen of Saanich was one of BC Ferries stalwarts, but ended up in Mexico for scrap, towed by Craig Trans.

When Craig Trans put in here in December 2012 it was en route to Beauharnois, QC to tow away the derelict Kathryn Spirit - see Shipfax but the crew was without food and the tug was unlikely to get to Beauharnois before the close of the navigation season.
Once tied up at pier 25 it was found to be in despicable condition. Some 53 deficiencies were listed by Port State Control. See these photos and report. The owner, Vesta Shipping, owned by a US based Haitian arrived in Halifax then disappeared, abandoning tug and crew. The latter were repatriated thanks to the generosity of donors and the Mission to Seafarers, but the tug was eventually auctioned off. Its sale price came no where near compensating the agents, the Port, the Atlantic Pilotage Authority, and other creditors who were saddled with the tug for months, keeping it afloat and preventing it from polluting the harbour.

I made several more posts over that time December 20, January 30, 2013 , May 18 , July 28
and perhaps some others until the time of its sale.

The buyer was identified as a local ship breaker, but a number of his previous purchases have since sunk or have been abandoned - or both - in various Nova Scotia ports. The tug, which had elapsed (or falsified) Bolivian registry, was then registered in Canada as a "yacht" - thus freeing it from any regulations covering commercial vessels.

It ended up at the Secunda pier in Wright's Cove, Bedford Basin where the scrapper has now apparently given up ownership. The pier is in poor condition and will likely be dismantled and the tug must go somewhere else.

Craig Trans will have to move from the Secunda pier. In this September 2015 photo the Waterworks barge Commdive II was tied up there when it was working nearby.

With the current state of the scrap metal market it won't fetch much at this sale. Let's hope no one thinks they can rehabilitate it and put it back in service, or get it running as a "yacht". One only has to recall the ill fated coaster Fermont that left Halifax under a Kentucky yacht license and within days wrecked on Seal Island. It cost the Canadian tax payer a small fortune to clean up back in 1991. See my Navigation-Quebec blog Poste #27 for more on Fermont.

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Atlantic Larch and Atlantic Willow on a Double Date

February 6, 2016, 4:32 pm

≫ Next: Atlantic Fir - with a little help from my friends

≪ Previous: Criag Trans - it's still not over

Large ships transiting the Narrows of Halifax Harbour are required to have a tethered escort tug. The designated tug is Atlantic Oak, which has more than 5,000 bhp is set up for the work with some special strain gauges and an escort skeg.

The other two harbour tugs Atlantic Larch and Atlantic Willow at 4,000 bhppull are considerably less powerful and do not have the hull escort skeg.
This afternoon when Halifax Express was due to sail from the Fairview Cove container terminal, Atlantic Oak was on standby for another job (see below) and was not available and so the other tugs did the job in tandem.

Each with a line to the ship's quarters, I am sure they were able to assist the ship in making its turn past the Pier 9 knuckle, however Atlantic Willow gave her line an awful lot of scope for such a narrow channel. Also with the two tugs as close as they were, I am not sure they would have been very good at braking if they had to stop the ship. They would clearly have been in each other's way.

It was not an ideal arrangement, but I guess it had to be done on time, since the next section of the Macdonald Bridge was coming out, and it was probably desirable to have the big ship well past when that was happening.

The bridge deck is undergoing replacement in sections, starting from the Dartmouth side (left in this picture), and although the work is so far not over the main harbour channel, it is just as well to keep shipping away to avoid wake. The old bridge sections are landed on a barge and the new sections lifted from the same barge, and great precision is needed. The barge is handled by the tugs Belle D and Halifax Tugger with assistance from Captain Jim. For more on these see:

http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2015/10/big-lift-small-tugs.html
http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2015/10/halifax-tugger-update.html

Atlantic Oak was standing by to assist sister tug Atlantic Fir and the barge Oceanus arriving from Newfoundland. More on that tomorrow.

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Atlantic Fir - with a little help from my friends

February 7, 2016, 3:40 pm

≫ Next: Craig Trans - goes for a grand

≪ Previous: Atlantic Larch and Atlantic Willow on a Double Date

The tug Atlantic Fir made it into Halifax today with the barge Oceanus - but not without the help of all three of Atlantic towing's harbour tugs.

