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.

 

.