Atlantic Larch at work

Harbour tugs were kept busy today unberthing container ships that had been held in port due to last night's storm, and bringing in ships that had been held off.

Atlantic Larch is shown above returning to her base at pier 24 after undocking OOCL California at Fairview Cove. She then escorted the ship, using a line to the ship's stern, through the Narrows until they reached the lower harbour.

The Larch is one of three tugs normally based in Halifax for Atlantic Towing Ltd. She was built by East Isle shipyard in Georgetown, PEI in 2000 and is rated at 4,000 bhp.

The other tugs working here for ATL are Atlantic Spruce, built in 1997, also 4,000 bhp and fitted for firefighting, and Atlantic Oak, built in 2004.

The latter is rated at 5,000 bhp, has firefighting capability, and is fitted with an escort skeg under her bow, which dramatically increases her pulling power when she is used in the indirect mode. At present Atlantic Oak is working in Bull Arm, Newfoundland on an oil rig project. She is expected to return in a few weeks.