Atlantic Fir (left) has the tow and Atlantic Oak is providing steering from the stern of the barge. Atlantic Larch is nosing up on the barge's starboard bow and Atlantic Willow is standing off the port bow as the barge begins to make its eastward turn off Ferguson's Cove.

Originally scheduled to arrive yesterday afternoon, the tug and barge put back out to the anchorages for about 24 hours while some mechanical and electrical problems were rectified. Then in perfect conditions it entered the harbour this afternoon, keeping to the western channel, but there was no other traffic at the time so there was lots of room to maneuver into the IEL dock in Dartmouth. (The western channel is deeper, and less likely to snag a heavy tow line.)

Atlantic Fir is leaving the western deepwater channel (the towline is just visible).

Atlantic Oak with the stern line is ready to swing the barge back into the main channel.

The barge Oceanus is registered in the United States, but is working in Canada under coasting license from September 15, 2015 until September 14, 2016. It was brought in by ATL to make multiple trips from Port aux Basques, Cow Head and Bay Bulls with components for the Hebron Topsides Project. (The topsides will be mated to the gravity base at Bull Arm once the latter is completed). The components include the 400 ft x 100 ft, 340 tonne flare boom, the 5200 tonne drilling support, helideck and lifeboat station components ranging from 30 to 213 tonnes.

Built in 2010 by Gunderson Marine LLC the 7913 grt barge measures 384 ft x 105 ft x 25 ft deep. It is owned by Ulysses LLC of Belle Chasse, LA.

Atlantic Fir is a near sister to the Halifax based Atlantic Oak, a 5050 bhp ASD, built in 2005, with 68 tonne bollard pull and fire fighting gear. It differs visually from the Oak chiefly due to the large sat nav dome, fitted because it does ocean towing.

Earlier in the day Atlantic Towing called on Svitzer to provide the tug Svitzer Njal to assist with both container ships EM Kea and CMA CGM Titus in place of Atlantic Oak. Svitzer Njal and sister Svitzer Nerthus are wintering in Halifax until they go north again in July. Since Atlantic Towing Ltd and Svitzer operate the tugs in Halifax and Point Tupper in a joint venture, we might see this happen again from time to time. It would certainly avoid the kind of double escort we saw yesterday, which is really quite unsatisfactory for a number of reasons.

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Craig Trans - goes for a grand

February 18, 2016, 1:44 pm

≫ Next: Atlantic Condor to host research

≪ Previous: Atlantic Fir - with a little help from my friends

CBC News reports that the tug Craig Trans was sold at auction on February 17 for $1,000 to local buyer Mike Parsons. Mike has been in the ship scrapping business before, and also buys and sells surplus marine equipment, so he must have seen something of value in the old tug.
His was the only bid, and compares with the $13,000 paid by the last owner when it was sold after it was auctioned against debts in the port. That owner walked away from the tug and several other derelict vessels in Nova Scotia when scrap metal prices tanked.

It remains to be seen what will happen to the Craig Trans now, but it must be moved from its current berth at the Secunda pier in Wright's Cove where it was abandoned.

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Atlantic Condor to host research

February 18, 2016, 6:57 pm

≫ Next: Tug Moves

≪ Previous: Craig Trans - goes for a grand

As it plies its frequent runs from Halifax to the Deep Panuke platform off Sable Island the supplier Atlantic Condor will now be conducting research en route. MEOPAR, the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network, has announced that Dalhousie University researchers and students will receive weekly data from the ship that will assist in gauging the state of the ocean's health.

The ship will be fitted with an underwater holographic microscope built by 4-Deep Inwater Imaging of Halifax. The scope will capture detailed images of plankton throughout the year, helping researchers to understand seasonal and climatic variations as they relate to the health of fish stocks.

The project is one of several organized by MEOPAR with funds from various patrons including Irving Shipbuilding Inc (ISI). As part of its contract under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy ISI is obliged to spend 0.5% of its contract revenues on creating a sustainable marine industry across the country.

Atlantic Condor was built by ISI in 2010 and operates for Irving-owned Atlantic Towing Ltd on a ten year contract with Encana to service the Deep Panuke gas project.

