Ezra Sol

 The tug Ezra Sol was called out of Norfolk, VA September 12 to tow the disabled 38,795 deadweight tonnes Croatian bulk carrier AP Revelin to a safe anchorage off Halifax. The ship had lost its propeller, en route from Port Allen LA, and was unable to move on its own. The tow arrived on September 17 and with the assistance of the local tug Atlantic Maple the ship anchored outside the port limits with the Ezra Stol standing by.

On September 24 with the Ezra Sol towing, the AP Revelin entered port with the assistance of the port tugs Atlantic Oak (forward) and Atlantic Ash (with line astern) and took up an anchorage in Bedford Basin. 

 

Ezra Sol [2002. 6,000 bhp, triple screw] was built by Main Iron Works in Houma. LA and is powered by three Cummins engines. Originally named O.J.Cenac it was renamed O.J. in 2008 and Copper Mountain in 2013. In 2023 it became the Ezra Sol and works for Seaward Marine Corp of Norfolk, VA.

Port regulations require that ships anchoring in Bedford Basin must have operational engines in order to move on short notice. (The Basin bottom is poor holding ground, and in high winds ships tend to "wander" and must re-anchor). If they cannot move on their own they are required to have a tug alongside.  

 

The tug Point Chebucto [1993. 4200 bhp ASD] was therefore called in from Port Hawksbury, NS where it was in warm layup after NuStar Energy's new tugs entered service in July. It then stood by the ship and the tug Ezra Sol moved to Pier 9C to await further developments. [The five local harbour tugs are kept busy enough that they could not be spared for extended standby work.]

 

Perched on the end of Pier 9C, the tug shows off its triple stacks and massive towing winch.

Not the only stacks in town- the 550 feet high triple stacks of the Nova Scotia Power Corp's Tuft's Cove generating station provide some contrast.

 

On October 3 tugs moved the AP Revelin to Pier 27, and the standby tug was no longer required.  Point Chebucto tied up for the night at the local tug dock - the IEL wharf. Today, October 4 the Point Chebucto departed for Sheet Harbour, NS. (The bulker Fjord Pearl seems to have sailed from Sheet Harbour without tug assistance, so it appears that the Point Chebucto will carry on back to Port Hawksbury.) 

Also today the Ezra Sol sailed, heading for Boston. 

 So far there had been no sign of activity on the ship. Installing a new prop may require lightering off some cargo or even drydocking, since there may also be damage to the rudder, and shafting. It is likely that an ocean going tug has been called in for a transatltantic tow.

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Small Quebec Tugs - Part 1

 The tug builder / owners GFFM Leclerc from Ile-aux-Coudres, Quebec have created a number of small but powerful tugs. Both Groupe Océan and Transport Desgagnés have several Leclerc-built tugs in their fleets -some owned and some rented - while Leclerc also rents tugs to them and to other companies.

The tugs are all built to a similar pattern, and have evolved over the years to the current design of shallow draft, triple screw, 900+ bhp boats of under 15 gross tons. That means they can be registered by number only, and the names displayed on the hulls are "unofficial". It is therefore difficult to pin down the date of build if the registration number is not visible.  (The tugs owned by Transport Desgagnés are generally registered by name however.)

Océan Seahawk is a typical Leclerc tug, and displays its official registration number C24893QC. It was first registered in 2021 and is rated at 990 bhp. Its unofficial name is only partially displayed on the bow, but in full on the stern.

Strictly "day boats", they have no accommodation space other than a sizeable wheelhouse.

 

This past summer I was able to see several of these tugs:

Transport Desgagnés uses Leclerc tugs for their Arctic Sealift work. The tugs, along with shallow draft barges, are carried north on the deck of northern supply ships, and are used to lighter the cargo ashore to communities without regular port facilities. They are lifted on and off with the ships' own cranes.

On July 3 the Zelada Desgagnés headed north for its first arctic supply trip of the season. On deck are a pair of shallow draft barges and two tugs. The Desgagnés- owned Siku (12.59 gt)(with yellow stripe) built by Meridien Marine in Matane, QC is forward of the GFFM Leclerc-owned tug Glacier Polaire.

 

The Narval Polaire C28772, built 2024, ferries workers ashore after loading the other tugs and barges.

The tugs and barges will be left at a northern port after the first trip and brought back south after the second or third trip of the season.

