French tug for scrap

 The French emergency towing and rescue tug Abeille Languedoc arrived in Brest France, August 2. After transferring some equipment to another tug, it was due to move to an adjacent dock where it will be broken up. Its retirement brings back a memory of seeing the tug close up and getting, what to me was an unforgettable photo.

Built in 1978 by Ulstein Hatlo in Ulsteinvik, Norway as the salvage tug Neptun Gothia, it was chartered the next year by the French Navy and operated by "Les Abeilles", the famous French towing company, then owned by Progemar. It was a 12,632 bhp vessel with a160 tonne bollard pull. Along with sister tug Abeille Flandre (the forner  Neptune Suecia) they were to be available on 40 minute notice or on patrol to respond to emergencies. The need for such vessels became evident the year before when the disabled VLCC "super tanker" Amoco Cadiz drifted aground and spilled all 220,880 tonnes of its crude oil cargo into waters off Brittany. The ship had a malfunctioning rudder and was taken in tow by the large salvage tug Pacific, which happened to be in the area. Unfortunately the tow line parted and the ship grounded on rock pinnacles and broke up before a second line could be rigged. See more in Wikipedia: Amoco Cadiz

The French government reponded very quickly and established the Emergency Towing Vessel service to assist ships until commercial salvors could arrive on scene. In addition the Abeille Languedoc and Abeille Flandre, they commissioned construction, also in 1978-1979, of two more ETVS, Abeille Provence and Abeille Normandie. The latter two were replaced by more powerful tugs in 1987 and in 1990 joined Secunda Marine Services. Based in Halifax they were renamed Ryan Leet and Magdelan Sea respectively. Long since sold off, they were always an appealing sight.

 In my opinion the latter two were much better looking tugs, but Abeille Languedoc and Abeille Flandre were impressive nonetheless.

In May 2000 while traveling between Jersey, Channel Islands and St-Malo, France as part of the International Tug and Salvage Conference, our boat was overtaken by Abeille Languedoc (at speed). The rendez-vous had been prearranged, and the decks were lined with photo takers, some of whom (and their cameras) were doused with spray as the tug passed. Those of us who managed to stay dry got the photo that heads up this post.

In recent years Abeille Languedoc has also been rescuing distressed migrants trying to cross the English Channel (La Manche) from France to England. The French government currently operates an ETV fleet of four big tugs, and the service has figured in countless emergencies and has saved many ships and many lives.

Don't miss the You Tube video of the sister tug Abeille Flandre at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5BSGv2jk0w

 Be sure to push the "CC" (close caption) button to get English subtitles.

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Scrap Tow from Montreal

It seems likely that Océan Delta will soon embark on its last trip. Now under Panamanian registry, the tug was sold by Groupe Océan and its Canadian registry closed November  29, 2017. Since year end it has been idle in Sorel - Tracy, QC, latterly with crew aboard.

Lying in Sorel in August this year, the tug looked pretty tired.

It moved from Sorel September 5 to Montreal where it is slated to tow the decommissioned laker Nito to a scrapyard, likely in Aliga, Turkey, starting out Sunday, October 14.

Groupe Océan has sent both Océan Echo II to Montreal to take the stern line as far as the Escoumins pilot station.

It is very late in the year, but the former hurricane Michael is expected to peter out in the mid-Altantic this weekend. The record of late season tows has not been a starry one, particularly with this tug.


One of the last deep sea tugs under the Canadian, flag, and the last one on the east coast, its departure will follow only by a month of that other stalwart Ryan Leet which sailed from Sydney, NS for its new owners, and is now reported to be in Columbia. I was told that Ryan Leet was headed for a shipyard to be reconditioned for further use, but that seems too much to hope for at this stage for Océan Delta and most believe it will also be scrapped on arrival in Turkey.