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Tug Moves

March 4, 2016, 6:45 pm

≫ Next: Tug move updates - and more

≪ Previous: Atlantic Condor to host research

Atlantic Larch has sailed from Halifax for Panama. The tug presumably will be taking over the tow of Protecteur from Corbin Foss, which is still due in Balboa March 17. The former RCN supply ship is headed for Liverpool, NS and a date with the scrappers.

Atlantic Larch is fitted with a towing winch and often works outside of Halfax harbour.

Following the tow on AIS, as of today, Corbin Foss and Protecteur were well down the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, and had been making better than 8 knots. Corbin Foss has 7200 bhp at its disposal.

To take Atlantic Larch's place in Halifax is Atlantic Fir. It seems an odd arrangement, since Atlantic Fir is a 5,000 bhp tug and Atlantic Larch is only 4,000bhp. Also Atlantic Fir has been doing a lot of outside towing and seemed to be ATL's go to tug for that kind of work.
Interestingly when Atlantic Fir was spotted working Halifax today, it had lost the prominent SatNav dome it was porting when last seen February 7. Perhaps it was transferred to Larch. [See today's Shipfax for partial photo.]

Océan Foxtrot in Halifax fitted for cable repair work.

A former Canadian tug is disabled south of St-Pierre (46.30N x 55.57W) and has called for Coast Guard assistance. The Océan Foxtrot had been laid up in St.John's for four years, and is only one day out of port for an unknown destination. Its Canadian registry was closed October 3, 2014 and it was reported sold, but the buyers were not disclosed. I believe the boat was in fairly rough condition, so it is perhaps not surprising that it is having a problem. Once again the wisdom of setting out to sea at this time of year, with severe storms passing through, in a questionable vessel, makes one wonder who protects the foolhardy?

Built in 1971 by Cochrane + Sons, Selby, England as Polar Shore it worked for Offshore Marine until 1977 when it was acquired by Dome Petroleum's Canadian Marine Drilling and renamed Canmar Supplier VII. Groupe Océan of Quebec City acquired the tug in 1995 and it performed a whole variety of chores for them including pushing a barge, towing pulpwood barges, dive support and salvage tows. It was among the vessels that worked on recovering material form the Swiss Air crash in 1998.
It was rated at 72 tonnes bollard pull from two 12 cylinder KHDs totaling 5280 bhp.

The last rumour about Océan Foxtrot in 2014 was that it would be towing the former RCN diving support ship Cormorant from Bridgewater, NS to scrappers in the Dominican Republic. The current story has echoes of the previous unhappy experience of the tug Charlene Hunt which towed Lyubov Orlova out of St.John's for the DR, lost the tow and was itself eventually towed away.

As of this evening Océan Foxtrot was not showing up on AIS, nor was any Coast Guard vessel showing up nearby.

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Tug move updates - and more

March 6, 2016, 5:15 pm

≫ Next: More tug updates

≪ Previous: Tug Moves

I may have erred in the actual departure date of the tug Atlantic Larch from Halifax. Either that or it came back and left a second time. I caught it outbound for Colon, Panama on Saturday March 5.

Ocean Foxtrot put back to Marystown, NL in tow of Western Tugger and Coast Guard escort. After a four year layup, a day in rough seas stirred up enough sludge in its fuel thanks that it lost power. A thorough cleaning seems to be in order. However it is possible that the C.O.D. tow may have depleted the new owner's funds.Another abandonment seems possible.

The Halifax based tugs Svitzer Njal and Svitzer Nerthus sailed from Halifax March 3, bound for Sept-Iles, QC. It seems an odd destination, since there is little traffic in the port these days and Groupe Océan has all the work there having wrested away the Iron Ore Company of Canada contract from Svitzer several years ago. All I can think is that they are there to assist at Port-Cartier if needed, since ArcelorMittal is a major client. The contract for Svitzer Cartier expires shortly, so even that may be a wild guess.
Sept-Iles is relatively close to Méchins, QC, where Verreault Shipyard often services Svitzer tugs, so that may be a explanation too.

HEADLINE
Tugfax Blogger Suffers (another) Sudden Attack of Apoplexy.

My ongoing quest for responsible ship naming suffered another setback recently when I learned about another shipowner that has abdicated the responsibility of sensible ship naming by resorting to a contest for school children. A panel of judges (who obviously didn't know any better) selected the name Iron Guppy for a new icebreaking tug/workboat for the Port of Toronto.

