McNally triple tow

McNally Construction used three tugs to tow a concrete crib from the work site to the Fairview Cove container pier on Tuesday October 15. Bagotville took the lead, towing Oshawa, which was towing the crib. Jamie L brought up the rear pushing the crib for a time. As they neared the destination, Jamie L turned and repositioned as a brake to help position the crib.

[Power lines in the foreground  were unavoidable, due to a crime scene investigation underway closer to the water.]

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New McKeil barges towed in by Dutch tug

The McKeil Marine barge fleet continues to grow.  An application has been made by McKeil-Malaspina Ltd for a coasting license to use the Tobias to carry a concrete batching plant at Bull Arm, NL for construction of the Hebron Gravity Base (GBS) structure from January to December 2014. Normally a "non-duty paid" vessel, under the Canadian flag, is a chartered one, where ownership remains with foreign owners. However it is reported that McKeil-Malaspina purchased this barge, so it is likely they assumed no other Canadian barge could do the job, and thus they are avoiding paying Canadian duty. It is common in the oil industry to do this, since highly specialized oil-field craft are not usually available in Canada. I suppose the reasoning is that a 20t/m2 capacity deck barge fits the same category. McKeil have commissioned two other barges from local builders, but these are not highly specialized.

Tobias is a flat deck barge Damen Stan-Pontoon type 12032. It was built in China and transported to Europe aboard the heavy lift ship Zhen Hua 29 and given final fit out at the Damen yard in Gorinchem, Netherlands. The number 12032 refers to its length of 102m x breadth of 32m.It reportedly has a sophisticated ballasting system and mooring winches, powered by its own generators. With the aforementioned 20t/m2 deck load capacity, it has a capacity of 20,000 tonnes. Its gross tonnage is 8800 and it was registered in St.John's May 9 of this year.

It was towed to Canada by the Dutch tug En Avant 10 operated by Muller, Dordrecht arriving in Pictou in July. It is now being fitted out at the Aecon-Fabco shipyard.

The tug En Avant 10 was built in 2002 by Ast. Armon in Vigo, Spain as Dhoce and later carried the name Tryton while working in Poland.

The tug is powered by Cat main engines, giving 4400 bhp and 55 tonne bollard pull. It is rated for ocean towing, salvage, fire fighting and harbour work.

It is now en route for Argentia, NL with another new barge for McKeil-Mammoet, named Glovertown Spirit. Also built by Damen, it measures 71.28m x 23.5m and 2073 gross tons. Registered in Canada on October 1, it is due in Argentia October 22. nb: destination changed to Bay Roberts (revised 2013-10-15)

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Plainsville - more lives than a cat.

The last time I saw the little tug Plainsville at Sambro it looked forlorn and neglected. On the weekend I was pleased to see her festooned with tires and obviously back in busines as a working tug. She was moored off the CME boatyard in Sambro, and is apparently used to assist boats on and off their marine railway cradle and perhaps for other chores around the harbour.

Another classic, she was built in 1944 by Russel Brothers of Owen Sound, ON for the Canadian navy as a Ville class dockyard pup tug . She later worked for the Department of Transport and was the predecessor of Gulf Spray (see previous post) for LeGrow's in Halifax.She has doubtless had other lives that I am not aware of.

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No holiday for Gulf Spray

It was the Thanksgiving holiday weekend for some, but not Gulf Spray and its crew. The hard working little tug handles waste disposal work for cruise ships and is on the go nearly every day during the height of the cruise season.

1. Gulf Spray approaches pier 9B with the tanker scow O/B Gavin David.

Gulf Spray can be seen towing a tanker scow or a flat deck scow, that carries a variety of waste containers, and a forklift.

2. Gulf Spray and a solid waste scow in the Narrows on October 9.

Gulf Spray qualifies as a classic, since it was built in 1959 by Ferguson Industries in Pictou, NS for use in the shipyard. It was built to a similar pattern to tugs built for the Minister of Public Works.It received an extensive rebuild in 2007.

3. After a particularly neat bit of boat handling, Gulf Spray is finished for the day and returns to her berth.

The tug is usually operated by one man only, with another one or two the scow. A third man uses the outboard powered Harbour Runner to say ahead of the tug and assist with tying up the scow once it reaches the pier 9B base or bringing it alongside the cruise ships.

 

4. The outboard powered Harbour Runner plays catch up.

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Pointe aux Basques

Svitzer Canada's Pointe aux Basques arrived in Halifax this afternoon. The tug, which had been stationed at Sept-Iles, QC since it was built in 1972, has now been re-deployed to Halifax along with fleet mate Pointe Sept Iles (which will be arriving later) following the expiry of the contract with the Iron Ore Company of Canada.

The first Svitzer tug to use the Svitzer wharf in Halifax in three years:

More info to follow....................

Tandem Tow

 1. As the large tugs Atlantic Oak and Atlantic Hemlock head back to base, they pass Oshawa towing Jamile L towing a concrete crib.

A tandem tow usually refers to one tug towing two ships, but in Halifax, it seems to mean two tugs towing one object. McNally Construction has the job of building large concrete cribs that form the pier face of the new pier 6 at Halifax Shipyard. In order to move the cribs from their construction site to the shipyard, they are using two tugs, Jamie L and Oshawa as shown here before.

2. Oshawa's line is bar taut to Jamie L. 

3. Oshawa is really digging in and her engines are running at full revs.

4. Jamie L is also running with the pedal to the metal and setting up a bit of a rooster tail.

The advantage of using two tugs is that once at the pier 6 site Oshawa peels off and gets into position to place the crib. Once located, the  crib is "gentled" into place using a system of wires and come-alongs and then sunk in place.

5. The crib is moved the last few feet into position with wires. The motorboat is allowing a man to install a sleeve in the sidewall which will allow water in for sinking.

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Atlantic Hemlock back in Halifax

Atlantic Towing's Atlantic Hemlock is back in Halifax for a short stint. It is presently covering for Atlantic Willow which has gone to Shelburne for routine maintenance and drydocking.

1. Atlantic Hemlock moves around the stern of the Zim California to assist it into the Halterm container terminal this afternoon. Ships berth starboard side to at the pier and must be turned 180 degrees as they arrive, and back in alongside. Tugs assist the turn by pushing on the starboard quarter at first, then when the ship is at about 90 degrees to the pier they move around the port quarter to push it alongside.

This is a familiar role for Hemlock which acts as a bit of a rover in ATL fleet, moving around to the various ports as needed from its base in Saint John, NB.