Ferry Found for Yarmouth - the Cat is Back

 The Cat Is back!
The new Yarmouth ferry service will Start June 15th, and feature a return to Bay ferries operation and a high speed catamaran . The province has reached a 10-year agreement with Bay Ferries Limited to manage and operate a high-speed ferry between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine. The 2016 season schedule is anticipated to run June 15 to Sept. 30, departing Yarmouth and Portland daily at 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. respectively and returning to Yarmouth at 9 p.m.

Government will provide annual funding for the ferry service, including marketing, at $10.2 million for the first season and $9.4 million for the second. There will also be $4.1 million for start-up costs that will include terminal upgrades and $9 million towards the ferry's retrofit, in lieu of two years of charter fees.

This catamaran has a different hull form from the previous cats.  The vessel itself is very similar to the hull form used by the US Navy in its Spearhead class of Joint High-Speed Vessels. The vessel is rumored to be the former Hawaiian Super ferry Alakai.

Built in 2007, she ran for over a year before court cases surrounding an environmental review of the ferry service caused the service to be suspended in 2009, the company went bankrupt, and the 2 ferries became the property of the US Federal government who help finance their construction. She  was auctioned off by the court in 2010 for $25 million, and purchased by the US Maritime Administration. The US Navy acquired the boat in 2012, her sister going into service in the pacific, but Alakai was renamed USNS Puerto Rico and laid up in Philadelphia.

The new service is Yarmouth-based, leaving Yarmouth in the morning, travelling to Portland, and returning to Nova Scotia that evening. It will increase overnight stays in the region and provide an economic boost to Nova Scotia businesses.

It will reduce the travel time in half and eliminate the need for vessel cabins and additional onboard staff. It will also be quicker than driving between Portland and Nova Scotia.

Original:
News conference is Booked for 1 PM with the Nova Scotia transportation minister and the president of Bay ferries.

Panama Canal Expansion opens June 26th

Mark your calendars, the Panama Canal Expansion opens on June 26th. this will likely cause shipping lines to shift their vessels, and routes - especially with recent mergers and Takeovers.

Mexican Navy Tall Ship ARM Cuauhtemoc Due in May

Word is the Mexican Navy tall ship ARM Cuauhtemoc is due for a port visit in May.
She was her once before in 2008. (Will post photo when i locate it)

She is the last of four sister ships (the other 3 being Colombia's Gloria, Ecuador's Guayas and Venezuela's Simón Bolívar) built by the Naval Shipyards of Bilbao, Spain, in 1982, all built to a design similar to the 1930 designs of the German firm Blohm & Voss, like German navy tall ship Gorch Fock and her sister USCGC Eagle.

More to follow.

Stena Icemax Now 24nm Off Halifax

The Stena Icemax has now moved to a position about 24 Nautical miles off Halifax Harbour.
It is unlikely she will actually enter Halifax, but the new position makes supply runs much shorter.

She is the Blue Square in the Bottom Right corner of the Chart.

The Stena Icemax Lost her Riser when it disconnected in a storm Earlier this Month. They are now likely in the process of preparing to recover it.

Overseas Jademar Tops up Tufts Cove

Another vessel that sailed last night, Overseas Jademar spent 2 days offloading into Tufts cove tank.
The Power Plant can burn both heavy oil and Natural Gas, and will see a tanker once a year or so.

Built in 2002, Overseas Jademar is a Panamax tanker. Noteably she failed a port state control inspection in Washington State last year, due to faulty fire fighting equipment. She was allowed to sail once repairs were made.

Meta for ACL

The 2001 built 2732teu Meta made her second call in Halifax for ACL. Her first was March 6 on her Westbound Leg. She Sailed last night for Liverpool.

ACL is using Conventional Containerships to bridge the Gap between the Retirement of the G3 vessels and the service entry of the New G4 vessels.

ACL Renews Contract to 2022 - Projects Doubling Volumes

Atlantic Container Line (ACL) has decided to maintain its twice weekly call at Halifax with its new G4 RORO/Containerships. ACL will continue to serve the North American and European markets at the Fairview Cove Container Terminal of Ceres Halifax Inc. ACL and Ceres have signed a new contract that runs through 2022.

