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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