Alexis-Simard

1. Alexis-Simard in Quebec City in 1996. The huge cooling intakes were added in the 1990 rebuild, and replaced intakes mounted much closer to the deck forward of the house. They are visible in the previous posting January 19:

http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/01/icecap-on-way-back.html

With delivery of Fjord Éternité to Rio Tinto-Alcan at La Baie, the sale of the Alexis-Simard to Groupe Océan has been completed, and the tug is now at Ile-aux-Coudres in refit.

Its new name is Océan A. Simard.

It has been rumoured all along that the tug will be assigned to Toronto/Hamilton operation for Ocean Tugs Ontario, to replace Escorte. That tug remains on the sale list.

Update: On April 21 the tug Ocean Golf was upbound in the Seaway and Escorte was douwenbound on April 25. It is assumed therefore that the Escorte replacement will instead by Ocean Golf.

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More Fjord

This may be my last photo of Fjord Éternité in Halifax. The AIS site Marine Traffic gives her ETA at La Baie as April 11. That means she will have to leave soon.

Today she took on fuel at pier 28, and is now flying the Rio Tinto-Alcan house flag.

Unfortunately she is so wedged in there, it is impossible for me to get any kind of photo. However there are photos of her alongside on Marine Traffic. Go to Arm Chair Captain, click on her icon and look at all the photos.

Or simply go to:

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?mmsi=316019016

Fjord Éternité at pier 28

Fjord Éternité was moved by the tug Atlantic Fir to pier 28 on Tuesday afternoon. Men were removing the lifting lugs, as Fairlane approached the adjacent pier 28 to take on her cargo of locomotives.

It should take only a few days to prepare the tug for sea.

We Have (had) Lift Off

OK, I missed it, but the Fjord Éternité was successfully lifted off about noon today.

Dominion Diving's Halmar stood by, as did Atlantic Fir, for a time.

Atlantic Fir returned later to take the tug to its destination in the harbour.

Fjord Éternité arrives safe and sound

1. Secured in a makeshift cradle of brackets welded to tween deck pontoons, and tied down with numerous wires, the tug appears not to have shifted a bit on the way across.

2. Storm shields have been fitted on all the wheelhouse windows and doors, and her ASD thrusters have been turned outboard. The escort skeg and bow thruster can be seen clearly.

3. Lifting lugs were added aft.

4. The tug Fjord Éternité arrived safely this afternoon after a transatlantic trip aboard the heavy lift ship Fairtlane.

The tug will be offloaded in Bedford Basin, see also photos on Shipfax.

Further news on the Fjord

The tug Fjord Éternité has been loaded aboard Fairlane, using the ship's own cranes, and is en route to Halifax. Arrival date is listed as April 2. As of this morning the ship was just entering the Kiel Canal. An excellent photo of the lift can be found on Shipgaz: http://www.shipgaz.com/news/top20/top4_news.php

Fjord Éternité another update

It now appears that Fjord Éternité will be coming to Halifax aboard the heavy lift ship Fairlane. That ship sailed recently from Ceuta, and passed Gibraltar giving Svendborg as its destination. It is due there on March 18. The ship is also due in Halifax around the end of the month to load locomotives. . For an up to date photo of Fjord Éternité see: http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?mmsi=316019016 .

Fjord Éternité Update

The tug Stevns Icecap was registered in Canada today as Fjord Éternité. Port of registry is Quebec City.
The tug is still lying in the port of Svendborg, Denmark, however its AIS system has now been turned off, and it will be impossible to track.
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Stevns Icecap gets new name.

As reported last month Rio Tinto-Alcan has acquired the tug Stevns Icecap from Denmark for use at its terminal in La Baie, QC.
http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2011/01/icecap-on-way-back.html

It has now been reported that the tug will be renamed Fjord Éternité and that it will arrive in Halifax on a semi-submersible ship.
No date has been set for the arrival yet, and the tug remains in layup in Svendborg, Denmark. Earlier reports suggested that the tug would be leaving Denmark at the end of February.

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