The Sydney NS port Authority is reporting Tugs Atlantic Elm and Fir In Sydney. Both were recently in Quebec, But may have been assigned to bring the Athabaskan back to Halifax..
Stay Tuned.
UPDATE 04/01: Shipfax is reporting Ocean Tugs have headed for home. The Speculation is that Atlantic Towing Dispached their tugs based on the assumption that the contract would be re-tendered.
Photo (left) courtesy Sydney Port Authority via twitter.
After a layup since before christmas to repair a hole in her hull, Renate Schulte sailed this morning for Havana. She departed with the assistance of 2 tugs, which may suggest the bow thruster is still broken, however high winds would also indicate the use of tugs.
(Above) Zim New York Backing into Pier 41. It was a cold Operation for the Pilot, with -22 temps with the wind chill, they were well bundled out on the bridge wing. (Below)
Hienrich J (below) Occupied Pier 42. She Appears to be unladden, so I would imagine she will be loading today. She waited out the Holiday yesterday at the dock. She and the Renate Schulte both sail for the Melfi Lines, But with Renate Schulte Damaged, She managed to catch up. She is scheduled to Sail Tomorrow. The third Melfi Ship VECHT TRADER is also due to arrive tommorow.
PCTC Torino (above) and Algoma Mariner (below).
(Above)The Last Ship of the year was OOCL Antwerp, who departed at 9:50PM on the 31st. (Below)The PCTC Torino will be the first ship of 2013. She is Currently Inbound. Both are file photos
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| Goodbye 2012 |
2012 was an interesting year. 180000 people read halifaxshippingnews.ca in 2012 – more then ever before, and growth was steadly climbing from month to month. We also had the 320 posts this year – almost one a day, and picked up Telonix as our first sponsor.
In Ship Building news, The APA recived its new Pilot Boat. The First 3 Hero Class midshore patrol vessels were launched for the Coast Guard. HRM Decided to build a 4th Ferry, and the 3 existing ones got AIS. The Bluenose was launched, and Oceanex, Fedanav, and ACL all ordered new ships.
Halifax saw a variety of interesting Visiting naval Ships, including USCG Dependable, Tahoma, Juniper, Reliance and Spencer; Royal Navy HMS Scott, HMS Protector, US Navy ships USS Laboon, USS Fort Worth, USS De Wert and USS Hurricane; Plan Zenghe, HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl, The German vessels FGS Emden, FGS Hessen, FGS Frankfurt am Main; HDMS Esbern Snare; USNS Grapple; French Naval Tug Malabar
Breakdowns – Atlantic Cartier with engine troubles, Renate Shulte with a hole in her bow from a loose anchor, Stuttgart Express with a bunker leak.
We commemorated the Titanic 100th anniversary, tall ships, afl went bankrupt and the ship was sold by the court. Pier 9 expansion was well under way and the Pier 42 Expansion was completed; first disney cruise; and the Scotia Dock II sold for scrap.
there are many more notable events that I missed.
Lets bring on 2013, it should be interesting.
Ryan Leat from the Deep Panuke platform, Dec 30
Images sent to me via twitter
Shipfax is reporting that the tow line parted today setting HMCS Athabaskan adrift of Scatrie Island, where the M/V Miner is grounded on shore.
Athabaskan was towed into Sydney by the backup tug Andre H, and is reported to be safe.
For more see shipfax http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2012/12/hmcs-athabaskan-tow-in-trouble.html
Addtional update from shipfax – there may have been contact and Athabaskan has been damaged. Read more here and Here which has addtional photos of the damage.
UPDATE 01/01/13: I have received confirmation from a source that there are punctures on the port side of the hull, near the Numbers. Shipfax has the photos
UPDATE 02/01/13: Shipfax is reporting Atlantic Towing will be completing the tow and has tugs in Sydney. They have a good synopsis here
CBC news is reporting “The Iroquois-class destroyer, which is currently docked in North Sydney, has at least seven holes in its hull along with several dents and scrapes. It also appears the ship’s frame may be warped along the waterline.
The Royal Canadian Navy declined to comment to CBC News about the extent of the damage.“
the story included this video of the damage
Update 12/30/12: CBC News is reporting:
Capt. Doug Keirstead, a spokesman for Maritime Forces Atlantic, said there was no one on the ship at the time, but there were people on the tug.
He said the line was reconnected with the help of a Cormorant helicopter from the airbase in Greenwood, N.S.
“One of the crew members who was on the tug was lowered down to Athabaskan to reconnect the line, as was a member of the tug’s crew,” Keirstead told CBC News on Sunday.
Athabaskan was in St. Catharines, Ont., for a refit. It was on its way to Halifax for the winter when it went adrift.
Once the line was reconnected, the ship was towed to Sydney to wait out the current winter storm. It’s not known when it will resume the journey to Halifax.
Photo HMCS Athabaskan is towed into Sydney harbour to wait out bad weather. (Yvonne Leblanc-Smith/CBC)
Cape Breton post reports
The HMCS Athabaskan drifted in the North Atlantic for hours off Scatarie Island, which has been home to the wreck of the bulk cargo ship, MV Miner, for the past 15 months.
Capt. Doug Keirstead, a spokesman for Marine Forces Atlantic, said the tow line broke due to the poor weather in the region at the time.
There was no one on the Athabaskan at the time, said Keirstead, adding the immediate concern was for the safety of the crew towing the vessel to the Halifax naval dockyard.
“It was drifting at about 0.5 knots, so it was going very slow,” he said, Sunday.
“I do know that they were far enough offshore to allow the ship to be reconnected safely and efficiently, and of course be towed into Sydney at that point to safely avoid the poor weather.”
Keirstead said he was unsure of the exact distance from shore, but given the drifting speed of the Athabaskan, and the time it took to have a Cormorant helicopter fly from its Annapolis Valley airbase in Greenwood to help reconnect the tow line, the ship wasn’t in danger of running aground.
The commercial tugs, contracted by the Canadian Forces, pulled the Iroquois-class destroyer into Sydney harbour late Saturday afternoon.
The HMCS Athabaskan, which has been in service for the Canadian Forces since 1972, had been undergoing a refit in St. Catharines, Ont., and was being towed back to its home port of Halifax prior to the winter closing of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
It hasn’t been determined when the ship will resume its voyage to Halifax, Keirstead said.
He said it’s not unusual for a tow line to break.
“When we’re having to contend with severe weather conditions, which include high winds and rough seas, that can place a challenge on towing a vessel like that.”
It’s not expected there will be an investigation into the tow line break as it’s a “reasonably straight forward issue,” Keirstead said.
However, he noted the Canadian Forces always looks at lessons learned and how that can be applied to future tows.
Additional update from the Cape Breton Post:
The HMCS Athabaskan was tied up at the Osprey dock in North Sydney, Monday. The Canadian destroyer, which was being towed by two tugboats from St. Catharines, Ont. and had its tow line break off Scatarie Island, will remain in Sydney harbour until weather conditions improve, and then continue on with its trip to the port of Halifax. (additional image Steve Wadden, Cape Breton Post)
Don Merritt photos of the damage
(Above) Lady Cristina, for bunkers. She has been to Halifax before. (bellow)Peter Roenna, Owned by BBC Shipping, she is a sister ship to Nils B
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