Offshore petroleum activity off Nova Scotia has ceased now that the last of the Deep Panuke structures have been removed and most of the material has gone to the UK for scrap. There is no more offshore gas production, and no more oil. There is also no exploration underway.

There is some activity off Newfoundland, but even that has been reduced with the Terra Nova field offline.

Therefore many offshore support vessels are out of work and laid up. Most are in Newfoundland, but there are three idle boats in Halifax.

At Pier 9c Atlantic Kestrel has been idle since the crane rig Thialf returned to Europe.

Meanwhile Secunda (parent company is Siem of Kristiansand, Norway) has two vessels laid up at the COVE docks in Dartmouth.

Siem Commander (red hull) dates from 2008 when it was built as Stril Commander. The hull was built by Cemre Altinova, Turkey and completed by Havyard Liervik in Norway. It was transferred from Norway in 2019.

Siem Hanne (blue hull) was completed in 2207 by Aker Yards, Aukra, Norway on a hull started by the Aker Tulcea shipyard in Turkey. It was brought to Canada in 2016.

Secunda Marine also has its Venture Sea idle after its towing contract in Baffin Bay late last month. On its return the ship went directly to Shelburne, NS (for repairs?) and hasn't been back to Halifax since.

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 A couple of veteran tugs are hard at work in Halifax these days despite their great age and hard use. Both are small boats used for dredging and marine construction, and are forever shoving and towing scows.

Oshawa is the older of the two, built in 1969 at Whitby, ON by first owners McNamara Construction. I have taken scores of pictures of this tug going back over the years, in fact back to 1983 when I saw it first.

Aside from a few label changes for ownership, the tug has changed very little from its days working first for McNamara, then Cartier (in the photo) and now McNally.

 Most transatlantic tows from Canada involve large barges or ships eastbound en route to the scrap yard in Turkey. Last night (December 5) marked the arrival in Halifax of  a somewhat smaller vessel. The barge Jacob Joseph C, 2076 GT in tow of the tug Amy Lynn D. Tug and tow are of interest in themselves, but of added interest is the deck cargo on the barge - three small tugs.

The tug Amy Lynn D is much traveled since it was built in 2013 by Damen's Hardinxveld shipyard in the Netherlands.  Originally named Otago it operated for Damen's own chartering fleet, but in New Zeland. In 2018 it as sold and renamed MSC Allianz Explorer by Allianz Middle East under the management of Maritime Craft Services Clyde. Earlier this year Damen apparently did a buy back and re-sold the tug to Canadian owners the Doornekamp company of Odessa, ON. They renamed the tug Amy Lynn D and it will be put to work in the Wolfe Island area in eastern Lake Ontario.

The tug is a Shoalbuster 3209 standard design, powered by two Cat engines giving 3498 bhp and 46.8 tonnes bollard pull (maximum) with two fixed pitch props in nozzles and a 350 bhp hydraulic bow thruster.

The tug was last working in the United Arab Emirates, and sailed from there to Algeciras, Spain (Gibraltar) where it rendez-voused with the barge. Also a Damen standard product (called a Stanpontoon), the barge had departed Rotterdam about a month ago and was towed to Algeciras.

On board the barge are three small tugs of the Damen Stantug 1205 class. Powerful for their 13m length, the 600 bhp vessels deliver a 8.5 tonne bollard pull. Standard main engines are Volvo driving twin screws in nozzles. They are also fitted out to a very high standard of finish with a complete suite of navigation gear.

Two of the tugs are destined for local owners, Dominion Diving Ltd. The company operates a number of work boats to support its diving and other work, but also provides line boat and pilot and agent transport in Halifax harbour. The Dominion Rumbler and Dominion Enforcer will be off loaded from the barge - weather permitting - December 7.

The third tug, Saint Georges is destined for Quebec owners and will remain on the barge until it reaches Quebec.

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 The last two days in Halifax have seen the extremes of towing operations - big and little.

First the big tow:

BOA Barge 34 carrying the topsides structure from the decommissioned Deep Panuke gas field, departed this morning, December 12.

The tug Atlantic Kestrel took the lead and was later joined by Atlantic Kingfisher. Assistance getting away from the dock was provided by Atlantic Hemlock and Atlantic Larch (the latter also accompanied the tow) with Atlantic Elm going on ahead to Sheet Harbour.

