Groupe Océan's older tugs

In Groupe Océan's large tug fleet there are a number of older tugs. That they are still running is a tribute to their excellent maintenance, but also to the fact that many have served a lot of their time in fresh water. In early July two of their elderly tugs were on the slip at Industrie Océan in Ile-aux-Coudres undergoing major refits.

Océan Charlie dates from 1973 when is was built by Davie as Leonard W.  A 3900 bhp twin screw tug, it is ice strengthened. Original owners, were Davie, then owned by CSL, but spun off by Power Corp as Quebec Tugs (QUETUG)  and the original core of the fleet acquired by Groupe Océan. It has almost always been based in Quebec City, and is equipped to serve as a winter pilot boat.

In its Quetugs days, the tug looked particularly sharp with white gunwales.

Duga has quite a different history. Built in 1977, by Rolf Rekdal A/S and completed by Langsten Slip, Tomrefjord, Norway, it is a twin screw 4500 bhp tug. Original owners were Johann Ostensjo  but sold on to Arctic Offshore Marine Services of Hay River, NWT. They in turn sold it to Les Remorqueurs du St-Laurent (Three Rivers Boatmen) of Trois-Rivières. It also did a spell on charter to Atlantic Towing in Point Tupper. In 2002 Océan acquired the Trois-Rivières tugs, and it was later reassigned to Sorel.


Another pair of older tugs were idle in Quebec City. Oldest of these is Jerry G.  Built in 1960 by and for Davie, it is a 960 bhp single screw tug. Based in Quebec City for its earliest years, it was later moved up river and eventually into the Lakes, working out of Hamilton or Oshawa. When Océan brought in more power in its VS tugs for the Lakes, Jerry G. returned to Quebec City where it has been laid up. Now their tug La Prairie has been sent to Oshawa.

Also laid up for a couple of years in Quebec City is André H. The ex Point Valiant, Foundation Valiant dates from 1963 when it was built by Davie. A twin screw tug of 1650 bhp it was sold by ECTUG to Trois-Rivières/Three Rivers Boatmen in 1995 and entered the Océan fleet in 2002.

Sadly there is not much of a future for either Jerry G. or André H. due to their age and low power. As they exceed 50 years of age the chances of bringing them up to standard would be a daunting one for any new owner. Howevre with its own shipyard, Océan is in a better position to refit the tugs than ayne else, shold they be needed.

Another older tug with a questionable future is named Océan Brochu, but that is not the name painted on its bow. Built in 1973 as Brochu for Quebec Cartier Mining and based in Port-Cartier, QC for its entire working career, it is a 32000 bhp VS tug. Océan was in the process of acquiring the tug and sister Vachon from last owner ArcelorMittalMines Canada as part of their takeover of Port-Cartier tug services when a fire broke out in Brochu's engine room. The tug was seriously damaged and may well be a total loss. Nevertheless it still appears to be in Océan's possession, and it is said that after being parted out for its sister, now renamed Océan A. Gauthier, it will be scrapped. The Océan prefix has not been added to its name, and its funnel is still in ArcelorMittal orange, lending credence to this opinion.

With it is the Avantage, appearing in pristine condition, despite being built in 1969. The former Belgian Sealion came to Canada in 1997 for MTL Marine Tug Inc of Montreal. Remorqueuers Trois-Rivières got the tug in 1999 then it passed to Océan with the acquisition in 2002. The 2160 bhp single screw tug has proven useful in the past but again its age, power, and single screw hold against it.

Another veteran tug is Océan Echo II, also built in 1969 a 3,000 bhp twin screw built for barge work and towing.  Some its chip barge work may have been taken up by the cargo ship Jean-Joseph this summer, but it has done some stern escort on laker scrap tows.

Of course there is also the "mega" tug Mega and its bulk barge Motti laid up in Sorel-Tracy for several years. The ATB was acquired for a contract that fell through and has seen only limited use. It has even made some wood chip deliveries to Point Tupper, NS, but with the current state of the paper business,there may be few opportunities for it. Apparently the thought of converting the barge for salt or cement transport did not go very far beyond idle doodling. The tug dates from 1975 and is twin screw, diesel electric of 5500 bhp.

The erstwhile tug Océan Côte-Nord has returned to the work it was built for and is now one of two duty pilot boats in Quebec City. Built as Côte-Nord for the Escoumins pilot staton in 2001, it was renamed in 2014.

