Secunda Marine Services - first generation suppliers

Secunda Marine Services was founded n Dartmouth, NS and has evolved over the years through ownership changes. When it started however, and had its first contracts with Shell Oil, it acquired a small fleet of US built anchor handling tug suppliers during the oil exploration boom of the mid 1980s.

Semi-submersible oil rigs were drilling for oil off Nova Scotia the mid 1980s.

Secunda acquired their first suppliers from a series of six identical vessels built for Theriot Offshore International Inc, for work in the North Sea. They were built by Todd Pacific Shipyard in Seattle in 1974 and were fitted with two 20 cylinder GM engines driving twin screws, totaling 7200 bhp. The could carry substantial deck cargo, and had the usual mud and other decks below deck. They were also ice strengthened.

Named Theriot Offshore I through VI, in 1977  they became Scotoil 1 through 6 when Nolty J. Theriot folded up. Scotoil Services Ltd of Aberdeen, then sold the boats to J.Ray McDermott in 1979 and Secunda acquired an interest in them, directly or through one ship companies. (McDermott eventually bought out Secunda, but no longer have an interest in the present day Secunda, which is now owned by Siem Offshore of Norway.)

New names, in order,  were Maureen Sea, Tartan Sea, Claymore Sea, Magnus Sea, Brae Sea, and Heather Sea.

At least three of then worked in Canadian waters,  based in Halifax or St.John's, and all were sold about 1987-88 for conversion to fishing vessels. The work took place at Aalesund, Norway, where the boats were lengthened 7 meters or more and re-engined.


Maureen Sea (ex Scotoil 1, Theriot Offshore I) was renamed several times and was again converted in 2009 for the Brazilian Navy as an icebreaking oceanographic ship. As such it is unrecognizeable today as Almirante Maximiano, pennant number H41. There is a capsule description at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almirante_Maximiano_%28H-41%29

Magnus Sea (ex Scotoil 2, Theriot Offshore II) is still in service as the fishing vessel Pacific Glacier, working out of Seattle.

 

Claymore Sea at the Mobil dock in Dartmouth. The tanker Irvingwood is in the background.

Rafted with competitors Balder Kiel and Liberty Service in St.John's.

Claymore Sea  (ex Scotoil 3, Theriot Offshore III) was sold to Russian owners in 2004 and became Vulkan Ksudach. Its listing is out of date with Lloyd's and is likely laid up or scrapped.

  Tartan Sea in the Narrows in Halifax harbour. It was based at pier 9 for some of its work.

Tartan Sea with its replacement, the second generation Secunda vessel Terra Nova Sea at the Dartmouth Marine Slips.

Tartan Sea (Scotoil 4, Theriot Offshore IV) alone escaped fish conversion when Secunda converted it in 1987 to a passenger and cargo ferry to work the North Shore of the Gulf of St.Lawrence out of Rimouski. The major rebuild included installation of a heavy cargo crane and passenger decks. It was renamed Nordik Express and began a five charter to the Quebec Minister of Transport.

Secunda sold the ship after the 1987 season to Transport Desgagnés and it operated for the subsidiary Relais Nordique until 2013 (an extra two years when its replacement was delayed at the shipyard.) It has been laid up in Quebec City ever since.


Brae Sea (Scotoil 5, Theriot Offshore V), after several name changes, is also flying the US flag as the fishing vessel Arctic Fjord, owned in Seattle.

 

Heather Sea (Scotoil 6, Theriot Offshore VI) after conversion to a fishing vessel was converted to a pipelayer in 2008 and was under conversion to a research vessel in Russia 2009. That work may never have been completed, although the vessel is still listed by Lloyds

Unique looking boats, they must have had terrific stability since all the rebuildings added top hamper. They also lasted well, and must have been made of good stuff.  

Heather Sea and Claymore Sea laid up at Secunda's Dartmouth base before sailing to Norway to undergo conversion..

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Intrepid Sea bows out

The supplier Intrepid Sea (ex Sable Sea-02, Neftegaz 29-98) left port under cover of darkness tonight in tow of Atlantic Elm.
The former Russian supplier had been idle in Halifax since arriving here in tow November 15, 2001. Various parts had been cannibalized to assist in the conversion and repair of former fleet mates in the Secunda fleet, and the ship had been moved around to various locations in the port. It had been laid up most recently at Pier 9A.
In May of this year its Canadian registry was closed and it has since been referred to as N-29. Whether it is registered at present it is hard to know since it flies no flag nor displays any port of registry.
Its history has been given here before, so will not be repeated, but it is apparent that with the recent buyout of McDermott Canada Ltd by local management, the ship had no future with Secunda.
The ship's destination was given as Boston, with an arrival date of November 13.  Once in Boston, it is my assumption that it will be handed over to a US tug for onward towage to its final destination for scrap, likely Brownsville, TX.
Departure from pier 9A was assisted by Atlantic Larch. As the ship was moving off the dock part of its port deck rail gave way and the bits the tug was using parted company with the ship, in the bight of the Larch's line. The bits later dropped into the water in the main channel.
Also the supplier had some old Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) on deck and possibly some other scrap material.

Hebron Sea - scrapped

1. Hebron Sea in its prime.

The tug/supplier Hebron Sea has been scrapped. Its Canadian register was closed June 5, 2012 and it arrived in Grenaa, Denmark on June 16 to be broken up by Fornaes ApS. I suspect the ship was briefly registered in some flag of convenience nation for the delivery trip.
Built in 1975 by BV Schps v/h H.H.Bodewes, Millingen a/d Rijn, Netherlands it was very similar to the large Smit-Lloyd fleet of anchor handling tug suppliers. It was fitted with Alpha diesels generating 8,480 bhp. Built for the George Wimpey company, a large British based international construction firm it was named Wimpey Seatiger and employed in the North Sea.