Atlantic Kestrel has been standing y at Pier 9C, except for a refueling move, waiting for this project.

Atlantic Kingfisher is a UT-722L type tug / supplier, built by Halifax Shipyard in 2002.

Then the little tow:

The McNally Construction tug Mister Joe sailed yesterday, December 11, bound for Port Hawksbury, NS towing an unidentified dump scow.

 For a variety of reasons, several tugs are visiting Halifax for short stays.

Atlantic Towing Ltd leads the way with two tugs plus two tugs from their sister company.

Atlantic Elm, built in 1980 as Irving Elm is a 3460 bhp tug that operates in the summers with supply barges in Hudson's Bay. It was recently deployed from what would usually be winter layup, to assist in moving the BOA Barge 34 arrival in Sheet Harbour. 

It is now tied up at Pier 9C North with the barge Atlantic Swordfish which is one of the northern supply barges. No towing gear is rigged yet, so it is unclear if the barge is to be moved - perhaps to Sheet Harbour?  The tug became Atlantic Elm in 1996 during a corporate re-branding.

At nearby Pier 9C South the J.D.Irving group subsidiary Harbour Development Ltd has its dredge Cranemaster, a split hull spoil barge HD-9 and the tugs Wavemaster ( former Dutch naval tug Regge) and Atlantic Tamarack (former Irving Tamarack). 

 With Christmas and New Year holidays over, it was time to get back to work for some temporary visitors. Atlantic Elm sailed light tug on January 7 giving Liverpool, NS as destination. It only took a few hours to reach that port, and the tug appears to have tied up at the former Mersey Paper dock in Brooklyn.

This morning, January 8 the small Harbour Development flotilla got underway for Saint John. Wavemaster lead off towing the dredge Cranemaster.

The tug is the former Royal Netherlands Navy tug Regge, built in 1987. It was renamed in 2018 after HDL acquired and refitted it to suit Canadian regulations. 

They were followed by Atlantic Tamarack towing the split hopper barge HD-9. Unfortunately when I was poised for a photo a sudden snow shower blotted out the scene. It soon blew over and a distant shot was possible.

Harbour Development Ltd is a subsidiary of Atlantic Towing Ltd, part of the J.D.Irving group of companies. It is essentially a dredging contractor and is nominally based in Halifax. Its equipment works throughout the region, often in the Saint John, NB area. (Their website is woefully out of date, so do not take information from it at face value.)

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 The latest arrival in Halifax is the former Venture Sea. Now sold by Secunda Canada to Virgo Ships and registered in Vanuatu, the tug/supplier is sailing under the name Jarvis, although this has not been painted on in the customary places.

As Venture Sea it was noted on this blog as recently as September when it was mobilized out of layup in Halifax and sent north for a towing assignment.

http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/09/venture-sea-heads-north.html

On return from that job the tug went to Shelburne, NS where it has remained until yesterday when it departed for Halifax. On arrival this afternoon it berthed at Irving Oil's Woodside terminal for refueling.

The letters "M.V." formed no part of the tug's official name, but were applied by the builders and have remained ever since.

Although proving its worth so recently as a towing vessel, there is speculation that this may be the end of the road for the tug, and that it will be headed for the scrappers. After fueling it is scheduled to move to pier 27 so it may be some time before we learn of its fate.

Back in September Venture Sea was laid up sandwiched between its two newer and larger fleet mates.

Secunda Marine, founded in Halifax in the 1980s has been a subsidiary of the Norwegian company Siem Offshore since 2016. Siem is in the process of re-financing and has shed a number of idle vessels. With no work in the oil and gas offshore Nova Scotia, it may be a matter of time before other vessels in the fleet are sold or re-assigned too. Both Siem Commander and Siem Hanne remain laid up in Halifax with few short term prospects.

 Atlantic Towing's Atlantic Elm returned to Halifax this morning towing the barge Scotia Tide from Liverpool, NS. After entering the harbour it was met by Atlantic Oak and made its way toward Eastern Passage.

