Lois M moves big barge, with a little help from a friend

With preparation work completed on the deck of the barge Nunavut Spirit, it was ready to move from pier 9B this afternoon. The tug Lois M that brought the barge in on March 27 still had its heavy towing connection in place.

In order to come alongside the barge, the harbour tug Atlantic Larch was called in to pull the barge's bow off the dock, allowing Lois M to slip in along the barge's starboard side.

After Lois M was secured, the two tugs moved the barge out into the stream and it became apparent why Lois M did not simply secure on the barge's port side. Two large structures project from the barge's hull, presumably part of a mooring arrangement, leaving  no room to get alongside.

Once turned, the barge was moved stern first to the Cherubini dock in Eisner's Cove, Eastern Passage. Cherubini Metal Works have built a number of components for the Hebron Gravity Base, and these will be loaded aboard using Cherubini's 500 tonne crane. Special fittings on the barge's deck will be used to secure the loads, which will be installed directly from the barge at Bull Arm, NL.

The Cherubini dock in Eisner's Cove was built to ship large steel fabrications, and since this photo was taken has been equipped with a large crane pad and 500 tonne crane.

Today's view of Cherubini, with Nunavut Spirit and Lois M alongside.

Lois M and a BIG barge

Last night the tug Lois M arrived in Halifax towing the barge Nunavut Spirit and tied up at pier 9B.

The tug belongs to McKeil Workboats Ltd (a.k.a. McKeil Marine) of Hamilton, ON, but is registered in St.John's , NL. Most of the tug's work is in Newfoundland where McKeil provides barges and support activity for construction of the Hebron gravity base at Bull Arm.

Lois M is one of four similar tugs added to the McKeil fleet in 2013 and 2014. Lois M was built as Lambert in 1991 by Matsuura Iron Shipbuilding Co of Higashino, Japan for the Robe River Mining Co of Australia. McKeil acquired the tug in 2014 along with sister Tim McKeil, ex Pannawonica I . Both are 4800 bhp ASD tugs. See: http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2014/09/first-of-two-for-mckeil.html

 

The barge Nunavut Spirit dates from 1983 when it was built by FMC Corp Marine + Rail Equipment Division of Portland, OR as Barge 500-1 for Crowley Corp. Measured at 6076 grt, 13,160 dwt (at 14'-2" draft) with dimensions of 400 ft loa x 104.9 ft width x 20 ft depth. Originally a single hull tank barge, it was converted to a deck barge in 2008.

It left Morgan City, LA, March 26, 2013 in tow of the tug Miss Lis and was handed off to the Point Chebucto off Eddy Point and towed in to Point Tupper April 17, 2013.

I believe the barge will load steel fabrications from Cherubini Metal Products in Eisner's Cove, bound for the Hebron GBS.

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