Built in 1973 by Ulstein Mek.Verkstad AS in Ulsteinvik, Norway as Sistella it was an early member of the International Transport Contractors (ITC) fleet of deep sea towing tugs. In 1978 it was renamed Sandy Cape by the same owners until sold in 1980 to Quebec Tugs. As their Capt. Ioannis S. it was named for Capt "John" Styliadis, longtime Davie tug master.

In 1999 after Groupe Océan took over Quebec Tugs, they renamed the vessel Océan Delta and re- powered it with two 8 cylinder MaKs, giving 6464 bhp, replacing the original 5600 bhp N+H engines, driving a single controllable pitch single screw.

Over the years the tug took part it too many tows to relate here, including many trips to the far north, but in later years this work became harder to find eventually leading to its sale.

In Halifax in 1980 after losing its tows in the Gulf.

The laker Nito has an even longer history than the tug, starting life in 1967 at Collingwood Shipyard as N.M.Paterson's Mantadoc. Renamed Teakglen in 2002 by CSL, it passed through ownership by Goderich Elevators Ltd and near sale to scrappers in 2005 when it was returned to service as Maritime Trader for Voyageur Maritime Trading Inc. In 2011 Lower Lakes Towing took over ownership and renamed the ship Manitoba. It is also among the last of its kind - a wheelhouse forward laker, with no self-unloading gear.

Océan Delta was lead tug in the unfortunate December 2012 tow of HMCS Athabaskan that resulted in damage to the ship and its hastened decommissioning. It did successfully tow several lakers to scrap in years past, but not all without incident. In 1980 with a double tow of two lakers, its CPP malfunctioned, and it backed over the tow line and both ships went astray. It was major operation by Ectug to round them up and bring them into Halifax.


However those are only unfortunate incidents in a long and successful career. Groupe Océan spent a lot of money keeping the tug going, even to the extent of re-engining it, so it was well cared for.

The tug has been featured here many times see:
tugfax/2010/09/
tugax/2011/07/
tugfax/2012/12/
tugfax/2013/12/
tugfax/2014/09/
tugfax/2017/12/

Ryan Leet - the yacht

The magnificent tug Ryan Leet has been temporarily relegated to yacht classification. Word has reached me that the current owner has made this change to allow for a trip to the Dominican Republic for a refit sufficient to have its certificates renewed.

I hear that work is currently underway on a gear box that will allow the "yacht" to sail in a couple of weeks from its layup berth in Point Edward (Sydney Harbour).

One can only hope that the vessel will return to tug status and continue to work, despite a couple of years laid up. Its Canadian registration was closed December 15, 2016 and it moved from Mulgrave to Point Edward, in Syndey harbour. Its last significant work was in the summer of 2015 when it did some survey work for the fibre optic cable to Hibernia.

I have covered the history of this tug before, the former Abeille Provence,built in 1978 by Beliard-Murdoch, Ostend, Belgium. It was built in response to the need for large salvage and rescue tugs off the French coast. As ships continued to grow, more power was needed and it and sister Abeille Normandie were sold to Venezuela. Secunda Marine Services picked up the pair in 1990 and they were refitted at Pictou, the Salvor Commander ex Abeille Provence becoming Ryan Leet and Salvor General becoming Magdalen Sea.
Secunda did another refit on Ryan Leet in 1995 installing a pair of V-20 GM EMDs to replace the original SACMs. They also installed a 550 bhp azimuthing thruster up forward. It already had controllable pitch props in nozzles and triple rudders.

In 2004 Secunda sold the Magdalen Sea to Greek owners and it sailed from Halifax as Zouros Hellas. In 2007 it became Tsavliris Hellas. It was in service until last year, but is now laid up in Greece.

Magdalen Sea had a flume stabilization tank forward of the bridge.

Secunda hung on the Ryan Leet even when the company was sold to McDermott, but its days were numbered when a management buyout and eventual sale to Siem lead to a leaner fleet.