The twin hull barge, built by Aecon in Pictou in 2015 for a reported $30 million, was designed to carry and place a 1300 tonne tidal turbine on the sea bottom of the Minas Passage in the upper Bay of Fundy. After a failed first placement, and a second placement in 2018, the turbine operators declared bankruptcy leaving an estimated $14 million owing a number of creditors. The barge was ordered sold at auction to recoup some of the loss.

Ironically, among the creditors is Atlantic Towing Ltd ($1.4 million) and RMI Marine ($444,720) . It was RMI's motor boat that picked up the insurance line and float as the tow neared the Cherubini dock in Eisner's Cove.

The barge, is now owned by SPB Equipment of Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador, a company specializing in iron and metal salvaging, dismantling structures, and dealers in recovered components. It is unclear what their intentions may be at this time. The tidal turbine remains inoperative on the bottom of the Minas Passage, and this barge could conceivably be used to recover it.

Atlantic Elm moved back to Pier 27 after securing the barge.

Built by Saint John Drydock + Shipbuilding in 1980 to a proven Robert Allen design, it is a 3460 bhp, 44.5 tonne bollard pull twin screw tug. Originally named Irving Elm it was renamed in 1996. The small "bird house" crows nest was also added later. 

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 The former Venture Sea (see previous post) sailed late this afternoon, now with its new name Jarvis stenciled on the bows.

AIS is not showing a destination, but the boat is heading generally south if that is any indication of where it may be going.

Of the many pictures I have taken of this tug over the years, none have shown what it is really like out at sea. However perhaps this one gives some idea of how this boat might perform.

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Offshore tug and supply operators have experienced a dramatic slowdown in activity over the past year. The reasons are related directly and indirectly to the pandemic, which resulted in a drop in demand for petroleum products and cutbacks in offshore activity by the oil companies.

Most tug/suppliers work under long term contracts, but even some of those have been subject to early cancellations, or the contracts simply have not been renewed or extended when they expired. Some boats have been placed on the "spot market", meaning intermittent work under daily rate hire.

 In 2020 Atlantic Towing Ltd had 13 vessels in its offshore fleet. Two of them, Atlantic Eagle and Atlantic Raven are working on the Pacific coast as Emergency Towing Vessels under contract to the federal government.  By the end of the year two boats, Atlantic Kestrel and Atlantic Merlin were operating in the North Sea and four were operating out of St.John's for Hibernia or Hebron: Atlantic Griffon, Atlantic Shrike, Atlantic Heron and Paul A. Sacuta. Three more were laid up in Stephenville, NL namely Atlantic Kingfisher, Atlantic Osprey, Atlantic Condor (see next post) and Atlantic Tern.

A fifth tug in layup was Atlantic Hawk which has now been reported sold to Russian owners and renamed Sayan Jarl under Cyprus registration.

 The Atlantic Condor has been mobilized from layup in Stephenville, NL to carry out an interesting contract.

After drydocking at Newdock in St.John's for renewal of classification and certificates, I hear that the supplier will proceed to Halifax where it will load two Canadian Coast Guard  lifeboats as deck cargo and transport  them to Victoria, BC. Atlantic Towing Ltd won the contract with a $3,449,999.00 bid, and must deliver the boats by April 30, 2021.

The two boat were built in 2020  - CCGC Cadboro Bay by Chantier Naval Forillon in Gaspé, QC and CCGC Florencia Bay by Hike Metal Products in Wheatley, ON. At present Cadboro Bay is based in Sambro, NS filling in while the regular boat is in refit and Florencia Bay is at the Bedford Institute.

Each boat weighs close to 53 tonnes*, so will require shore based cranes to load and offload. The contract also requires provision of cradles, spreaders and rigging as required for safe transport. Each boat is valued at $ 8 million, so great care will be required.

Atlantic Condor was built by Halifax Shipyard in  2011 and is a UT755LN class cargo vessel, of 2334 gt, 3240 dwt to serve an extendable ten year contract with Encana to support the Deep Panuke gas field. That installation has been capped and removed in 2020, and Atlantic Condor has been without work.

I do not know if the ship will return to this coast on completion of the delivery. However more new CCG lifeboats are under construction - these two are number 7 and 8 of an order of 20, so the ship may find similar work in the future.