Several Leclerc tugs stand by the Rosaire A. Desgagnés as it loads a barge in the anhorage off Ile-aux-Coudres on July 7.

 

Groupe Océan uses the tugs in their dredging operations and large marine construction projects, and can be seen in many regions of Quebec, as far west as the St.Lawrence Seaway.

The dredge Ocean Basque 2 working off Ile-aux-Coudres, September 3. The Nuit Polaire and Ocean Seahawk are lashed up with the Grande Ourse and Petite Ourse to take silt out to a dumping ground.

 

 

 The Leclerc shipyard at the extreme east end of Ile-aux-Coudres turns out about one tug a year and usually a barge, and has ample storage and launch space.

 

The latest new build is for Transport Desgagnés, and is registered by name as Siqiniq:

 

 It was ready for launch in July. It is hull number C25 of the triple screw tugs. The previous twin screw tugs numbered about up to hull H7.

 Some of the older twin screw versions are stored in the yard and are available for rental.

and several of the newer units are in the water (or in the tidal mud) and ready to go: 

There are other small tugs working in Quebec too. A second installment will follow.

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New Angle

 The Royal Canadian Navy's base in Halifax, HMC Dockyard, is served by a small fleet of tugs. They are not commissioned naval vessels, but are classed as auxiliairies, and are operated by civilian crews. There are two classes of tugs, the Glens and the Villes (also known as "pups").

When not berthing ships and doing other chores the tugs can be seen from the Angus L. Macdonald bridge that spans the habour almost directly over their basin.

 

This week, May 15, I saw one of the tugs from a different angle - and much closer - when it was tied up at Dominion Diving's facility in Dartmouth Cove. It was probably undergoing some maintenance as each of the three Glen class tugs in Halifax have been undergoing refits.

 

The Glenbrook YTB 643 was built in 1976 and is a 1750 bhp Voith-Schneider tractor. 

The tugs have been meticulously maintained, but are due for replacement. The new tugs are under construction at the Industrie Océan shipyard in Ile-aux-Coudres, QC. The first two tugs, the Haro and Barkerville were delivered to HMS Dockyard in Esquimalt, BC last year and the second two are due for delivery to Halifax this year. They are to be named Canso and Stella Maris - more on these when they arrive.

Each dockyard will receive two tugs to replace the three tugs and a fireboat originally in service.  

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Where have all the tuboats gone?

 To paraphrase the old folk song - gone to Argentia (nearly) every one.

There is a major marine operation taking place in Argentia, Newfoundland which has resulted in tugs being brought in from Halifax, Saint John and Quebec City.  The float out of the newly built Gravity Base Structure (GBS) for the West White Rose oil field extension will require vonsideralbe horsepower - well beyond the means of local tugs - which generally could not be spared from their regular duties in any event. 

The gravity base structure was built in a man-made basin - effectively a graving dock - which itself was constructed for the purpose. The Basin has been flooded and now the earth berm that kept the basin dry will be dredged out by the Tristan da Cunha, a Luxembourg flag cutter suction dredge, and the GBS will be floated out.

The 201,000 tonne unit will be taken out to its location and ballasted down. Onc bedded in postion 350 km east of St. John's (217 nautical miles)  the topside structure will arrive fromTexas for installation.

Atlantic Towing Ltd will be providing the tugs Atlantic Cedar (5050 hp) and Atlantic Fir (5050 hp) from Halifax and Atlantic Larch (4000 hp) from Saint John and Groupe Océan has sent  Ocean Taiga (8000 hp) and Ocean Tundra (8000 hp) from Quebec City. Also on hand appear to be the Newfoundland  based tug  Dalton Hunter (3570 hp) and the anchor handler Skandi Mariner ex Maersk Mariner (12,444 hp).

To partially cover off for Halifax the Atlantic Spruce (4000 hp) has been sent round from Saint John.

I have no photos to include with this post, but I am sure there will be considerable media coverage available.  

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McKeil tugs together

 There was a rare sight in Halifax harbour today, April 25, when two of McKeil Marine's busy tugs were seen (briefly) together.

 The Tim McKeil and Beverly M 1 were alongside together this morning at the Cherubini Metal Workers dock on the Dartmouth side of the harbour. The Tim McKeil left not long after with the barge MM161 and a load of components, each mounted on a semi-trailer.

The Tim McKeil and barge arrived April 18, and soon began to take on the large cylinders (likely wind generator towers) destined for Dalhousie, NB.

