Boa Odin - back again

The tug Boa Odin returned to Halifax with the barge Boa Barge 33. On its first visit a month ago, it loaded the first section of the Novadock floating drydock and towed it out to Tampa, FL.

Tomorrow the tug, with assistance from harbour tugs, will load the second and larger section of the Novadock for the same destination. Meanwhile Boa Odin moved to pier 25 to take on fuel, delivered by truck.

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Heading South

The tug Boa Odin sailed from Halifax on October 8, towing the Boa Barge 33 loaded with one section of the former Novadock floating drydock.The destination is Tampa, FL.

As morning fog burns off on October 7, Boa Odin stands by the stern of the Boa Barge 33.

The tow will be within range of shoreside AIS stations for the entire trip, so will be easy to follow on Marinetraffic.com other AIS sites.

Also trackable is the supplier Maersk Chignecto, southbound giving Tampico, MX as its destination. That port is well out of the normal operating area of the St.John's based Maersk operations.

 Arriving in Halifax in 2014, rigged with seabed survey gear, Maersk Chignecto was also in Halifax in February 2015  fitted with for cable work.

 The last of the Husky Bow Valley suppliers in the Maersk Canada fleet, it dates from 1983. Although still shown as registered in Canada, and owned by Maersk, is this its last trip?

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Boa and Boa

The tug Boa Odin arrived this morning towing the Boa Barge 33. The big Norwegian tug towed the barge from Stavanger in 22 days, averaging 6.2 knots.

The tug was built by Astilleros Zamakona Pasaia in 2010 as Svitzer Pembroke. A Robert Allen RAStar 3600 design, it is powered by two GM engines of 4083 bhp driving Schottel ASDs. It is rated at a surprising 97 tonnes bollard pull on its forward winch and 105 t BP on its towing winch. Fitted for salvage, towing and offshore work, it also has firefigthing and escort capabilities. Boa Tugs acquired the tug in 2014.

Its tow, the 12,303 grt barge is semi-submersible for heavy lifts with a carrying capacity of 24,800 tonnes.It was built in 2011 by Nanjing Wujiazui Shipbuilding Co Ltd. The 140m x 36m barge can submerge 8m below deck forward and 12m above deck aft and its 4,690 m3 deck can support 31.5 tonnes/m2.

The barge will load the two sections of the panamax floating drydock Novadock. It was renamed  F.D. Novadock under foreign flag, before it was cut in two. The severed sections have now been plated in and will be used as two floating drydocks by new owners in Florida.

Novadock in the background as the tug eases up on its towline.

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