This ludicrous appellation will be applied to the craft which will be completed in June by Hike Metal Products. The 750 bhp single screw ABS Ice Class C0 boat may last as long as 45 years, which its predecessor William Rest managed to do.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rest]
If so, the name should be thoroughly stale by then and so outdated as to be meaningless. Even the six to twelve year olds that came up with it may be thoroughly tired of it by then. I know I am already.
For more on the process see: http://www.portstoronto.com/PortsToronto/Media-Room/News/Waterfront-Elementary-Students-Name-PortsToronto%E2%80%99s.aspx

Not only is the name undignified for a tug, it is an embarrassment to a Port, that has a long maritime history. Its previous vessels have carried interesting and meaningful names, often with historic antecedents or symbols. Many have also been named for notable persons, such as the Port's fireboat William Lyon Mackenzie [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lyon_Mackenzie_%28fireboat%29 or for more on the man: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lyon_Mackenzie
or another (now retired tug) the Ned Hanlanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Hanlan_%28tugboat%29

If not named for a memorable person, surely a tug deserves a name indicative of force, power, activity, purposefulness, utility or dependability.
For more on the new tug see: http://www.ral.ca/news/2016/2016-02-18.html
I am rendered speechless by Toronto's choice.

By the way the Toronto Marine Historical Society is a wonderful means of learning about that port's history, and much else related to Great Lakes shipping: http://www.tmhs.ca/

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More tug updates

March 9, 2016, 8:49 am

≫ Next: Svitzer does it

≪ Previous: Tug move updates - and more

The tugs Svitzer Njal and Svitzer Nerthus are underway again and are upbound on the St.Lawrence River, giving a March 10 destination of Montreal. Stranger and stranger.

Atlantic Fir has settled in in Halifax and will be assigned here permanently, replacing Atlantic Larch. Halifax needed more horsepower, and Fir's 5,000 bhp will allow it to do escort work., This will avoid the crazy situation where two tugs were used as stern escort, when the other 5,000 bhp tug, Atlantic Oak was not available. See: http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2016/02/atlantic-larch-and-atlantic-willow-on.html
Fir escorted the loaded tanker Afra Oak outbound this morning.

Atlantic Larch will now be an outside tug, used for towing assignments around the region. It was built originally for use at Point Tupper. It will now be based nominally in Saint John, but will be on the move most of the time.
Larch is giving a March 17 ETA for Colon, Panama and Corbin Foss with the former Protecteur in tow is now off Acapulco, still giving a March 17 ETA for Balboa.

Ocean Foxtrot is still in Marystown, NL.

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Svitzer does it

March 10, 2016, 7:41 pm

≫ Next: Atlantic Fir joins Halifax tug fleet

≪ Previous: More tug updates

Svitzer Canada has struck a knife into the heart of the Quebec towing business by setting up shop in Montreal and going head to head against Groupe Océan in Canada's largest eastern port.

The surprise move occurred March 10 when the powerful 5,000 bhp ice class ASD tugs Svitzer Nerthus and Svitzer Njal arrived in their new home port.

Svitzer Nerthus and Svitzer Njal at the usually empty Svitzer dock in Halifax earlier this year.

There are a number of interesting aspects to this move, which I will mention in no particular order.

Since taking over Eastern Canada Towing Ltd Svitzer seemed to lose ground, having lost the Iron Ore Company of Canada contract in Sept-Iles to Océan. (Océan did buy their two old tugs however!)

In a strategic alliance with Atlantic Towing Ltd (a J.D.Irving company), they formed joint venture companies to provide towing services in Halifax and on the Strait of Canso. That saw Svitzer's tugs pull out of Halifax and go to the Strait and Atlantic taking over all tug work in Halifax.
Then there were some disastrous northern towing contracts when Point Halifax was badly damaged and eventually sold to McKeil and Svitzer Bedford suffered a serious fire.

However last year signaled a turn around when Svitzer brought in the former Chinese tug Svitzer Cartier to help out in Port Cartier, QC. (I hear that contract is about to end however)

Svitzer Wombi arrived in Halifax March 30, 2015, where it was renamed Svitzer Cartier for service in Port-Cartier.

