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Westport Ferry - harbour stalwart
One of the stalwarts of Halifax harbour, though perhaps little known, is the tug/workboat Westport Ferry . When I photographed it last Monday, making its way through the Narrows, I was struck by how...
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Dominion Victory - jack of all trades.
Dominion Diving's Dominion Victory, visible in the the last Tugfax posts, is a notable vessel, having had several successful careers, and for the last nine years has been flagship of Dominion's...
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Captain Jim
Another busy workboat in Halifax is the launch/workboat Captain Jim. Operated by RMI Marine (a Division of Remote Access Technology Management Inc) it is based in Eastern Passage, with fleet-mate Belle...
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J.F.Whalen - Part 1
At pier 9 this morning, the hull of the McNally Construction tug J.F. Whalen is awaiting arrival of its superstructure.One of two tugs built by Chantier Naval Forillon of Gaspé, it measures 13.58 gross...
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Hamburg Tug Ballet - Special Performance
While attending the International Tug + Salvage Conference in Hamburg, Germany June 16-20, I was fortunate enough to have a ringside seat for a special performance of the famous Hamburg Tug Ballet....
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J.F.Whalen - part 2
part 2......Following close on delivery of the J.F.Whalen hull by truck from Gaspé, the 55,000 lbs unit was lifted off and floated alongside today. Late this afternoon the wheelhouse arrived by...
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J.F.Whalen - part 3
McNally's crew quickly assembled the remaining components and had the J.F.Whalen all back together by Wednesday.With push knees in place, the tug doesn't look quite as attractive, but I am sure they...
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Quebec Report
A whirlwind tour over the Canada Day weekend brought me up to date on some Quebec tugs that I had been following recently, and some revisited old (tug) acquaintances.As usual maintenance dredging was...
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Atlantic Towing change
Atlantic Towing's roster changed in Halifax at the end of June. With Atlantic Larch sent to Newfoundland (her towing winch is in demand) the Atlantic Spruce is now the third tug. Built in 1997, with...
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Return visit to Ile-aux-Coudes
I was back at Ile-aux-Coudres over the weekend and got a different slant on my previous post a couple of weeks ago.At Industrie Océan, the two tugs Océan Echo II and Océan Basques remain on the slips....
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Miss Comeau graces the Digby waterfront
Known primarily for its scallop fishing fleet and the ferry service to Saint John, NB, Digby, Nova Scotia is also home to a handsome small tug, which finds work around the Annapolis Basin and comes in...
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Tusker - called Hailfax home for a while
A recent posting in Boatnerd brought back memories of the tug Tusker that had several far flung careers, one of which had its beginnings in Halifax on this day in 1980. In July 1954 Rich and Smith of...
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Craig Trans - unlikely yacht
The troubled tug Craig Trans has now been registered in Canada, as a pleasure craft. Its previous Bolivian registry was brought into question when it was abandoned by its owner in Halifax early in...
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Newfoundland Tug News
OLDThe veteran tug/supplier Rivertonhas left the Canadian flag after a memorable career. Built in 1975 Scheepsw. “De Waal” in Zaltbommel, Netherlands as Smit-Lloyd 112 it was powered by a pair of 6 cyl...
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Miss Jenna - Mahone Bay
Miss Jenna appeared to be taking a day off from her normal activities of assisting in wharf and other marine construction projects in the Mahone Bay area.Acting as a race marker on a day when there was...
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Summer Break
Tugfaxhas passed the 400 mark in posts and so it is time for a rest. My usual August break will certainly stretch into the first week of September..
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Quebec Report -1, Russel warping tug
While in Quebec this summer I was fortunate enough to spot a typical Russel warping tug. Russel Brothers was founded in Fort Frances in 1907. They initially built tugs in wood, and moved to Owen Sound...
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Quebec Report 2 - follow up on Réjeanne Polaire
I just missed the launch of GFFM Leclerc's latest tug in July, but was able to see it briefly in August before it was taken away on its first assignment.It appears to a clone of the most recent triple...
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Quebec Report 3 - Ocean Basques update (and friends)
Tugfax has been following the Océan Basques since it was acquired last year from Svitzer. After layup and renaming in Halifax over the winter of 2013-2014, it went to Industrie Océan in Ile-aux-Coudres...
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Quebec Report 4 - Davie Delivers
The much maligned and often troubled Davie shipbuilding facility in Lévis, QC has delivered its first new ship under new ownership, a state of the art DPIII offshore construction vessel. I caught it...
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