* [ Despite the CCG's web site that asserts that the boats "weigh 75 gross tonnes" the tender documents give the weights of the boats as 52.93 tonnes and 52.336 tonnes. Actual weight at time of lift will depend on what fuel, water, stores, etc., may be on board. 

[A gross ton is a non-linear measure of volume (not weight), where traditionally 100 cu.ft = 1 gross ton. Gross tonnage is now determined by international protocol and is the product of the ship's internal volume in cubic meters, multiplied by a variable logarithmic amplification factor, or sliding scale, and is thus not solely a direct measurement. However as a relative comparative term it is still useful in describing ships sizes.]

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 After drydocking in St.John's Atlantic Condor returned to Halifax February 8 and tied up at the IEL pier.  Yesterday, February 12, the operation began to lift on the two lifeboats Cadboro Bay and Florencia Bay.

See yesterday's Shipfax

By this morning  both boats were sitting happily on deck while workers completed lashing and securing the deck load.

As yet there is no departure time posted.

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 After a lengthy layup the supplier Siem Hanne got underway today for the short move from the COVE dock in Dartmouth to Pier 9C in Halifax.

Built in 2007 by Aker, the vessel came to Canada in 2016 under a five year bareboat charter (some called it a loan) by parent company Siem Offshore to affiliate Secunda Marine. The vessel was repainted from red to Secunda blue, but an expected renaming never took place. Siem took up the remaining 50% ownership of Secunda later the same year and kept Siem names for its vessels.

It has been rumoured for some time that the ship was going back to Siem. For now at least it looks like it will be reactivated with DP trials tomorrow. It will hardly be surprising with no activity offshore Nova Scotia, and no new work in the offing for Newfoundland, if the boat heads back to Europe.

Fleet mate tug/supplier Siem Commander remains tied up at the COVE dock. It has seen some spot hire towing work, but its prospects seem equally bleak for long term activity. 

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 It was a busy day for tugs in Halifax with all four tugs working at one point late this afternoon. As usual one of Atlantic Towing's three large 70 tonne bollard pull tugs has been assigned to Halifax for escort and ship berthing duties. The three tugs were built in association with the Spanish firm Reyser to service the LNG offshore discharge facility near Saint John, NB. Because LNG tankers are infrequent callers in there one of the big tugs can usually be spared for use in Halifax. Up to now that has always been Atlantic Bear and Spitfire III. However on March 9 Atlantic Beaver arrived in Halifax.

Heading through the Narrows into a stiff north wind this afternoon, Atlantic Beaver was making a little freezing spray on its bulwarks. Its winch and fire monitors are protected for the winter with heavy tarps.

To my recollection this is the first time that Atlantic Beaver has been back in Halifax since it was here on trials in 2008. It was built by Eastisle Shipyard in Georgetown, PE, and as with all the tugs built there it came to Halifax for bollard pull trials, which were conducted off Pier 24 in September and October 2008.

The three tugs of this class are easily identifiable by the extra fendering, particularly the three bow fenders, and the fire fighting monitors mounted on the bridge deck.

One other item of note is the fixed gangway platform on the stern. Saint John tugs moor in Mediterranean style - stern in to a landing stage, and personnel embark and disembark over the stern.

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 The AIS signal for the supplier Siem Hanne is now showing as PSV Hakan. No new name has yet appeared on the vessel itself (it remains too cold for painting). 

After many months of layup, it was rumoured that the boat was to be sent back to Europe by parent company Siem Offshore. [See previous post of March 4.]

It now seems that it has been sold, with an as yet unknown destination. When it does sail that will leave fleet mate Siem Commander as the only Secunda Canada vessel in Halifax. It is also without work.

 One of Nova Scotia's marine icons (see also today's Shipfax) has been sold. Theodore Too, the beloved full size replica of the star of the animated childrens' television program of the same name, will be taking on a new role to promote careers in the marine industry. Ambassatours, owner of the "tug" , have sold the boat to Blair McKeil, former owner of McKeil Marine Ltd.

 Ambassatours, operators of Halifax harbour tour boats have been looking for meaningful work for Theodore Too ever since they acquired the tour boat business from the Murphy family. Coupled with last year's much abbreviated tour boat season and the need for maintenance on the twenty-one year old vessel, the timing is right for the sale.