Also Svitzer won a contract to service the Baffinland Iron Mine project and brought in Svtizer Nerthus and Svitzer Njal from the parent company in Denmark. Both tugs were built in Canada however and passed to Svitzer through other Danish owners.

The Baffinland work was originally awarded to Océan, and on the strength of it they started work on two 8,000 bhp super ice class tugs at their own yard. By the time Océan Tundra. was delivered Baffinland was restructured and became a seasonal operation in 2015 and Svitzer got the work. Construction of the sister Océan Taiga was slowed down as there was no apparent work for it. It will be completed in 2016.

The powerful Océan Tundra was built for year-round service in Baffin Island. When that work fell through it has been used for tanker escort on the St.Lawrence, but has been underutilized.

If Svitzers two tugs, acquired for Baffinland, are now based in Montreal, will they abandon the port from July to October or does Svitzer have another plan? Or perhaps Baffinland has slowed down again. Maybe acquiring Océan Taiga and Océan Tundra from Océan would be a good idea, but I doubt they would get any break on price! Certainly reassigning the V-S tug Svitzer Cartier to Montreal does not seem like a good fit.

Svitzer worldwide, like one of its component companies, the former Cory Towage of Liverpool, NS, have long favoured terminal contracts, where they get a long term commitment to provide dedicated tug service to an oil terminal or a particular port. Competing head to head for work has never been to their liking.

Svitzer is part of the giant AP Moller Maersk company, but with only one Maersk ship a week in Montreal, there is hardly enough ''family work'' to support two tugs.
Increased tanker traffic on Montreal, some of which may require escort tugs, might be enough to justify the move if Svitzer has contracts in hand with specific companies.

Svitzer is a deep pocket company that is far more aggressive in the rest of the world than it has appeared to be in Canada. Their world wide fleet consists of 430 vessels (which includes some pilot boats and line boats, but is mostly tugs.) is continually growing as they find work in all corners of the globe and grow their fleet. Perhaps they have bigger plans for Canada than we can imagine.

For example there are still two more Canadian built tugs in Svitzer's European fleet. Both 5,000 bhp ice class ASDs, Svitzer Nabi (built as Stevns Breaker) and Svitzer Nari (ex Stevns Battler) might be available to Svitzer Canada if there was work here.

Once unthinkable mergers and new ventures among tug companies world wide, are common these days. Long time rivals have joined forces, for example Smit and Kooren in Europe, to exercise control and eliminate costly competition. Or as did Kooren in Hamburg, they have brought in superior equipment to take work away from the established companies.

McKeil tried to break into Montreal, and even acquired a pair of Dutch V-S tugs in 2008, but the project never got across the starting line and the tugs were sold.

Nicloe M was one of the tugs McKeil bought and reconditioned for use in Montreal. It was never licensed for service in Canada and was sold.

It makes one wonder if tug and towing will go they way of many other industries, where local owner entrepreneurs are swallowed up or overwhelmed by large multi-nationals, with deep pockets, low margins and economies of scale.

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Atlantic Fir joins Halifax tug fleet

March 13, 2016, 4:46 pm

≫ Next: Victorious - First From the Lakes

≪ Previous: Svitzer does it

As reported in previous pages the tug Altantic Fir has joined Atlantic Towing Ltd's permanent Halifax tug fleet replacing Atlantic Larch.

Atlantic Fir heading southbound in the Narrows this afternnon.

Built in 2005 by Eastisle Shipyard in Georgetown, PE Atlantic Fir is a near sister of the Atlantic Oak, built in 2004 for service in Halifax. Both are 5,050 bhp ASD tugs rated at 68 tonnes bollard fitted with forward shiphandling and aft towing winches and with firefighting capability.

The third tug in Halifax, Atlantic Willow is also a firefighting tug, but with no towing winch. It has 4,000 bhp which delivers a 50 tonne bollard pull.

Atlantic Oak tethered to Atlantic Compass transiting the Narrows.

All tugs were busy at work this weekend, with Atlantic Oak in its usual role as tethered stern escort for large ship in the Narrows. Atlantic Fir will also be used in a similar role for large ships.

Atlantic Willow in a close tethered position. It has only a towing hook, and is thus not fitted with a stern roller.