Working for Secunda the Ryan Leet did numerous rig tows, several important salvage jobs and worked both in Canada and the North Sea. In its last years it was used for rescue / standby, idling around off offshore gas installations with only its azimuthing thruster to keep station. Although this was very economical operation, it certainly did not take advantage of the tug's towing potential.

It will be a sad when when it finally sails - especially as a yacht - but there is hope that it will return to service as a tug again.

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Ryan Leet - please say it ain't so

After nearly a year laid up in Sydney, NS, Ryan Leet, one of Canada's only truly ocean going tugs, has apparently been sold. Although its Canadian registry remains open, international sources indicates "owners unknown" a sure sign that something is afoot.

If that were not bad enough, those same sources list "Malta Towage Ltd" as managers. This is perhaps the most ominous sign of all. Malta Towage Ltd is not to be confused with several other reputable companies with similar names. Instead it is linked to Britannia Shipping of the UK and a notorious Irish criminal convicted of various crimes and misdemeanours in the US and the UK and under suspicion of others in Portugal and Spain. The individual has acted as broker in the sale of several ships that were later arrested for drug smuggling, but has always been acquitted of actual involvment. A recent ship sale he arranged has been barred by a court in Malta when they discovered that he owned both the buying and selling companies, the sale price was well below market value and that the sale would have deprived entitled creditors to a share of the proceeds.

Ryan Leet's (ex Salvor Commander-90, Abeille Provence-87) history has been recounted here before, so I will await further developments before re-hashing it. If I have reported the sale correctly, no good could be expected to come out of it for the tug, bringing a distinguished career to a potentially ruinous end.

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Ryan Leet - off to the oil fields

After a week of fitting out for a new task the Ryan Leet sailed this morning from pier 9. After a stop in St.John's, the tug will survey the route for a new fibreoptic cable to run to the Hibernia offshore oil field.

It was almost exactly 25 years ago that I got my first glimpse of this mighty tug and its sister, after they arrived in Canada for the first time. Secunda Marine Services, as they were then called, picked up the pair in South America. Despite being built by Belliard Murdoch in Ostend, Belgium in 1978, Abeille Provence and Abeille Normandie were French rescue tugs commissioned in response to several large tanker disasters.
When replaced by larger tugs in 1987 they were sold to Venezuela as Salvor Commander and Salvor General, but their new owners were not able to find sufficient work for them and they were laid up.
Under Secunda ownership they were extensively refitted to become Ryan Leet and Magdalen Sea, and  performed numerous tows and other chores both in Canadian and European waters.

On June 2, 1990 the tugs were reftting for Secunda at Pictou, NS.

 
Ryan Leet has remained with Secunda through its changes in ownership, and has been used extensively as  a standby vessel. Magdalen Sea was sold in 2004 becoming Zouros Hellas and in 2007 Tsavliris Hellas. It has figured in several important salvage operations. It is currently based in Las Palamas.

Ryan Leet won't be doing towing work any time soon, with all the survey gear on its deck. It has also been fitted with a small crane right aft, and a portion of its rolled stern bulwark has been cut out.

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French tugs - Part 3

Since I have only very few, or very poor photos of the remaining French tugs I wanted to mention, I will lump them together and provide some links to see more.

FOUNDATION VIGILANT

Probably the best known French tug in Canadian waters was also a former Abeille tug.
Built in 1952 as Abeille 26 by Chantier et Atelier St-Nazaire (Penhoet) it was a big ocean going salvage tug of 719 grt. Powered by  two 6 cylinder MANs (built under license by  Soc.Gen.de Con.Mec. La Courneuve) it produced 3,000 bhp

Foundation Vigilant sits idle at Foundation Maritime's salvage shed in the background. In the foreground the Bluenose II gets some recaulking, and Miss Joyce is for sale. (This portion of the harbour has long since been filled in and is now a parking lot.)

Crewmen have a gam on the starboard rail.

