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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Return visit to Ile-aux-Coudes

I was back at Ile-aux-Coudres over the weekend and got a different slant on my previous post a couple of weeks ago.

At Industrie Océan, the two tugs Océan Echo II and Océan Basques remain on the slips. Since it was the weekend there was little activity in the yard, but I did get photos from the road above the yard.

From this angle the housing for the hydraulic ram is visible. These devices were added to the tug after it was acquired by Groupe Océan in 1996. It had been used face wires for its barges when built.

By comparison, the cut away icebreaking bow of Océan Basque is highly visible. The letters from the tug's original name Pointe aux Basques have been ground off to make way for its current name.


Meanwhile tug builders GFFM Leclerc were preparing to launch their latest boat. To be named Réjeanne Polaire, it is the latest in a line of small tugs, used mostly for barge handling in the north. Unfortunately it was still inside the builder's shed and not visible yet.

The design for the tugs has evolved from twin screw to triple screw, in order to maintain shallow draft, but increase power from 600 bhp to the current 1130 bhp.

 Ours Polaire, built in 1998, was the first in the series of powerful small shallow draft tugs.

 A twin screw boat, it features a small wheelhouse with all round visibility. It has not entered service this year.

The hull is heavily fendered for handling small lighters.Cercle Polaire, built in 2011 was the 7th and last of the first series of tugs.

The design has evolved to the present tripe screw version:

 The latest generation are still shallow draft, but have a larger all weather wheelhouse. Horizon Polaire , built in 2012 is the first of the triple screw series, which now numbers 4 tugs.

With three engines and three props, the operator has a range of choices for propulsion, using one, two or all three Cummins engines. Renard Polaire was built in 2013.

The tugs are lifted aboard supply ships and taken to remote sites in the north where there are no port facilities. They then ferry the lightering scows to shore. They are also available for bareboat charter and have worked various jobs in southern waters.

Little tugs get bigger

The fleet of miniature tugs built and owned by GFFM Leclerc of La Baleine, Ile-aux-Coudres, QC grows by on or two new tugs each year.  The tugs are then bareboat chartered for use in northern supply work, often by  Transport Desgagnés. They are also available to other owners by others such as construction companies.

Since all the tugs are under 15 gross tons, they are not required to be registered by name under Canadian law, but they are registered by number. The names they they carry are thus unofficial, making it especially difficult to track them. Fortunately the company has a web site which gives some particulars of the ten tug fleet.

1. Kodiak built about 1994, is one of the early Lecelerc tugs. It is single screw, and 245 bhp.

Starting off with small single screw boats of about 300 bhp, they progressed into twin screw vessels of 300 bhp, gradually increasing in size with 500 bhp or more, to the current versions. Some have demountable wheelhouses to facilitate transport by road.

2. Renard Polaire is one of the newest tugs, built this year and measuring 14.99 gross tons.

The latest tugs have become very sophisticated with triple screws and rudders and powered with Cummins QSL9 engines. Fully outfitted with weather tight wheelhouse and aids to navigation, they appear to be very capable boats.They have also reached the maximum size of 14.99 gross tons, beyond which they will need to be registered by name, and company with another level of regulations.

3. Horizon Polaire was built in 2012 and is a triple screw tug of 1130 bhp.

4. Renard Polaire sits alongside one of the Desgagnés pontoons, awaiting assignment in the north. It is also a triple screw tug of 1130 bhp. 

The tugs and landing barges are transported on the deck of the northern supply ships, and used to ferry freight into shore where there are no port facilities.

See the Leclerc website for information on the whole fleet:http://gffmleclerc.charlevoix.net/

Photos taken at Ile-aux-Coudres, 2013-06-30. The tide was out when the photos were taken, permitting a look at triple screws and rudders, but also their showing their ability to take the bottom and rest upright.