Even Atlantic Willow got in a rare escort job with the 69,919 deadweight tonne tanker Overseas Jademar when it was decided not to berth at Nova Scotia Power due to high winds. The ship instead proceeded through the Narrows for an anchorage in Bedford Basin.[see also Shipfax]. The 4,000 bhp tugs are normally not used for large ship escort in the Narrows.

Atlantic Fir moves into position to make fast forward on the 65,919 deadweight tonne NYK Constellation, with Atlantic Oak in position as stern tethered escort.

Meanwhile Atlantic Larch, which will now be used for outside towing work, is in the Bahamas Islands bound for Colon, Panama to pick up the decommissioned Royal Canadian Navy ship Preserver. That ship is in tow of the Corbin Foss off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Its most recent ETA for Balboa was March 17.

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Victorious - First From the Lakes

April 1, 2016, 11:05 am

≫ Next: Ocean Uannaq sinks

≪ Previous: Atlantic Fir joins Halifax tug fleet

Time was when the first visitor from the Great Lakes each spring was a grain ship from the Lakehead. This year is different, with the first visitor a tug and tanker barge combination.

The articulated tug / barge Victorious / John J. Carrick arrived this morning in blustery conditions straight from the Great Lakes. They passed down through the St.Lawrence Seaway March 24-25, the opening day of the waterway following the winter shut down.

McAsphalt Industries, owners of the pair have a terminal in Eastern Passage at the former Dook's Dock with storage tanks for asphalt, bunker C and heavy fuel. McAsphalt is part of the Miller Group, which also owns Sterling Fuels, the provider of marine fuels to ships in Halifax.

The tug Victorious, 1299 grt, 5300 bhp, was built by Penglai Bohai shipyard in Shandong, China, which also built the 6916 grt barge John J.Carrick in 2008. The pair are connected by means of the Articouple connection system which allows the tug to adjust its position within the barge notch depending on the barge's draft. The tug is also free to pitch independently but does not roll. Although fitted with towing gear, the tug remains tethered in the barge notch in virtually any conditions.

The tug/barge spend most of their time shuttling up and down through the Seaway but also make extended trips to Saint John, NB and Newfoundland depending on demand.

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Ocean Uannaq sinks

April 14, 2016, 12:55 pm

≫ Next: Big Ship, high wind, two tugs, no sweat

≪ Previous: Victorious - First From the Lakes

The small tug Océan Uannaq sank April 1 while working on the Champlain bridge project in Montreal. The multi-year, multi-million dollar project to replace the span across the St.Lawrence River is using a number of tugs and barges to excavate for and build new foundations. The fast flowing river, particularly in the spring, can be a dangerous place to work.

Océan Uannaq at hull speed during a break from dredging operations.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident which was not publicized initially. The tug is resting on the bottom, and so far has not spilled any of its fuel or oil. Once the investigation is complete, the tug will be raised. The two crew members scrambled to safety aboard another tug.

Ocean Uannaq and sister tug Ocean Nigiq were built in 2008 by Groupe Océan to work at the Baffinland Iron port project in Milne Inlet (their names are Inuk for northwest wind and southwest wind). They were transported to Baffin Island in the barges Mary River and Milne Inlet and worked on construction of the port. The twin screw tugs develop 770 bhp.

The sister tugs working off St-Joseph-de-la-Rive last June.

On completion of that part of the project Groupe Océan brought the tugs back to Quebec and assigned them to their dredging fleet to handle spoil barges. They have worked up and down the St.Lawrence in recent years, with the dredge Océan Basque 2 and the scows Maxim D and Dominic TD. The scows have stern notches and connect to the tugs with a combination of face wires and bow tethers.

Océan Uannaq transferred to the Champlain project last year and has been working there all winter. Groupe Océan has a large fleet of small tugs,workboats and barges that they rent out bareboat to construciotn companies, and it seems that the tug was working for a contractor at the time of the sinking.

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Big Ship, high wind, two tugs, no sweat

April 16, 2016, 6:02 pm

≫ Next: Gulf Spray back at work

≪ Previous: Ocean Uannaq sinks

Despite gale force winds out of the north, the big boxship CMA CGM Almaviva berthed at the Halterm container terminal in Halifax without incident today. It was a smooth operation thanks to the an expereinced pilot and the crews of two Atlantic Towing Ltd tugs.

Atlantic Willow awaits the ship just inside Meagher's Beach.

