Ferry Surfing and other Weekly News Bits

Surfing videos from Halifax Harbour have city hall a bit worried



McNabs will be easier to explore
A work crew has just started to restore Garrison Road, the main walking trail that runs from one end of the Halifax Harbour island to the other.

Ottawa not ruling out financial aid for Yarmouth-Maine sea link
federal government won’t rule out investing in a ferry connection between Yarmouth, N.S., and Maine until a study is completed in February

Shipyard completing $36-million contract
A METEGHAN RIVER shipyard is finishing up a lucrative contract to deliver 18 aluminum catamarans to England, where they will service wind fields in the stormy North and Irish seas.

Svitzer Bedford Returns

the Svitzer Bedford arrived back in Halifax on Dec 26, She suffered an engine room fire and was abandoned on Oct 28 while on route from Quebec City for Becancour Quebec.

UpDate:


Re-Attaching the Tire Bumpers today. She assisted Atlantic Concert away from Fairview Cove that evening.

Weekly News Bits

New Vietnam Service, with A New Vessel:
The first Eastbound (inbound) vessel to call Cai Mep will be the OOCL America voyage 28E01 on January 9, 2010. The first Westbound (export) vessel to call Cai Mep was the OOCL Oakland voyage 16W50 sailing from the Port of Halifax on December 16, 2009.

Shipping line adds 10th vessel and Port of Halifax gets new connection with Vietnam

Sewage Issues:
Halifax sewage plant shows signs of life and Halifax mayor to brave harbour again

Ferry Issues:
Atlantic Vision ferry back in the waterafter the completion of repairs to a hole in the stern.

Tourism operators fret as ferry service between N.S. and Maine scuttled


ShipBuilding:
N.S. awards first contracts for restoration of famed schooner Bluenose

Shipyard could get busy building large training ships in Meteghan River that could deploy the remote controled fast-attack simulators like a swarm of bees

Naval Refit Contracts to Create 335 Shipbuilding Jobs

weekly news bits

Fishing boat sinks, 3 rescued, 1 missing


Halifax businessman proposes harbour hovercraft
Jay Hasson, a metro businessman, recently bought two hovercrafts and he thinks they could be used as a Bedford ferry service. He's asking Halifax Regional Council to support his idea in principle.

Stevns iceflower

Seems this Tug was converted to the Fjord Saguenay back in
March 2009 she was repainted and renamed at halifax shipyards then.

She now returns as a new build.

Weekly News Bits

The 92nd Aniversary of the Halifax Explosion.
The Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture announced Friday that all photographs, films and archival records on the 1917 disaster have been re-digitized for their website http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/explosion/default.asp

News coverage of commemorations:
Survivors, residents mark anniversary of Halifax Explosion

Ottawa issues tender call for soil cleanup on McNabs
The soil remediation project was prompted by an old oil pipeline exposed when hurricane Juan tore through. The 240-metre pipeline has been oozing bunker C oil since the storm hit metro. The pipeline was part of a navy fuelling depot that supplied vessels and forts in use on the island during the Second World War


Port of Halifax signs MOU with Vietnamese port The MOU recognizes that the Port of Haiphong is a gateway or “border port” for trade between Northern Vietnam and South East Asia, and the Port of Halifax is a gateway port for Canada and North America

Rowan Gorilla III not departing

as of 1223, the tow out was canceled, and the towing vessels are returning to the dock.

Weekly News Bits

CN Rail Strike News
Its now over, however Halifax was affected.

Canadian Ports Weathering CN Strike
Strike Hits Halifax Railcar Supply - Ship schedules not disrupted, but train delays hamper some port operations
Strike Delaying Trains at Halifax - daily train service was delayed by 16 hours on Nov. 29, the second day of the strike. In turn, that delayed some shipments until the evening of Nov. 30

Tracking boosts port business Software keeps containers from dwelling around. (and you can look them up online Here )

Rowan Gorrilla Departing

Taken from my blackbery, around 8:30am
Maersk Challenger, Hebron Sea, and Ryan Leet take up their towing positions.