Its been awhile...

Time has a way of flying by and now is the time to write about some activities happening in our little part of the world.
    The tanker Indian Point was boarded today at 1400h by APA pilot  Mike Langdon and proceeded in to the Nustar Inside Berth at Point Tupper. Assisting were the tugs the tugs Point Chebucto and Svitzer Bedford.

The Martin Marietta Materials Quarry dock is busy handling some big bulkers lately like the Baldock  which is taking on about 61,000 tones of gravel for a delivery to Port Manatee Fla.

 The Rt.Hon.Paul E. Martin

 was also in around the 9th of October and loaded cargo  .
     A couple of the TK line of tankers paid a visit to our area. The Helga Spirit arrived on the 2nd of October

and departed on October the 3rd

Shortly thereafter the crude oil tanker Americas Spirit paid a visit to Nustar for business and departed on the morning of October 4th.

Providing escort after undocking the Americas Spirit was the tugs Point Chebucto and Svitzer Bedford .I managed to get a photo of the Svitzer Bedford doing some powered indirect moves for the pilot.

Relocated to the area is the tug Point Sept Isle which was formerly based in Quebec and is in our area for a short time when the Point Valiant goes on refit.

In this attached photo its shown on the inside of the Point  Valiant but leaves tonight under the command of Capt. Mario Noel to assist in the docking of a bulker in Belledune N.B.
   In the line of expensive pleasure craft two nice looking yachts transitted our area heading to warmer climes and who could blame them.

     On September the 29th the Hooterpatrol IV departed Port Hawkesbury with just its delivery crew bound for Fort Lauderdale Fla.

 Also transitting thru was the yacht Perseverence II which was outbound  and passed port to port with the crude tanker Helga Spirit just abeam of Eddy Point.

Another regular visitor to the area has been the small cruise vessel Yorktown which docks at Port Hawkesbury for 6 to 7 hours while some of the passengers enjoy our ambiance and then usually depart for another destination as the sun is about to set. 

Other recent visitors were the tanker Sloman Ariadne which docked at Nustar Inside berth on September the 10th

.The asphalt tanker Thalassa Desgagnes  transitted thru the Strait on the afternoon of September 25th bound for the U.S.

On September 26th the oil products tanker Pacific Quartz was berthed at Nustar Berth 2

 and the NS Stella also was docked at Nustar 2 on the 28th of September.

October the 10th at about 0630h APA pilot Capt. Evan Macdonald boarded the Radcliffe R. Latimer at the north pilot station to take the vessel thru Canso Lock to Mulgrave where a large quantity of slag was deposited on the dock for use in a local industry.

 Last but not least ,I had a nice chat over a cuppa coffee with Tugfax creator Mac Mackay who was in the area from Halifax.

Many thanks for the time well spent Mac.

Late this summer before I returned from working in the Annapolis Valley I got a photo op in Yarmouth, N.S. of a former dragger from Petit De Grat that fished for Booth's and Usen Fisheries.Her original name was the George Kentner (Named after the former Vice President of Booth Fisheries)She was captained by Newman Skinner of Arichat, N.S.She is now owned by Comeau Seafoods of Saunierville, Nova Scotia and fishes scallops. She goes by the name Lady Yvette II.

As George Kentner

UBC Miami,Atlantic Huron and the Nordanhav

APA pilot Capt. Mike Langdon took the cargo vessel UBC Miami off the Martin Marietta Materials quarry dock about 1345h and proceeded south  to send it on to sea.

Also loading product in our area was the Atlantic Huron which was taking on gypsum from the diminishing pile at the Point Tupper facility owned by Georgia-Pacific. It appears there may not be too many more loads and their mines have been closed for over a year and a half.

The ship has tentatively booked a pilot for 0200h on the 28th and will transit Canso Lock headed north.

the clay carrier Nordanhav sits at anchor off Pirate harbor awaiting dock space in Mulgrave .most likely its waiting for the Flintstone to get underway before they shift.

The Flintstone which is berthed at the Strait Superport Dock in Mulgrave was having some maintainence done while alongside.I spotted the dive vessel Service Leader on its starboard side and my sources tell me the divers were tending to matters in the Flintstones moonpool.

It appears that this vessel will be boarded tonight by a pilot and head to sea in the early hours of the 28th.
   Expected at the south pilot station   and headed to the quarry will be the Caribe Pearl who's ships business is being handled by the folks from MontShip.

The summers been busy ...and its time to write something.

Well a bit of a hiatus for this writer didn't mean there wasn't ship movements in ,around and thru the Strait area. Yesterday afternoon the Flintstone was brought into the dock at Mulgrave by APA pilot Capt.Tony Pierce. The vessel was docked around 1540h and loading of 5000 tons of stone was begun and completed early morning on the 26th about 0400h.It appears the ships departure was delayed with some maintainence issues.