Foundation Maritime acquired it in 1958, virtually new, and it figured in several significant salvage operations. With the advent of radar, Decca and improved quality of ships, the bottom fell out of the salvage business and MIL Salvage sold the tug in 1973 to Petrolas Hellas SA (John H. Latsis) of Greece. Renamed Ennea [translation: Nine] the tug worked in the Mediterranean but was eventually broken up in Aliaga starting May 16, 1996.

For more see:  
http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/canada/fm/tugs/vigilant3.jpg
and
http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/canada/fm/tugs/


Marine National

France has  widespread interests in Africa, the Pacific, the Caribbean and North America through former colonies but also as offshore departments. The islands of St-Pierre et Miquelon, off the south coast of Newfoundland is still one of those departments, and is the base for fisheries and other activity in its own sovereign waters.
Over the years France has maintained a naval presence there, with various types of vessels patrolling the area and making courtesy calls to Canadian ports, including Halifax, Saint John, NB, and Gaspé.
From time to time the French Marine National uses its big fleet tugs for patrols, salvage assistance and search and rescue work.

Centaure at HMC Dockyard in 1977.

All three members of the Tenace class of fleet tugs have called in Halifax at various times. Displacing 1440 tons, producing 4600 bhp and 60 tonnes bollard pull, Tenace A669 (1972) , Centaure A674 (1974) and Malabar A664 (1976) were very capable tugs. Not only that, they were armed (to 2014), fitted with salvage and firefighting gear, and they are considered category 2 icebreakers. They were designed to tow disabled French nuclear submarines under any conditions. All three were built by the Oelkers shipyard in Hamburg and fitted out at Ateleier et chantier de la Rochelle, La Pallice and were based in Brest, France.

In 2013 Tenace was sent north to scout out the northeast passage for the French navy. After penetrating to 78 degrees North and 61 degrees East it was turned back by heavy ice.

Centaure, pictured above was sold to the Turkish navy in 199 and renamed Degirmendere (A-576). On December 23, 2013 it capsized while leaving a floating drydock at Izmir. Three people died and 17 were injured. However the tug was raised and is being reconditioned.

Malabar has cleared HMC Dockyard to escort the annual sailing race to St-Pierre.

Malabar is the most recent to have visited Halifax, in July 2012.Both tugs remaining in the French navy were scheduled to be decommissioned in 2014.

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Lonely and Blue

The magnificent tug Ryan Leet has been laid up at pier 9B in Halifax. Just before the arrival of the salvage tow of Australian Spirit on Friday afternoon, the tug moved from the Mobil dock and the crew signed off. I thought it odd at the time that this tug was not used in the salvage tow, but apparently plans to tie it up were in the works and it was not available to use.

Ryan Leet moves to its layup berth on December 12.

The longest serving member of the current Secunda Canada fleet, the tug has been a stalwart for them since 1990. Although mostly used as a standby vessel for offshore work, it has figured in numerous salvage and rescue jobs over the  years, most recently in March 2014 when it worked on the salvage and towed off the grounded bulker John I.near Rose Blanche, Newfoundland.

Now behind a security fence, with only a watchman, it is unclear what the future may bring for the only tug of its type in eastern Canada. With so many more powerful anchor handling tug suppliers available to tow ships when needed, the days of deep sea tugs are numbered around the world. Sadly it is no different here. These wonderful sea boats, built for rescue towing can handle any kind of conditions and are a valuable asset to marine safety.

I have written the story of this tug on this blog several times before, so will only mention in passing that it was built as Abeille Provence in 1977, for use on the French coast. It was replaced by bigger tugs and went to South America as Salvor Commander in 1987. Secunda Marine Services, as it was then, bought the tug and near sister Salvor General ex  Abeille Normandie and reconditioned them for service.

Sisters: Magdelan Sea (foreground) in 2003. The next year it was sold to Greek owners and became Zouros Hellas. In 2007 it became Tsavliris Hellas and is still in service as a salvage tug.

