Venture Sea - final chapter

The end has apparently come for the notable tug / supplier Venture Sea a former stalwart of Secunda Marine. Under the name Jarvis it was reported beached at Alang India on June 17, and scrapping began almost at once.

The Venture Sea dated from 1998 when it was built by Halter Marine of Pascagoula, MS at their Escatawpa shipyard. The story I have heard was that Secunda needed a high specification vessel in a hurry and Halter was the only yard that could deliver on a tight schedule. In fact the boat's upper superstructure was built separately and joined after the hull was floated downstream and cleared a low bridge on the Pascagoula River. (I believe it was the I-10 bridge with about a 40 foot clearance.)

The 2235 gt vessel was rated at 12,292 hp from four GM EMD main engines and 132.5 tons bollard pull. I won't go into all the ins and outs of ownership as Secunda migrated to McDermott and back, and then to Siem, but during those years the vessel worked out of Halifax for at least some of the time. 

Its last real assignment was an emergency tow for the bulk carrier Golden Opal with a cargo of iron ore from Baffinland Mine for Immingham. It experienced steering gear failure (perhaps due to ice damage) in the Davis Strait and Venture Sea was dispatched from Halifax September 27, 2020 to take the ship in tow for Nuuk, Greenland where it made repairs. 

In late 2020 the ship was reported sold and renamed Jarvis under the Vanuatu flag. Its Canadian registration was closed December 22, 2020 but it arrived in Halifax January 8, 2021 from layup in Shelburne still carrying its original name. Curiously the ship always had the initials "M.V." before that name, even though that was not part of the official name. It is the only ship I know of that did this.

 The new name was painted on in Halifax at Pier 27, shortly before sailing January 10, 2021.

Since the sale to owners called Virgo Ships, the Jarvis * was reported in the Mediterranean, Western Europe, South Africa, South America (east coast), West Africa and South Asia. Other owners, such as Star Martrix of Hong Kong were later reported, but management remained with Hermes Marine Services of Mumbai. It is believed the Jarvis was towing ships and oil rigs to the scrap yards.

In April it was reported taking stores in Cape Town, departing for Alang. With a possible change of ownership in May, likely to Indian cash buyers, it arrived in Alang about the first of June. I would like to think that the breakers are among the few responsible ones in the area, but that seems unlikely.

My favourite photo of the Venture Sea has it sailing from Halifax December 30, 2016 and dipping into a slight swell off Herring Cove - a taste of things to come in the life of an offshore tug/supplier.

 

* The Hermes Marine people tlike to name their ships after characters in Marvel Comics superheroes comic books. Jarvis is the name of the factotum in the family home of  Tony Stark, a.k.a. Ironman.

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Jarvis sails south

 The former Venture Sea (see previous post) sailed late this afternoon, now with its new name Jarvis stenciled on the bows.

AIS is not showing a destination, but the boat is heading generally south if that is any indication of where it may be going.

Of the many pictures I have taken of this tug over the years, none have shown what it is really like out at sea. However perhaps this one gives some idea of how this boat might perform.

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No More Offshore

 Offshore petroleum activity off Nova Scotia has ceased now that the last of the Deep Panuke structures have been removed and most of the material has gone to the UK for scrap. There is no more offshore gas production, and no more oil. There is also no exploration underway.

There is some activity off Newfoundland, but even that has been reduced with the Terra Nova field offline.

Therefore many offshore support vessels are out of work and laid up. Most are in Newfoundland, but there are three idle boats in Halifax.

At Pier 9c Atlantic Kestrel has been idle since the crane rig Thialf returned to Europe.

Built by Jaya SB+E, Singapore in 2012 Atlantic Kestrel is a powerful tug of 16,000 bhp.

Meanwhile Secunda (parent company is Siem of Kristiansand, Norway) has two vessels laid up at the COVE docks in Dartmouth.

Siem Commander (red hull) dates from 2008 when it was built as Stril Commander. The hull was built by Cemre Altinova, Turkey and completed by Havyard Liervik in Norway. It was transferred from Norway in 2019.

Siem Hanne (blue hull) was completed in 2007 by Aker Yards, Aukra, Norway on a hull started by the Aker Tulcea shipyard in Turkey. It was brought to Canada in 2016.

Secunda Marine also has its Venture Sea idle after its towing contract in Baffin Bay late last month. On its return the ship went directly to Shelburne, NS (for repairs?) and hasn't been back to Halifax since.

The veteran Secunda tug was built in 1998 by Halter Marine Inc in Pascagoula, MS. It is rated at 12,280 bhp.

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Venture Sea heads north

 The Halifax based anchor handling tug/supplier Venture Sea set out from Halifax September 27 for the far north waters of Davis Strait between Greenland and Canada.

 The trip is in response to a call for an assistance from the bulk carrier Golden Opal. A 41,725gt, 74,232dwt ship, built in 2017 by Reliance Defence in Indonesia, it has a cargo of iron ore from Milne Inlet, Baffin Island, destined for Immingham, England. Satellite AIS date shows a very erratic track suggesting a possible steering problem, typical of a ship with ice damage to its rudder.

Venture Sea was built in 1998 by Halter Marine, Pascagoula and has an output of about 12,000 bhp and a bollard pull of 132.5 tonnes.

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Venture Sea and Atlantic Larch called out to sea

Two Halifax based tugs put to sea today to assist the drifting tanker Australian Spirit. En route from Whiffen Head, Newfoundlad  with 90,000 tonnes of crude oil for New York, the tanker lost is steering on last night (December 9).
Gale force winds and 4 meter seas along with driving rain and limited visibility have raised concerns about the safety of the ship which is 40 nautical miles off Halifax's Chebucto Head. CCGS Earl Grey also put to sea to standby.

Atlantic Towing's Atlantic Larch was the first tug to respond. The 4,000 bhp tug is fitted with a towing winch in addition to its shiphandling winch forward. It would not be large enough to tow the tanker single handedly, but it could certainly assist in keeping its head up to winds and seas, if it can secure and maintain a tow line in rough conditions.

Also sailing from Halifax the anchor handling tug supplier Venture Sea with 12,280 bhp would certainly be able to tow the ship. The Secunda Canada tug was in Halifax on a regular run from the Sable Island gas operations when it was called out. Built in 1998 by Halter Marine in Pascagoula, it has worked for Secunda in Canada and overseas.

Australian Spirit is operated by Teekay Shipping and was built in 2004 by Hyundai Heavy Industries of Ulsan, South Korea. It measures 68,213 grt, 111, 9045 dwt. 

Halifax Harbour is under weather watch due to winds and seas, with several ships waiting offshore for improved conditions to make it possible to enter port. These conditions will make it difficult to manage Australian Spirit, which will no doubt have to enter port to effect repairs.

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