Classic tug arrives

The veteran tug Evans McKeil made one of its infrequent arrivals in Halifax this morning towing the floating drydock HM Dock 1. [see also Shipfax.]

The tug was built in 1936 in Balboa, Panama Canal Zone by the Panama Railroad Co. and named Alhajuela. Originally a diesel electric vessel of a modest 750 bhp, it has been rebuilt and reconditioned several times in its long life.

In 1970 Malcom Marine of Port Huron, MI acquired the tug and ran it as Barbara Ann until 1989.

In that year McKeil Workboats of Hamilton ON became the owners and added an elevated wheelhouse for barge work. It is named for the founder of the company, the late Evans McKeil. In its current configuration the tug is powered by two GM EMD engines, geared to a single screw, giving 2150 bhp.

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Atlantic Oak puts on another show

Unlike last month's publicity exercises, today's show was put on by Atlantic Oak as part of its real job.
Oak took up position astern of the arriving container ship Kiel Express and assisted the ship through the Narrows, acting as a rudder and brake, but did not have to work too strenuously. However once into the Basin and clear of the MacKay bridge, Oak really went to work. The ship had a to make a wide arc to allow room for sister ship Rotterdam Express to sail, and Oak went into a full stern escort mode, giving lots of power to slow and turn the ship. The tug's escort skeg and its 5,000 bhp provide considerable lateral force to the ship when its own slow speed does not give it much steerage way.

1. Atlantic Oak in position astern of Kiel Express in the Narrows.

2. With line taught Oak is assisting with steering and braking.

3. Into the Basin, Oak pours on the power to turn and steer the ship.

4. Oak in full stern escort mode, exerting may tonnes of power.

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Atlantic Poplar on the move

1. Irving Poplar with a barge at the old Irving Oil dock in Halifax.

2. Atlantic Poplar is brough alongside the dredge scow Channelmaster (another veteran).

The veteran tug Atlantic Poplar was moved back to pier 6 yesterday, by Atlantic Willow, after a few weeks at the IEL dock.

Built by Erieau Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co Ltd in 1965 at Erieau, ON, the tug was originally called Amherstburg, named for its home port, near Windsor, ON. It was built for the well known McQueen Marine Ltd., towing and salvage specialists on the Great Lakes.

J.D.Irving acquired the tug in 1975 and it became Irving Poplar, and was renamed Atlantic Poplar in 1996 as part of a fleet renaming by Atlantic Towing Ltd.

It has been laid up in Halifax for a number of years, with reported engine issues. It is a twin screw tug, powered by two V-8 Paxman engines producing a total 2270 bhp.

Ever hopeful that it will be rebuilt and returned to service -I have seen no activity on her for a long time. I expect that she may be rebuilt for the Harbour Devlopment dredging fleet if they can find enough work for her.

Her recent move was just to return her to her usual berth after she was displaced by fleet mate Swellmaster that came in a couple of weeks ago and left with a dump scow.

Under Atlantic Towing ownership it has been based in Saint John, Belledune and the Strait of Canso, as well as in barge towing all over Atlantic Canada.

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Pups at play

In a very stiff northerly breeze, it wasn't exactly child's play to dock the visiting USCG Eagle this morning [see also Shipfax]. However the two navy Ville class tugs Granville and Merrickville were up to the job, and made it look easy.

Both tugs were wearing white "bibs" over their bow fenders, and made up well out in the stream. They had to push to keep the ship up into the wind, and to keep it alongside until lines were secure.Built in 1974 the tugs are rated at 7.5 tonnes bollard pull, with 365 bhp.

As Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessels (CFAV) they are manned by civilian crews and work under the direction of the Queen's Harbour Master at HMC Dockyard.

Océan A. Simard on the job - in Baie Comeau

1. Océan A. Simard on July 4, 2011 in Baie Comeau.

2. Océan A. Simard at the usual tug berth, alongside the government wharf.

3. Pointe Comeau in her original Ectug livery, in Halifax in 1976. Both tug and waterfront have changed over the subsequent years. Note the dent in the exhaust uptake.

The Groupe Océan tug Océan A. Simard (ex Alexis-Simard of Rio Tinto-Alcan) is now on the job in Baie Comeau, QC.

After an extensive refit at Industrie Océan shipyard in Ile-aux-Coudres, QC this spring, the tug went to Quebec City for a time, but in late June it transferred to Baie Comeau. That port is home to the tug Pointe Comeau, owned by the Cargill Grain Co, but operated under a long term contract with Svitzer. It serves ships at Cargill's grain berths. Now Ocean A. Simard is handling Alcoa's import and export berths.

Interestingly both Océan A. Simard and Pointe Comeau are Voith Schneider tugs, so ship handling will be carried out in the same way for the berthing masters.

Océan A.Simard looks quite splendid in its new Groupe Océan livery of blue hull and white house, with aqaua blue trim, which can only he seen from certain angles.

Pointe Comeau was built in 1976 by Marystown Shipyard and is rated at 3500 bhp.

Note: the above has been edited and corrected thanks to comment received - see below.

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McNally sells to Weeks

1. Whitby at work on July 11 at the Halterm extension.

2. Carl M swings around the Canadian Argosy at Halterm July 11.

3. Mister Joe arriving in Halifax in May.

As reported in Shipfax, McNally Construction has been purchased by Weeks Marine, Inc of New Jersey. McNally will continue to operate under its current name as a wholly owned subsidiary.

As the largest marine construction operation in eastern Canada (Ocean Group is probably a distant #2) McNally has a substantial fleet of work barges, scows, dredges and about 20 tugs.

There is unlikely to be any outward change in the look of the fleet in the near future, but some of the older plant is certainly due for replacement.

One of McNally's hard working tugs is Mister Joe, built in 1964 by Russel-Hipwell in Owen Sound, ON as Churchill River. After a career in James Bay and Hudson Bay, it worked on Hibernia for a time, before its acquisition of Beaver Marine (a McNally subsidiary that was folded into the larger company) in 2000. The twin screw tug of 750 bhp is named for Joe McNally, one of the company founders.

Smaller tugs include Carl M, built in 1957 as Louis M (renamed in 1975) and acquired from the now defunct McNamara Construction rates 475 bhp. Whitby (also a former McNamara tug) was built in 1978 and rates 474 bhp.

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Big Tug heads north

The big Russian tug Vladimir Ignatyuk sailed from Halifax yesterday, headed for Greenland.

Built at Burrard Yarrows Corp in Victoria, BC in 1983 as Kalvik, it operated in the western Canadian Arctic Beaudril, a subsidiary of Gulf Canada Resources. It was renamed Arctic Kalvik in 1997 when acquired by Fednav Ltd.

Sister ship Terry Fox, built by the same company, but in North Vancouver, was sold to the Canadian Coast Guard, but they let Kalvik get away.

In 2003 it was sold to the Murmansk Shipping Co and has worked world wide in towing and arctic support. On her last visit to Halifax, in May of 2007, she was en route back to the Beaufort Sea to support drilling work as Vladimir Ignatyuk. With a helicopter landing deck mounted forward, she is distinctively different from her sister vessel.

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