It worked as a tug in Goderich, ON last year, but has since been replaced by the Escorte, a V-S tug, dating from 1967, but again, serving mostly in fresh water.

Not an old tug, but one that should be mentioned is Océan Uannaq. One of a pair of tugs built in 2008 for the Baffinland project, it is a 12 grt boat with 770 bhp and twin screws. After service in the far north during the building of the Milne Inlet port, it returned south and was used by Océan's dredging arm to handle spoil barges. In 2015 it was reassigned to work on the Champlain Bridge project. In an unfortunate accident April 1, 2016 it capsized and sank, luckily without loss of life. Although it was soon raised it was declared a total loss. It is now resting in Quebec City, and based on looks alone it seems that it could be repaired and returned to service.

Groupe Océan also has a large fleet of smaller tugs used by its marine construction and dredging arms for a variety of tasks. Some of these may remain out of service for lengthy periods depending on demand, but are then brought back into use when need. Two such tugs are currently on the dock in Quebec City.

 Left  to Right:
- W.D.Indock, built in 192 by Zenith Steel Fabricators of Richmond, BC for Resolute Shipping, a division of Fednav, as Mokka Fjord. Used by them for barge lightering work in the far north, it passed through several owners including McKeil, while acquiring its present name. It was also rebuilt in 1998-99. Groupe Océan got the tug in 2011 after it had worked around the Thorold, ON area for several years.

My 1974 photo does not do justice to its then bright red hull. It was at pier 23 in Halifax, waiting to go north on Tundraland.

- likely a former CCG landing craft - tarped over.

- Océan A. Martin is an aluminum hull former Escoumins pilot boat. Built as A.Martin by MonArk Boats,  Monticello, AK in 1983,  it was last used as a survey boat for dredging work.

 A. Martin at speed off Escoumins as a pilot boat.

 
- Coucoucache is a typical Russel Bros built winder boat, one of many in the Océan stable. However, since it was built in 1937 it may be one of the oldest. 

 Despite its age, the boat appeared to be in excellent condition when it was acquired by Océan after a career in the Mauricie watershed, handling wood booms.

The boat's intriguing name derives from the Amerindian name for an owl.

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Tug changes in Goderich

Groupe Océan has assigned the tug Escorte to the port of Goderich, ON. Situated on Lake Huron the port sees about 250 ships a year. Most of those ships load salt at the Sifto Salt mine, located in mid-harbour. There is also a grain loading facility and a grain elevator in the port.
We are told that Groupe Océan has a contract with Algoma Marine for ship docking at the salt pier, and has provided tugs for several years. Most recently they used the former pilot boat Ocean Côte-Nord.
It was built by Industrie Océan at Ile-aux-Coudres in 2001 as Côte-Nord and was based at the Escoumins pilot station with near sister Charlevoix built in 1995.
When the Laurentian Pilotage Authority replaced the two boats, Charlevoix went to Les Services I.C.E. Inc and has been stationed in Sydney, NS transferring ice advisers to and from ships transiting the Gulf and  St.Lawrence River.

 Côte-Nord and sister Charlevoix at the Anse-aux-Basques dock at Les Escoumins, QC..

Côte-Nord was transformed into a tug and sent to Goderich, ON in 2014. With a modest bollard pull of 10.8 tons, it must have been a bit of a challenge to work lakers in the tight confines of the port. Goderich remains open well into the winter as demand for road salt continues, but the port and its approaches often become choked with ice and other boats are often needed to break and scatter the ice.

Early in December Océan Côte-Nord was reported downbound through the St. Lawrence Seaway system and arrived in Montreal December 5.

Escorte, based in Hamilton, ON for a time until 2010 and again since 2016, arrived in Goderich December 17 and began work December 18. I have recounted the history of the tug here before, September 11, 2011
Built in 1967 as USN 760 Menasha it was one of the earliest Voith-Schneider tugs in North America.

 Still in navy colours, the tug worked for the US side of the Seaway.

After several transactions and refit it has served Océan in a variety of work, most recently in Hamilton, also assisting shipping in the Welland Canal.With more powerful V-S tugs now assigned to Hamilton, it has moved on once more.

No account of tug activities in Goderich would be complete without mention of the colourful fleet of MacDonald Marine [MacTug]. Their stylish little tugs have been a fixture in the port for decades, and the family owned business traces its origins to the days of sail.

MacTug handles ships using the grain berths, and sometimes the whole fleet is called out to work a ship.

 Debbie Lyn built 1950, 240 bhp.