Today the cargo vessel Fortitude departed the Inhabitants Bay Anchorage about 1210h and the pilot on board was Capt. Tony Pierce.The Fortitude was brought in for an AGM Inspection before sailing to Becancoeur Qc.

The bulk carrier Point Lisas Pearl was taking on a cargo of aggregate at the Martin Marietta Quarry dock and I saw the tug Point Valiant arriving in Aulds Cove to assist the vessel off the dock .Pilot Capt. Tony Pierce has been tasked to this vessel  which made it a busy day for him.

     Expected at the south pilot station tonight is the UBC Miami which will be dock at the quarry by APA pilot Capt. Chuck MacDonald. Waiting at the north pilot station tonight is the self-unloading bulker Atlantic Huron. It had just recently loaded at the quarry dock and proceeded to Charlottetown P.E.I.

The crude oil tanker Americas Spirit was alongside the Nustar Ocean Berth One this afternoon being loaded and may possibly depart early on the 27th.

Departing the Port Hawkesbury Paper dock at 2000h tonight is the Nordahav with APA pilot Capt. Elias Dorey taking her out .

Recent vessels calling in the Strait area has been a few pricey yachts ,several tankers and bulkers .

This photo shows the Balder sailing past the Bear Head Wind Farm on its way out to sea after unloading coal at NSPC in Point Tupper. The crude oil tanker Kometik paid a visit to Nustar arriving on the 18th

and departed on the 19th.

Shortly after the Kometik departed the Atlas Voyageur took its place after departing the Inhabitants Bay Anchorage.

Smaller tankers and the Evans McKeil

Yesterday the 179mx28m oill products tanker verseas Alcmar departed the Nustar Inside berth bound for Boston mass with 311,000 barrels of gasoline just in time for the increase in prices..very time

The tug Evans McKeil had returned with the barge Labrador Spirit for another 9600 tons of gravel for delivery to Charlottetown.They may return for another load in the near future and would likely take it to the Magdalen Islands.

The CSL Acadian arrived yesterday evening and is in Chedabucto Bay awaiting the arrival of the Cape Venture to do a coal topoff.

Atlantic Teak departs with 2 barges.

Barge shuffling began around 0600h this morning when the Atlantic Teak shuttled the barge Atlantic Marlin ex  Boabarge 18 thru the canso canal to the north wall.It then returned to Mulgrave and hooked onto the Atlantic Swordfish  ex Boabarge 17 and retraced their steps to the north wall again where the two barges were put on the towline and they're headed to Becancouer Qc.

The Sheila Ann came in late on the 3rd to the Martin Marietta dock to load gravel.

It should be finished loading and departing possibly around noon on Saturday the 6th.At the dock in port Hawkesbury the mckeil owned tug Florence M. stop off for some stores before heading to Deception Bay Quebec.

Another coal transfer and busy at the quarry.

The summer seems to bring out more tug and tow activity all over.As I understand it there will be a lot of barges heading north  from Quebec. The Atlantic Teak sailed into the Strait on the July 1st with APA pilot Capt. Scott MacDonald on duty and the barge Atlantic Swordfish was docked at Mulgrave. Sources tell me the barges Atlantic Swordfish and Atlantic Marlin will be taken to Quebec and used for hauling supplies to the north.

meanwhile the bulk carrier C.Atlas came in to  Inhabitants Bay on July 1st for its Asian gypsy Moth inspection before proceeding upriver.

The bulk carrier K. Daphne was anchored in Chedabucto Bay at Anchorage Charlie and was joined a day or so later by the CSL Acadian which topped it off with coal bound for the Orient.

Both the topoff vessels have scheduled pilots for  this morning at 0730h to depart the anchorage for sea.

At the Martin Marietta Materials Quarry loading dock the Caroline Oldendorff is finishing up  and is expected to depart this morning around 1130h.

The tug Evans Mckeil will take its place at the berth after it sails in from Prince Edward Island with the gravel barge Labrador Spirit for a load and go and the berth won't be empty long before the Sheila Ann comes in from the Chedabucto Bay Anchorage to load.
Last evening the crew of the tug Atlantic Fir treated onlookers to a fire monitor test just off the Port Hawkesbury dock.

The Caroline Oldendorff departed the Martin Marietta dock with 58,799 tons of gravel for Jacksonville Florida and Nassau Bahamas. Pilot onboard was Capt. Scott MacDonald.

The tug Evans mckeil is scheduled to depart the quarry dock at 2300h headed thru the locks and on to P.E.I.. will be moved in from the outer anchorage .

The bulker Sheila Ann will be moved in from the outer anchorage to commence loading at the Aulds Cove quarry after midnight .The tug Atlantic Teak is expected to begin moving the barges Atlantic marlin and Atlantic Swordfish to the north side of Canso Lock around 0600h of the 4th.The tug will then depart with the 2 barges for Quebec.