Andrew Abbott, President/CEO of Atlantic Container Line commented, “We value our long-term working relationships with the Halifax Port Authority and Ceres. We looked long and hard at various schedule alternatives for our new ships. Some excluded Halifax. But we just could not ignore the close cooperation and support of the HPA and Ceres that removed every obstacle to a long-term agreement. The quality improvements to the CN Rail service and the consistent cooperation of our ILA colleagues were also influential factors in our decision. As a result of this, all the stakeholders of the port will benefit, as ACL volume via Halifax will eventually double as all of our new ships enter service. ACL looks forward to a long future in Halifax with our large, new, fuel efficient and environmentally friendly G4 vessels. The Port of Halifax will now remain our largest port in North America, and our gateway for Canada and the US Midwest.”

“ACL has been a very important partner throughout the years,” said Calvin Whidden, President, Ceres Halifax Inc. “With the signing of this new agreement, we will now focus on working together to grow cargo volume.” “This is very positive news for all of the key players involved in reaching
this new contract,” said Karen Oldfield, President and CEO, Halifax Port Authority. “We offer our
congratulations to ACL and Ceres-Halifax, and would like to acknowledge the level of commitment shown by CN Rail throughout this process. We look forward to continuing to welcome the next generation of ACL vessels to the Port of Halifax.”

Atlantic Container Line has been continuously calling the Port of Halifax since 1970 following the inaugural call of the ACL G1 vessel Atlantic Starin 1969.In January of this year, the Port of Halifax welcomed the newest Atlantic Star which is the first of the five new G-4 ACL CONRO vessels, and was named by a ACL Halifax Staffer.

Algoma Value Tops up the Tanks

Algoma Value spent yesterday at anchor taking bunkers. Recently purchased by Algoma from the Torvald Klaveness Group of Oslo, as part of a 4 ship sale, she is the Ex Baldock.

Baldock was an infrequent visitor to Halifax, Last stopping here for bunkers in August 2011.
The Ship continues to trade in the CSL International Pool.

Stenna Icemax Looses Drilling Riser

CBC News is reporting that the Stenna Icemax, drilling for shell, disconnected from and lost the drilling riser over the weekend. It is now lying on the seabed.

In anticipation of bad weather, all drilling fluids were stopped, the drill pipe removed, and the blowout preventer on the seafloor secured. The riser is the pipe that is used to control the Blow out preventer, Supply drilling mud, and contains the drill bit. It will disconnect form the drill ship if conditions get to rough, as it acts like a fixed tether to the ship.

The Stenna Icemax is currently drilling a well names Cheshire L-97. To date she has reached a depth of 6,669.09m, with a projected final dell depth of 7,532m. The water depth is 2,143.02m. weekly status reports indicate no progress was made on the well for 3 weeks in January - the reasons for this are not known.

Atlantic Towing's New PSV's

Photo From Maasmond Maritime Daily News Clippings February 28th.

Clipper Macau - More Cement Plant.

Clipper Macau, Currently sits at anchor in the Basin, after unloading the second load of a Cement plant. She Arrived at Pier 30 Febuary 29th, and moved to the basin Mach 1. The Hold Photo below was provided. Note the TweenDeck segments being removed

BBC Louisiana, who arrived on February 18, delivered the first load of the plant, which was built in china, and is bound for Quebec.

Bluenose to get a new Rudder

 The province is accepting recommendations from an engineering review of the steering system of Bluenose II. You can find the reports Online

The report recommends replacing the steel rudder with either a wooden rudder or a composite made of fiberglass with a carbon stock. Work is underway to design a new rudder, including determining which is the better material to use. The 2016 sailing season will take place as scheduled with work on the rudder being done during the fall and winter.

The province has also resolved the outstanding delay claims with the Lunenburg Shipyard Alliance with a settlement of five million dollars of which one-point-eight million had already been paid prior to the final settlement agreement. The settlement brings the total cost of the project to $23.8 million, which includes the cost of the steering system review.

The cost of the rudder is not expected to push the final total beyond the allocated capital budget of $25 million for the project.