Ryan Leet was re-powered in 1994 with a pair of V-20 GM EMDs of 3,650 bhp each, and was fitted with a retractable 800 bhp omnidirectional bow thruster. For station keeping in standby mode, it can use the thruster only. Its controllable pitch props are in nozzles.

One of Ryan Leet's finer moments, fighting the container fire on the ship Kitano in Halifax harbour, March 23, 2001.

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Atlantic Towing supplants Secunda at Deep Panuke

A contract for supporting the offshore gas fields off Sable Island seems to have changed hands on or about January 1. The Secunda supplier Scotian Sea and standby tug Ryan Leet have been replaced by the Atlantic Hawk and Atlantic Tern respectively.

Scotian Sea  has been idle at pier 9B in Halifax since the first of the year.[January 11, 2014 photo]

Meanwhile Ryan Leet has been laid up in Mulgrave awaiting new work.[April 25, 2011 photo]

Meanwhile Secunda's Panuke Sea and Venture Sea are still working off Sable Island.

Ryan Leet and Atlantic Hawk

The tug Ryan Leet is in port probably for one of its regular, fuel/stores/crew change visits. The tug is tasked with standby duties off Sable Island. It only comes to port about once a month, usually toward the 28th.
Also in port is a rarer caller, Atlantic Towing Ltd's Atlantic Hawk. Built by Halifax Shipyard in 2000, it was the second of four big suppliers from the yard. It normally works off Newfoundland

 

 

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Ryan Leet - yes again

It was exactly two years ago to the day that I photographed Ryan Leet going out to Bedford Basin for trials. In that two years this magnificent tug has been working as a standby vessel off Sable Island. Although not fully utilizing the vessel's capabilities, it has been steady work. Ryan Leet comes into Halifax about once a month for crew change and minor servicing, and from time to time does a trials trip or emergency drills for the new crew before setting out again.

So thus it is that on January 10, 2012, one year later it is doing the same thing.

There has been a dearth of tug activity in Halifax in recent weeks, but there is no excuse needed to take a picture of this excellent tug.

You can go back to January 10, 2010 for more details.

Out for a spin in the Basin

1. Ryan Leet has large davits on her starboard side to accommodate a shipping container for divers or a rescue boat. She is showing a little hull chafe from lying alongside all winter.

Ryan Leet was out for a brief trip to Bedford Basin this morning. This raises hopes that the tug, which has been laid up most of the winter, will return to service soon.

Canada's most attractive tug (and most powerful if you don't include a number of tug/suppliers) has long been a favourite.

Built in 1977 (Lloyd's says 1978) by Beliard-Murdoch in Ostend as Abeille Provence, she and sister Abeille Normandie were stationed on the English Channel as dedicated salvage tugs. As ships grew in size, bigger tugs were brought on and the pair were sold to Venezuela in 1987. They were renamed Salvor Commander and Salvor General, but did not see much action. Secunda Marine picked them up in 1990 and brought them to Canada. They were refitted in Pictou and renamed Ryan Leet and Magdelan Sea.

Originally fitted with SACM engines, Ryan Leet was re-powered in 1995 with two V-20 GM-EMDs, giving 8,850 bhp. She was also fitted with a drop down azimuthing bow thruster of 550 bhp (which can be used to propel the vessel when on standby.)

Magdelan Sea kept her original engines (and had a lot of spare parts from Ryan Leet), but was sold in 2004 becoming Zouros Hellas. She was renamed Tsavliris Hellas in 2007 and has earned her keep as a station salvage vessel, usually in South Africa.

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Ryan Leet - baby sitter

Ryan Leet was called out to shadow the rig TSS Chemul as it left port yesterday for sea trials (see Shipfax) It did not have to tow the self-propelled rig, which also had two tugs on escort wires for security,

Today Ryan Leet also went out to the rig for a supply trip, but soon returned to base.