 Donald Bert built 1953, 318 bhp.

 Ian Mac built 1955, 318 bhp.


Since the above photos were taken Ian Mac received a new wheelhouse:

Dover built 1930, (on a salvaged iron frame dating from 1905) 280 bhp, is reported to be out of service. its engine has been a fickle one by all accounts and that may be the problem. Its riveted hull, having been in fresh water its whole career is likely to still be sound.

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Océan Delta sold and other deployments

Another of Groupe Océan's veteran tugs has been sold. Océan Delta has apparently gone to the same buyers that acquired Océan Hercule. Océan Delta is still in Quebec City, but its Canadian registry was closed November 30 and it now flies the Jamaican flag.

With more powerful and more modern tugs (such as Océan Tundra, at right),big single screw tugs like Océan Delta (second from left) are becoming obsolete.

Also pictured: Océan Charlie at left, and Océan Yvan Desgagnés, second from right.

Dating from 1973 when it was built by Ulstein Mek. Verksted AS in Ulsteinvik, Norway as Sistella. One of a three of similar tugs for International Transport Contractors (ITC), Tschudi and Eitzen, managers. They were ocean salvage tugs intended also for long tows associated with the oil industry. Fitted with two 16 cylinder Polar engines geared to a single controllable pitch screw, they were rated at 7,000 bhp and 65 tonne bollard pull.

Renamed Sandy Cape in 1978 and transferred to Liberian flag, by the same Norwegian/Dutch owners, it worked word wide until 1980 when it was acquired by the Power Corporation of Canada and assigned through the CSL Group to their Quebec Tugs Ltd (QUETUG) subsidiary.
It was renamed Capt. Ioannis S. for Captain Ioannis "John" Stylidiadis operator of the Quebec City tug fleet once under the direction of the Davie Shipyards. They fleet had always been involved in salvage work but this was the first big tug they had owned for many years.

Capt. Ioaanis S in QUETUG colours.

 

 In 1987 Océan Construction Inc acquired QUETUG and the company has since gone on to become Groupe Océan, 45 years after it was originally founded.

In 1999 Océan renamed the tug Océan Delta as part of a naming scheme that has reached "Lima" in the international signals alphabet, but has since been displaced by a new scheme recognizing individuals.
Over the years Océan has invested a lot of money in this tug with at least one major rebuild and in 2000 re-engining the vessel with a pair of 8 cylinder MaKs giving 6464 bhp.

Océan Delta in a previous GO colour scheme.

 

In the intervening years the tug has provided ship docking and escort services in Quebec, made many long tows to the arctic and worked around the lower St.Lawrence River and Gulf. In December 2012 it was lead tug in the aborted tow of HMCS Athabaskan from the Port Weller DryDock  for Halifax with André H.(ex Point Valiant, Foundation Valiant). The tow went wrong off Sydney and there was damage to the tugs and several perforations in the warship's hull. The tow to Halifax was later completed by Atlantic Towing Ltd.

Undergoing a "shave and a haircut" at Ile-aux-Coudres, in 2005, its rudder and prop were removed for repair.

 

Back for more ten years later - this time with rudder and prop intact.

 

Océan Delta has been listed for sale for several years and has not been active in the last two or three years.
With both Océan Hercule and Océan Delta sold to the same Jamaican owners it is possible that one will be towing the other. Let us hope this is not a repeat of another unwise late season tow out from the St.Lawrence. Too many of these have gone wrong recently to allow another foolhardy or unprepared attempt. 

Océan Hercule has also been sold to the same Jamaican buyers and has been renamed Hercule.

Meanwhile there have been some interesting deployments in the Océan fleet. The former pilot boat, converted to tug, Océan Côte-Nord, which was stationed in Goderich, ON has left that port, returning down through the St.Lawrence Seaway to Quebec. Whether this is to accommodate a winter refit or an end to the Lake Huron service has not been revealed.

Océan's recent acquisition of the two Port-Cartier tugs from ArcelorMittal Steel has resulted in two renamings. Brochu has been renamed Océan Brochu and Vachon is now Océan A. Gauthier.

 Vachon in the colours of original owners, Quebec Cartier Mining. (unknown photographer)


It was upbound in the Seaway on December 6 for its new home port of Hamilton, ON. There it joins another Voith-Schneider tug Océan A. Simard transferred this fall after working in Bull Arm, NL for a few years. The latter has also been doing ship assist at the entrance to the nearby Welland Canal.

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