Tugs at Ile-aux-Coudres - Part 2

The GFFM Leclerc shipyard on the eastern tip of Ile-aux-Coudres builds small powerful shallow draft tugs for sale or charter. Many of the tugs find work as lighterage tugs in northern supply work. Others are kept on hand at the home port of Ile-aux-Coudres for general duties or leased out to others.

A small tidal basin adjacent to the ferry dock is the base, and on August 10 there were four Leclerc tugs and a pair of similar tugs operated by Transport Desgagnés.

The Desgagnés tug Lumaaq is an early version of the type, whereas Rénard Polaire is one the newer triple screw versions.
Lumaaq, Siku and a pair of lighters will be loaded aboard an outbound Desgagnés Transarctik ship to land sealift cargo in the far north.

 

Siku is awaiting its next northern assignment with fleetmate Lumaaq, and Ours Polaire is standing by for other work.

Béluga Polaire and Eclipse Polaire return from an assignment moving a barge out into the stream.

Béluga Polaire prepares to land some barge workers.

Eclipse Polaire returns to the dock.

The tugs move JMC 185 away from its berth.

The tugs had moved the barge JMC 185 out to the stream. Built in 2007 by LAD Salvage of Louisiana in Stephensville, LA as an ABS classed spud barge, it was owned by Cashman Equipment in Boston. Groupe Océan then acquired the barge for transporting reinforcing steel to the Hebron gravity base construction in Newfoundland from 2015 to 2017.  They then used the barge to transport precast concrete components from Sorel for the new Champlain Bridge project. CRT Construction has now acquired the barge for work in north Quebec with their tug CRT Express (see yesterday's post).

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Small tugs from Quebec

On my recent trip to Quebec I was able to see a large number of small tugs. Three different companies were involved in the tugs I saw, including Groupe Océan:

Océan Uannaq is one of a pair that were built for arctic service, but have been working with the dredging fleet for several years, 

paired with notched barges.

With the two tugs and their barges lashed alongside pushing the dredge Océan Basque 2, the Leclerc tug Réjeanne Polaire does the towing.

Océan Nigig free running on a breezy day.

At Ile-aux-Coudres JFFM Leclerc was at work fitting out their fleet of small tugs and barges for summer assignments in the north. Many of the tugs will be carried aboard ships that service remote northern communities that have no port facilities.

The newer tugs are triple screw like Jack Polaire.

Leclerc's Rénard Polaire is triple screw, while Desgagnés smaller Kingoak is twin screw. Both are ready to wheel out on the next high tide.

Vent, Cercle and Ours Polaire are smaller twin screw tugs in the Leclerc fleet.


Groupe Desgagnés has its own fleet of small tugs and lighters, also used in northern supply work.

Lecelerc also maintains the Desgagnés fleet at their shipyard on Ile-aux-Coudres.

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