Mr. MacKeil, son of the founder of McKeil Workboats, now a major tugboat, cargo ship and tanker operator based in Hamilton, ON, has deep family roots in Nova Scotia. He has been a promoter of various shipping initiatives and has partnered with Heddle Marine. McKeil Marine Ltd itself, although still bearing the family name, is not involved directly in the purchase. Blair McKeil is Vice Chairman of the company.

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A regular Halifax based tug for several years is the Atlantic Willow. One of the large series of ASD tugs built by Irving Shipbuilding's Eastisle Shipyard , it was based on the original Robert Allen Ltd design, but with some modifications. It entered service in 1998.

It was the first tug in the series to be built with the full firefighting package, because it was intended for use at the NuStar oil terminal at Point Tupper, on the Strait of Canso. Presumably that is why it is the only tug in the ATL fleet registered in Port Hawksbury, NS instead of the company's home port of Saint John, NB. It was also equipped with a towing winch aft. 

The tug is rated at 4,000 bhp / 50 tonne bollard pull - somewhat less than the 5,000 bhp / 66 tonne, 5,500 bhp / 70 tonne ratings of the other Halifax tugs. Nevertheless it is still a hard working member of the fleet and it is often designated to work at the bow of a ship and with the smaller ships. 

In case the above photo is a bit placid looking, it should go on record that the tug can "step out". 

Irving tugs have traditionally been named after trees, because the company got is start in the tug business by towing timber on the Saint John River. Originally the river tugs were named for coniferous (softwood) trees (used for lumber and paper making), whereas coastal and ocean tugs were named for deciduous (hardwood) trees. No distinction is made now since some harbour tugs work coastal, and there is no longer any river work.

However, due to the limited number of local tree species, the names do get re-used. Such is the case of the willow, a name used in the fleet from 1980 to 1996. Irving Willow was built in 1958 by J.I.Thornycroft in Woolston, UK for Red Funnel Tugs of Southampton, UK as Dunnose. It was one of a series of first generation twin screw diesel tugs, built to serve the large ships, including the "supertankers"  of the 1950s. Its two 6 cylinder Crossley's giving 1340 bhp became obsolete for that purpose as ships continued to grow, and it was replaced with a new generation. Irving acquired four tugs from the Red Funnel fleet, three of which went into regular service.

Irving Willow ex Dunnose was assigned to the Harbour Development Ltd division of Atlantic Towing Ltd and tended barges and dredges all around the Atlantic region. In 1995 Atlantic Towing Ltd and Harbour Development Ltd,  were given a separate corporate identity under the J.D.Irving branch of the family companies, as distinct from Irving Oil. Most Irving tugs were given the "Atlantic" prefix, however those attached to Harbour Development  Ltd were given a "master" suffix, and Irving Willow was renamed Wavemaster in 1996. It carried that name until it was broken up in Dartmouth, NS in 1995.

Irving Willow with dump scows at a dredging site in Yarmouth, NS in 1985.

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 The oak tree is noted for its strength and durability, which may explain why it has been a favourite name for J.D.Irving / Atlantic Towing Ltd tugs.

The first to use the name was built in 1942 as Empire Spruce. Built by Richard Dunston Ltd, Thorne, UK, it was a Maple class steam tug, with a 500 ihp engine by McKie + Baxter. Intended for civilian service it was instead transferred for naval duties on the River Clyde. On January 9, 1943 it was in collision with a warship in tow at Gare Loch. Cut nearly in two it sank in 30 seconds carrying four crew to their deaths. However it was salved February 23 and taken to Glasgow where it was repaired and continued in RN service until 1945. It served briefly under civilian management with William Watkins Ltd in London, then with the Dover Harbour Board but in November 1945 returned to naval service. In March 1947 it was permanently allocated to the Admiralty and in August 1947 they renamed it Emulous.