It then takes up its position at the bow, making fast to a sunken bit, helping to slow the ship down.

It then moves in position to push the ship's bow around, assisted by the ship's own bow thruster.

Atlantic Oak has been pushing at the stern of the ship, pivoting it about its centre.

High above the action, the harbour pilot on the bridge wing directs the tugs by VHF radio.

Atlantic Oak is not made fast, so when the ship has turned sufficiently and begins to make sternway, it can back off quickly.

Moving rapidly in reverse, the tug begins its move to the ship's port side.

Staying clear of the backing ship, Atlantic Oak makes a tight arc around its stern.

It takes skill and nerve to swing steadily around the moving ship to take up the new position. The deck hand is already forward to make the line fast when the time comes. It would be cold and wet work today.

Once clear, the tug straightens out to move alongside and push the ship into its berth.

The pilots and tugs make this similar manoeuver several times a week, but every time the wind and weather conditions are different. Even so they make it look easy.

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Gulf Spray back at work

April 30, 2016, 5:14 pm

≫ Next: Small Tugs - Big Lift

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The opening of the cruise season in Halifax (see Shipfax) also means the start of the busy season for the tug Gulf Spray. The small tug handles scows that remove waste from cruise ships and will be kept occupied until the end of October.

Gulf Spray trots along light at hull speed, bound for the cruise ship Veendam at Pier 22.

Full out, the tug wrangles a pair of scows with assistance from its companion motorboat (a small tank scow is barely visible on the offside of the larger scow). Working in a stiff breeze, the tow is going more sideways than in the direction of Pier 9A where the various waste products will be landed for disposal.

Gulf Spray was built in 1959 by Ferguson's Industries Ltd in Pictou for shipyard work. Brought to Halifax and rebuilt in 2007, it was badly damaged in a storm in 2014 and partially rebuilt.

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Small Tugs - Big Lift

May 6, 2016, 5:26 pm

≫ Next: Teclutsa - fresh from the showroom (not)

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A trio of small tug/workboats operated by RMI Marine were hard at work this afternoon hauling the barge Timberland. The barge is carrying two new bridge deck sections for the Angus L. Macdonald bridge from the fabricator's yard to the bridge site.

The workboat/launch Captain Jim was in the lead towing Belle D which was in turn towing the barge.

Halifax Tugger was bringing up the rear with some pushing power.

At the bridge, the barge will be anchored in position (they are now working over the deep water channel) and the new sections will be hoisted up into place. The old section will be lowered to another barge, Océan Abyss.

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Teclutsa - fresh from the showroom (not)

May 13, 2016, 1:03 pm

≫ Next: Whitby takes a break, and gives a history lesson

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The US flag tug Teclutsa tied up at Sackville Landing today, and obervers would be forgiven for thinking it is fresh from the builders shipyard. In absolutely superb condition, despite a trip all the way from Oregon, in fact the tug is 43 years old.

Its origin helps to explain its suprising appearance.
Built in 1973 by Marinette Marine of Marinette, WI it was part of a large order of tugs for the US Navy. Delivered as Pawhuska YTB-822 it immediately headed for southern waters where pusser US Navy maintenance was applied year round. There is so little evidence of painted over scale on the house, that the scrapers and paint pots must have been in constant use until it was struck from the naval register in 2002.
With dimensions of 107' loa x 29' x 16.3' depth of hull, it is fitted with a big Fairbanks Morse 2,000 bhp enginer driving a single 12' diameter screw. It is also equipped for firefighting and has heavy naval fendering all round, including the buffers mounted to the deck house.

In 2005 it was acquired by Coos Bay Towboat Co in Coos Bay, OR and renamed Teclutsa. The new owners fitted it with a flap rudder and a 350 bhp Schottel bow thruster, more than making up for its stodgy manouverability. They have also, thanks to a temperate climate, contunued with the same level of care.

The tug is still listed for sale by Marcon, but that sale has taken place (probably subject to delivery), and it is presumably on its way to new owners, likely on the Great Lakes.

The gleaming water cannon would be an impressive sight to see in action, but it would be equally interesting to hear that 5 bell air horn!