 Tim McKeil ex Pannawonica I is a 4800 bhp tug, built in 1991 and acquired in 2014. It is fitted with an elevated wheelhouse for barg work. 

Beverly M 1 dates from 1993 and is a 4200 bhp tug the former Pacific Typhoon -13, Hunter -06, Shek-O -04. It also sailed later in the day for Sydport.

Ity will be interesting to see if the Tim McKeil and barge will use the Canso Canal en route to the Baie des Chaleurs.

Goodbye 'Osprey

 A Halifax-built AHTS has been sold and is en route to Greece.

The Atlantic Osprey was sent down the launch ways April 17, 2003 and completed in July of the same year. It was handed over to Atlantic Towing Ltd for operation in Newfoundland waters. Both Halifax Shipyard and Atlantic Towing Ltd are owned by branches of J.D.Irving Ltd, the industrial arm of the Irving family of companies from Saint John, New Brunswick. 

The 3453 gt ship was the last of four similar vessels built to an Ulstein 722 design. The first two, Atlantic Eagle and Atlantic Hawk were 3157 gt platform suppliers and the second two, Atlantic Kingfisher and Atlantic Osprey were UT722L types with anchor handling / towing winches and 5 meter longer hull at 80m LOA. 

 Atlantic Eagle is currently serving as an Emergency Towing Vessel in British Columbia. Atlantic Hawk was sold in 2021, renamed Sayan Jarl then Seival under Russian flag. Atlantic Kingfisher has been chartered out to Brazil since 2002.

The Atlantic Osprey appeared to have a more elaborate fire fighting outfit. It was equipped with two controllable pitch props delivering about 100 tonnes bollard pull from four Bergen main engines of 14,411 bhp. It had one conventional and one azimuthing thruster forward and two athwartship thrusters aft. (It was also report at 16,000 installed horsepower.)

 

Atlantic Hawk (left) and Atlantic Osprey (right)

 From September 2022 to August 2023 the Atlantic Osprey was reflagged to Barbados, presumably for work overseas. It may also have operated abroad on other occasions. It did work out of Halifax for a time between 2018 and 2020 with a drill rig Noble Regina Allen and offshore platforms. It was laid up periodically in Stephenville and did spot charter work.

 

In March of this year, its Canadian registry was closed and it was renamed Giant under Liberian flag. New owners are reported to be Giant Shipping SA with managers Megatugs International Salvage. It departed Bull Arm, NL April 12, 2025 for Piraeus, Greece.

 

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Villes at 50

 The Canadian Navy's three Ville class tugs based in Halifax, Granville, Listerville and Merrickville  have now put in 50 years of service and are still going strong. Built in 1974 by Georgetown Shipyard in Prince Edward Island, they are 365 bhp Cat powered with a single screw in a nozzle. At 45 feet long they are of a very convenient size for working in the confines of the HMC Dockyard. They also can be seen at other Navy installations in the harbour, most often in ship handling with the larger Glen class tugs. They also perform regular security patrols and other odd jobs such as fender placement.

Granville YTL 594 and Merrickville YTL 593 with fenders, and bibs, after undocking a visiting naval ship in the port. Their signal masts are struck for close in work.

 As non-commissioned auxiliary vessels working under the direction of the Master Attendant in the King's Harbour Master's office, they are civilian crewed, but carry the usual naval pennant designation YTL (Yard Tug Little). They are referred to as CNAV, Canadian Naval Auxiliary Vessels.

CNAV Merrickville YTL 593 in the Narrows March 15, 2025.

 They are so well maintained that there is no hint of their age. However at only a modest 7.5 tons bollard pull they may be under powered for the Navy's newer and much larger ships which are in the works. As craft that work only within the confines of the harbour, and for short trips, there would be an opportunity for electric / battery powered craft. 

The Navy's slightly newer Glen class tugs, built in 1976, are being replaced, but I have not heard of replacement plans for the Villes, familiarly called "pups". They in turn replaced a series of earlier 45 foot "Pups", also with "Ville" names, that were built during World War II.

 The war-built Merrickville served civilian owners for several more years after Navy duty.

 The current Villes are heavily fendered below the waterline for work with submarines.

 Listerville YTL 592 hauled out for maintenance.

 The recent visit to Halifax of the French submarine FS Tourville (coincidentally) saw a pair of our Villes in close attendance.

 

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