I assume the tug was used in various naval dockyards, possibly doing some coastal towing. In 1958 it was stranded one mile east of Dover and was refloated by the Smit tug Brandenburg. With all the salvage capability of the RN it is strange that a Dutch tug would be used, unless it happened to be on the scene and responded to the emergency. I have no reports on the extent of damage, but it appears that the Admiralty did not think it was worth repairing because they sold the tug to H.G.Pounds Ltd, of Portsmouth on March 25, 1958. It is possible that Pounds made some repairs and even operated the tug, but better known as buyers, sellers and scrappers, Pounds may have kept the tug laid up.

J.D.Irving Ltd made a mass purchase of tugs from Pounds in 1961 which included several tugs and an LST to carry some of them to Saint John. On arrival the tug was rebuilt. Work included upgraded crew accommodation and installation of a war surplus 1440 bhp V-16 GM engine, built in 1945 for an LST. On completion the tug was renamed Irving Oak signifying that it would not be used for river work (which tugs had soft wood tree names) and was put to work in general towing and ship berthing in Saint John harbour.

Next up for the Oak name was an oddity for J.D.Irving. Built for work in the Beaufort Sea by Allied Shipbuilding in North Vancouver in 1981 as Canmar Tugger a 3,050 bhp, 40 tonne bollard pull, ice class anchor handling tug, it was used almost exclusively for ocean towing. After Beaufort work shut down, the tug transferred to the east coast in 1991, via the Northwest Passage. On March 11, 1993 the tug began to take on water in Sydney, NS and the stern settled on the bottom. The wheelhouse was not submerged but the rest of the tug received considerable water damage. Atlantic Towing then bought the tug - probably for a very good price.

Atlantic Towing, in line with corporate policy renamed it Atlantic Oak.

In 2000 with newer tugs available, and ocean towing work much reduced, the tug was sold to Island Tug and Barge Ltd of Vancouver where it was renamed Island Tugger. It was initially put to work as an ITB tug, but has also been used in long range transpacific towing and into the arctic. 

In 2002 Atlantic Towing took delivery of hull number 78 from East Isle Shipyard  in Georgetown, PE. It was the fifteenth tug of a type built to a Robert Allen ASD design. The 4,000 bhp vessel was named Atlantic Oak. It was fully equipped with a towing winch and firefighting gear.

While some of the Georgetown tugs were built for their own account Atlantic Towing sold several of the tugs to overseas buyers after some limited use by ATL. In 2003 the second Atlantic Oak was sold to Dominican Republic owners Remolcadores Dominicanos and renamed Ocoa. It is still in service.

ATL eventually completed a joint venture with Svitzer wherein ATL took over tug operations in Halifax Harbour. Due to the size of ships coming to the port tethered escort tugs had become mandatory and ATL had the next tug built specifically for that service in Halifax. East Isle Hull No.81, the 18th tug in the series at 5,050 bhp and 66 tonnes bollard pull became the third Atlantic Oak. That tug is still in service in Halifax and shares tethered escort and general docking duties with three other tugs.

Atlantic Oak iii pulls on the stern of ZIM Antwerp (114,000 gt, 10,062 TEU.)

A skim of frozen spray coats the hull as Atlantic Oak iii accompanies a ship through the Narrows.

 Atlantic Towing Ltd has sold another of its laid up offshore support vessels. Atlantic Tern is the oldest and smallest vessel in the offshore fleet, but has found new owners reported to be in Croatia. They have renamed the tug/supplier Marjana K under the Panama flag.

Built in 1975 by Vito Steel Boat + Barge Construction Ltd in Delta, BC, the 1409 gt, 7040 bhp vessel has had a lengthy history of changes in ownership and name. All that does not require repeating since it has been posted here before: February 18, 2019

No departure date nor destination has been posted yet.

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 The well traveled McKeil tug Lois M arrived back in Halifax April 28 with the barge Glovertown Spirit. This visit is similar to its call last autumn which for some reason was not mentioned in this blog, but did make it to my other blog Shipfax: October 24, 2020

The Sydney, NS based tug once again has the 4800 tonne capacity deck barge Glovertown Spirit, and will load another bridge component for Toronto.

The bridge builders, Cherubini Metal Works, have their own dock in Eisner's Cove in the South Woodside / Eastern Passage area of Halifax harbour and can load out almost any fabrication they can manufacture. Once workers have installed the crib work on the barge, they will load the bridge section, which will  also likely be covered by Shipfax.

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