The RAF demo team began a North American tour with a demonstration over the Harbour Today. The Team was the final Act that featured RCAF aircraft in use on the East Coast.
The red arrows then performed. The RCAF uses the same Hawk jet as its primary jet training aircraft.
I went out to towards the airport to Visit the Atlantic Aviation Museum, and then spent some time Plane Spotting. It was a productive outing.
A very light Ocean Force arrived at Fairview Cove this morning, and is due to sail this evening. The ship arrived from a New Jersey Anchorage.
Built in Germany in 1983, the Ship was originally named Condock III. besides being a CON-Ro, capable of taking containers and Ro-ro cargo, the vessel is also semi-submersible, allowing it to transport boats and other floating craft loaded via a full width stern ramp.
the ship is owned and operated by Prime Transport based in the Ukraine.
This week in Herald, I talk about swimming. In the Harbour. and why it should be more then a 1 day a year event. (Aug 15 this Year)
I Also talk about the need for the city to extend lifeguard hours beyond 5pm at city beaches, given 2 evening drownings in 2 years at beaches with daytime supervision.
Work Continues on the first ship, with testing under way – the Boat Davit appears to have recently load tested, given the empty bag still hanging from it. some of the construction coverings are coming off, and system testing is under way.
the Launch of the Second ship is Due sometime between October 19 and November 19, based on the Coasting trade application for the use of the Boa Barge. that would suggest the plan is to turn the first ship over to the navy before then.
I suspect the yard is under political pressure to hand the ship over prior to the start of the federal election campaign.
USS Gravely put in for a port visit this morning. The ship tied up at Jetty NH, by the bridge. DDG-107 is an Arleigh Burke class destroyer, and was commissioned in 2010, the 57th ship of her type.
Gravely most recently served as flagship of NATO SNMG1, handing off those duties to USS Gridley last week in Rota Spain.
As previously announced, today PSA International Pte Ltd has completed the acquisition of Halterm from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners. This is a good news story for the port, as PSA is a terminal operator, and not simply an investment fund. PSA will work with Shippers, CN, and the port to increase business, and has extensive operations around the world.
With the Pier Expansion underway, and a new crane on order (with an option for a second) things are looking good at Halterm today.
PSA’s other Canadian facility is the Ashcroft Terminal, British Columbia’s largest inland port facility. Ashcroft Terminal is located approximately 300km east of the Port of Vancouver, close to the major highways, and offers unique rail connectivity to both Class 1 railroad lines – CN and CP
The CCGS Frederick G. Creed has been conducting survey work off the Eastern coast of Nova Scotia for the past few weeks. the vessel sails from BIO in the morning, and returns in the evening, and appears to operate on a 7am to 7pm schedule. the ship works for the Canadian Hydrographic Service.
Built in 1988 by SWATH Ocean Systems in San Diego, the ship utilizes a Swath Design.SWATH stands for Small Waterplane Twin Hull. Unlike a catamaran, which features two displacement pontoons in the water, the SWATH design is like resting the ship on top of two submerged submarines. the bulk of the hull mass is submerged below the surface, and only a narrow volume is taken up at the water surface. By placing the majority of the ships displacement under the surface, it remains unaffected by wave action.
As a result the ship is incredibly stable in rough sea states. SWATH technology was developed by a Nova Scotian, Frederick G. Creed in the 1930’s, and awarded a British patent in 1946. The CCGS Frederick G. Creed is the Coastguards only SWATH design in the fleet, and appropriately bears the name of the inventor of the technology.
As far as my records go, the ship was last in Halifax in 2009.
Yesterdays’s sole cruise caller was Grandeur of the Seas for Royal Caribbean. She was bound for Baltimore, Due on August 3rd.
She sailed at 18:30 making it it to a point off Lockport NS, only to return to at 6:30 this morning to discharge an ill passenger. The ship sailed for a second time at 7:30.
Wednesday night is race night for the various yacht clubs around Halifax, and for the clubs in the North West Arm, that means racing in the Middle Ground – the area off Point Pleasant between Ives Knoll and Maugers Beach.
The race committee vessel, confirmed with traffic that the racing would be kept out of the channel, to the west. The race Committee vessel were also made aware of the 18:30 departures of Grandeur of the Seas and the container ship X-Press Makalu.
Despite the clear communication with Halifax traffic, however the race course was set to use Mark #37 on the NSYA Race Mark Sheet. Mark 37 is more commonly known as buoy H22, or Ives Knoll West, and getting to it requires crossing both traffic lanes.
The CCGS Frederick G Creed was inbound, and had to slow up considerably, complaining to Halifax Traffic about the racing yachts failing to give way. the Pilot aboard the X-Press Makalu also complained about the conduct of the yachts blocking both channels as they were coming off the dock. By the time the two outbound vessels were underway, the yachts were held clear of the channels and the two ships passed without the use of Horns.
It would appear that the the Race Committee misled Halifax Traffic about their intentions. They got called out for being in the wrong place by both the Pilots, and a Coast Guard vessel, and potentially put peoples lives in danger.
Halifax Traffic will have recordings of non-reporting traffic in the lanes from the radar on Georges Is, as well as recordings of the the communications on VHF Ch12.
One final note..
the comment this post is going to receive is the rules of the road say Sail has the right of way over power. While this is true, it is not compete. Colregs Rule 9 gives right of way to any vessel over sailing vessels and vessels under 20m (60′) in a narrow channel. the traffic lanes would count as narrow channels. Sailing vessels are required to give way to Vessels Not under Command, Restricted in ability to Maneuver, or engaged in Fishing.
Give the Full Colregs a read at https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/c.r.c.,_c._1416/FullText.html