Saipem 7000

Going through old film negatives, I came across photos from the 1998 visit to Halifax by the Saipem 7000 self-propelled crane platform (link goes to the Wikipedia article).

Saipem 7000 arriving in Halifax, taken from Point Pleasant Park.

The Saipem in the name refers to the platform's owners, Saipem S.p.A. The 7000 refers to the platform's two S7000 revolving cranes, each capable of lifting up to 7000 tonnes at a certain radius. The Saipem 7000 was in town to pick up offshore platform jackets for the Sable Offshore Energy Project.

Saipem 7000 approaching the seawall at Woodside, with the rig jackets visible onshore.

In the photo above, tugs from ECTug help the Saipem 7000 alongside, while Navy tugs stand ready at the left to provide assistance if needed.

Saipem 7000 alongside at Woodside.

Saipem 7000 with the jackets hoisted onboard.

Once loaded, Saipem 7000 departed port with the jackets in order to install them offshore. 

Reconstructing Electron

I have been following the boat-building adventures of Eamonn Doorly at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic over the last few years, in particular his reconstruction of the schooner Hebridee II - which I have covered here before. 

Hebridee II is sitting out the winter in a shelter on the waterfront.

With Hebridee II in the lean-to outside, Eamonn felt the boatshed on the boardwalk was looking a bit empty inside. Not wanting to disappoint visitors to the museum, he has begun a new project to demonstrate Nova Scotia boat-building tradition. Museum staff believe that Electron, Eamonn's latest subject, was built between 1895 and 1920 at the Obed Hamm boat shop in Mahone Bay - though he hopes to be able to narrow down the date further over the coming months. Electron herself is sitting in a tent in the museum courtyard, looking rather the worse for wear.

Electron propped up in her tent in the courtyard behind the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. I don't think she has seen the water in many years.

Looking up from underneath the bow at the round hole where the mast penetrated the deck.

Looking aft.

The small cuddy cabin ahead of the cockpit.

Electron's boom still lies on deck in this photo looking forward. 

Looking forward through where the transom used to be. The stern post pokes up to the left of the photo. As with the plastic cockpit drain pipe, I'm assuming the many screws poking up through the ribs are not original. 

The original tail feather is the member in the middle of this photo, and the two members on either side are referred to as the "apron" - beams fitted to increase fastening area for the planking. The two beams on the far left and right sit on top of the ribs, so I assume they are not original.

Electron's copy is starting to take shape in Eamonn's boat shop. Eamonn cautions that while he is reusing the original keel ballast, this will be a new construction, and not a restoration. Supported by the roof of the boat shop, the boat's new Red Oak stem, and laminated Douglas Fir keel and tailfeather, plus the transom are now erected - the bow and stern supported by temporary pieces of wood, and the keel by chain leading to a chain lift in the rafters. The chain, at least, is connected to the permanent lifting points from which the finished boat will be lifted in and out of the water when she is complete.

From right to left, the new boat's Red Oak stem leads down to the laminated Douglas Fir keel and ballast, then up again to the Douglas Fir tail-feather with the transom visible at the stern. The boat's lines are drawn on the white plywood in the background.

The notch in the stem is called the "rebate" - this is where the planking joins up with the stem.

The new keel along with the reused ballast from Electron, with the cable and chain support leading to the rafters.

The tail feather on the right transitions to the transom, held together by what I assume is called the transom knee. Electron's transom had some serious "sheer", otherwise known as the angle from the vertical.

Leaning against the plywood upon which the boat's lines are drawn are several molds that will allow the new boat to match the lines and shape of the original Electron. The molds are temporary, and will only be fitted to the boat's keel until the planking is in place, and will then be removed.

Eamonn tells me that while he is using similar building techniques to the original, there are differences - the original builder did not have access to laminated building techniques such as that used in the new boat's keel, and where the new boat will be sailed, Eamonn has provided a rudder post stuffing box instead of the traditional "built-up rudder stock well".

Construction is not expected to be speedy - Eamonn intends merely to erect the bones of the new boat for the time being, as he currently has other museum projects on the go. He hopes to spend more time on her starting summer 2020. I, for one, can't wait!

Many thanks to Eamonn for answering my many questions so that this blog seems somewhat more knowledgeable that I am myself on the subject of wooden boat building. Anything herein that is technically sound is probably from Eamonn, and anything that isn't correct probably resulted from my own knowledge or lack thereof.

Shipping off Scotland's north-east coast

During my trip to Scotland at the end of September last year, we took a day trip to John O'Groats in the north-east of Scotland. The Pentland Firth is the stretch of water dividing the Scottish northern coast from Orkney, and is a pinch point for shipping traffic. On a clear day, it is a great location for ship watching.

Timed perfectly for our arrival, the container ship Godafoss made an appearance.

Godafoss with the island of Muckle Skerry in the background.

Also timed perfectly was the arrival of Pentalina, one of the ferries running between Scotland and Orkney.

Pentalina with the island of Stroma in the background.

Once inhabited, the island of Stroma was abandoned by its remaining 12 inhabitants in the 1960s. Only the lighthouse crew and their families remained, and even they finally left in 1997.

Pentalina.

There was a bit of a beam sea running for Pentalina's final approach to the jetty.

Pentalina rolling to port. Orkney is in the background.

Pentalina rolling to starboard.

Pentalina preparing to dock.

Pentalina docking.

Mykines with Orkney in the background.

On our return trip down the coast, there were a few other ships about. At least one company appears to adhere to the "your favourite alcoholic drink plus the last seabird you saw is your ship name" naming convention.

Bourbon Tern, with Tarbet Ness lighthouse in the background.

Scotland has a number of offshore wind farms, and construction (or maybe maintenance) was continuing when we were there.

Pacific Orca on the left, with Island Crown on the right, constructing a wind farm off the Scottish north-east coast.

The MarineTraffic app on my smartphone is invaluable for determining the names of ships far offshore, beyond the range of my camera to pick out names on their bows and transoms.

This was probably the only day that I did some proper ship watching, and accounts for most of my ship photos while in Scotland, apart from a few fishing boats in Kinlochbervie.