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Whitby takes a break, and gives a history lesson

May 14, 2016, 8:53 am

≫ Next: Taking a break

≪ Previous: Teclutsa - fresh from the showroom (not)

The hardworking tug Whitby is taking a break from its labours, this time at pier 9A. Usually when the McNally Marine tug is idle it has moored in Turple's Cove (just south of the MacKay bridge, next to BIO) with its scows.

A jaunty little 475 bhp tug, built in 1978, it is tied up to the crane barge Derrick No.4 with two dump scows Pitts No.1 and Pitts No.2.

The ratchet technology that raises and lowers the bottom dumping doors on Pitts No.1 is as old as the hills, but still gets the job done.

The assortment of names used by the McNally Marine fleet gives a floating history of the Canadian dredging and marine construction business.

A huge price fixing scandal in the 1970s saw several of the old line companies liquidated to pay hefty fines. Many of their officers were convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to jail. And new jurisprudence was made when it was determined that company officers can be the "directing mind" behind the corporation which can also be found responsible for his actions.

The dredging and construction equipment was scattered about and picked up by others and eventually found its way to McNally (which was not involved in the collusion racket.)

Whitby, ON was the home base of McNamara Construction. A major player in the scandal, it was re-organized after the convictions as McNamara Corporation of Newfoundland, the first listed owners of the tug of the same name. Whitby afterwards passed through former McNamara subsidiary and successor company Cartier Construction Inc. before McNally bought them out.

C.A.Pitts and his company Pitts International Inc were also implicated in the scandal, and had a large fleet. They were the owners of the dump scows Pitts No.1 and Pitts No.2, both built in 1962 by Canadian Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd in Kingston, ON. McNally eventually acquired both scows when they acquired Pitts.

Derrick No.4 was built in 1963 by Marine Industries Ltd of Sorel, one of the firms in volved in the price fixing and kickback scheme through their ownership of J.P.Porter + Company and its subsidiary Richelieu Dredging. The first owner of the crane barge was likely Marine Industries Ltd, who named it C-304, but it passed on to Dufresne Construction in 1966 becoming their M-28. In 1972 Canadian Dredge and Dock Co Ltd purchased the barge and the next year renamed it Derrick No.4 . CD+D was eventually acquired by McNally.

The only McNally acquisition not represented in this photo is Beaver Marine, but the company also has remnants of that company's plant in its fleet too.

For more on the dredging business stay tuned to Shipfaxover the next few days.

nb 1960s era ads from trade publications Canadain Ports and Shipping Directory and Canadian Ports and Seaway Directory

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Taking a break

May 18, 2016, 6:02 pm

≫ Next: Secunda now 100 per cent Siem

≪ Previous: Whitby takes a break, and gives a history lesson

Whitby is finished for the day and returns to base.

Tugfax also will be taking a break for the next ten days or so to attend ITS 2016.

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Secunda now 100 per cent Siem

May 19, 2016, 8:13 am

≫ Next: Svitzer Caucedo - another shoe drops

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Norwegian offshore operator Siem Offshore AS has acquired 100% ownership of Secunda Canada LP from by purchasing the 50% held by Birch Hill Equity Partners Management Inc.

Founded in Halifax in the 1980s, Secunda Marine Services was a pioneer in the Canadian offshore supply business. The original founder sold the company to McDermott International (formerly J.Ray McDermott) in 2007.
Birch Hill bought most of the assets and returned Secunda to Canada in 2012 as Secunda Canada LP. Siem became 50% owners in 2013.

On May 12 Secunda took delivery of its newest vessel Avalon Sea at Remontowa Shipyard in Poland. It will work off Newfoundland, where Secunda now operates most of its fleet and has its operations office.

In 2015 Siem "loaned" the Siem Hanne to Secunda and it was brought under Canadian flag February 2, 2016 to operate out of Halifax. An expected name change to "Hanne Sea" has not taken place (yet).

At one time Secunda Marine Services operated up to 17 or more suppliers and offshore ships, but the owned fleet now stands at seven (not including Siem Hanne and the new Avalon Sea.)
Scotian Sea has a standby contract with Shell for the Stena Icemax Shelburne Basin exploration program. (That operation is currently on hold.)
Venture Sea and Panuke Sea work on the Deep Panuke gas project off Nova Scotia.
Burin Sea and Trinity Sea work off Newfoundland.
The tug Ryan Leet is currently unemployed. It was last reported laid up in Sydney, NS.

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