2. In the colours of Wimpey Marine, at pier 9c in Halifax.

It was then transferred to Wimpey Marine Canada Ltd and placed under the management of Wimpey Sable Marine, a Canadian partnership that seems to have consisted mostly of prominent lawyers.

3. At pier 28 in Halifax.

In 1987 the ship was sold to Zapata Offshore and renamed Tuna Service

In 1991 Secunda Marine acquired the ship and it arrived in Halifax again, renamed Hebron Sea. It was not used much over the first winter, but did manage a salvage job when it arrived Halifax March 14, 1992 towing the Yugoslavian ship Ulcinj with ice damage.
During the fall of 1992 it was sent to Pictou, NS for major modifications which included lengthening, widening and rebuilding the deck house. In May 1994 the ship was brought back to Halifax for completion, following what is understood to have been a dispute with Pictou Industries Ltd.

4. Hauled out on the slip at Pictou ready for conversion.

5. The hull has been cut and pulled apart, and shell plating removed on the after portion. The wheelhouse has also been removed for rebuilding.

In its new form it was 12 meters longer and tonnage was increased from 1356 gross to 1963 gross. Its working deck was also wider, and a transition section tapered into the old hull under the funnels.

6. After rebuild, there is new aft-facing bridge, and the wheelhouse has been repositioned, and accommodation added.

In 1996 the ship's registry was changed to Barbados and it worked internationally, stopping in Halifax in August 1996 en route Cape Town, via the US to Hull, UK.
In 1998 it returned to Canadian flag and following a refit went to work with the crane Saipem 7000 on  Sable gas. Since then it worked consistently in Nova Scotia, usually on the Sable gas projects.
In late 2010 the ship was laid up in Pictou following what was reported to be a blown engine.
Secunda Marine meanwhile had been through an ownership change to McDermott International then to knew private investors in 2011. With that change Hebron Sea was owned by 3260813 Nova Scotia Ltd, with Secunda Marine Canada LP as managers.

7. In original form as Hebron Sea (The hull is blue, but the colour has been lost in the negative.)

8. After conversion. Wheelhouse moved aft and raised and extended, and new accommodaiton added above deck house. Note also the extreme tumblehome below the funnels where the transition is made to the wider working deck.

Secunda has new owners

Burin Sea and Trinity Sea at pier 9 for winter refits (2012-01-13)

The former Secunda Marine Services of Dartmouth has new owners. Founded in Dartmouth, it was sold in 2007 to McDermott International, but has now been repatriated to Canadian ownership by Birch Hill Equity Partners LP of Toronto.

Renamed Secunda Canada LP, the company will own ten platform supply/anchor handling/ tug/ standby vessels. A further four ships were not in the deal and will remain with McDermott. McDermott is engaged in offshore construction and will keep Agile, Bold Endurance, Emerald Sea and Thebaud Sea. [the latter would qualify as a Jones Act vessel since it was built in the US.]

Each of the remaining Secunda vessels has been re-egistered from McDermott Canada Ltd to single ship Nova Scotia numbered companies. These are: Acadian Sea, Burin Sea, Hebron Sea, Mariner Sea, Panuke Sea, Sable Sea, Trinity Sea, Ryan Leet, Venture Sea, and Intrepid Sea. The first of these is not registered in Canada and the latter is an un-refitted former Russian supplier, lying at pier 9 C.

Press reports indicate that the company will concentrate on offshore Atlantic Canada, while previously, under McDermott, they operated world-wide.

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Neftegaz 29 a target?

1. Intrepid Sea a.k.a. Neftegaz 29 , is guided from Bedford Basin to pier 9 this afternoon.

2. The tug arrived in Halifax in 2001 in tow of Topaz. Even Russian tugs in service can look like derelicts.

3. Tugs moved Neftegaz 29 in 2002 (her official name was Sable Sea at the time.)

One of a large fleet of supply/pipe carriers built for the USSR in Poland, the former Neftegaz 29 moved today from its longtime layup position in Bedford Basin. Atlantic Oak and Atlantic Larch moved the old vessel as a dead ship to pier 9.

Built in 1984 by Stoc. im. Konuny Paryskiej in Gdynia, Poland it was one of 55 vessels of its class. Reportedly built of excellent steel, with ice capabilities, the ships were of an obsolete design, and some were laid up on delivery.

Secunda Marine Services of Dartmouth acquired four vessels of the class, Neftegaz numbers 1, 2, 14 and 29. Numbers 1 and 2 were converted to the tug suppliers Burin Sea and Trinity Sea. Number 14 was transformed in to Panuke Sea.

Number 29 arrived in Halifax November 15, 2001 in tow of the Russian tug Topaz. Even then it was apparent that the ship has been laid up for some time. Although there was some activity on board in 2002 and again 2003 when one of her engines was removed for use on a sister vessel, she has spent most of the last 10 years laid up at Secunda's (formerly Gulf Oil's) Burnside pier in Bedford Basin. Now that all useful parts have probably been removed for re-use, she is pretty much in derelict condition and there is evidence of vandalism.

Shortly after Secunda acquired the ship they renamed it Sable Sea, but in 2002 this was changed to Intrepid Sea to free up the name for another supplier. Neither of these names has ever been painted on the ship.

In 2007 ownership of Secunda was taken over by McDermott, but there were no outward signs of change in the company.

Today's move may mean the end for the ship. We will soon discover if she is going to be sold to the navy for use as a target (most likely scenario in my mind), sold for scrap or even (unlikely) rebuilt.

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