Photos this week: October 8-14

There was a fair amount of Navy traffic this week, including an ever elusive submarine. Unusually, I will start with a photo taken in Lunenburg, where the French Navy's Saint Pierre et Miquelon patrol vessel FULMAR was tied up at the Lunenburg Foundry wharf.

FNS FULMAR (P740).

On Tuesday, HMCS ST. JOHN'S timed her departure perfectly to coincide with my ferry trip to work, and I got some nice shots of her as we ducked around her stern.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S.

As ST. JOHN'S was departing the harbour, Halifax's largest cruise ship visitor to date Anthem of the Seas was arriving for another visit. I will display some more images of the latter ship later, but when looking at this shot of the two ships together I can't help but be reminded of the scene in the James Bond movie "The Spy Who Loved Me" where the nuclear submarine is swallowed up by the much larger oil tanker. 

ST. JOHN'S and Anthem of the Seas.

HMCS WINDSOR (SSK 877) was busy this week, and departed and returned to Halifax multiple times, even taking out some Members of Parliament during one of her trips. I'm obviously in the wrong career!

HMCS WINDSOR passing the lighthouse on Georges Island.

I was excited upon first siting WINDSOR on Wednesday, as she was running her diesels, and had the tell-tale condensing exhaust plumes streaming out behind her. Diesel-electric submarines like WINDSOR use their diesels to recharge their batteries, which in turn power the electric motors that move the submarine and power other equipment. After passing the lighthouse on McNab's Island, however, the diesels must have been shut down. Just imagine how much better the shot above would have been if she hadn't? Actually you don't have to, because on Friday I caught her again in roughly the same location.

HMCS WINDSOR running her diesels.

Unfortunately, Friday was overcast, and didn't have the nice dawn sky for a background. Maybe next week?

HMCS WINDSOR.

While on the subject of WINDSOR running her diesels, I might as well dig up these 10 year old shots of WINDSOR transiting the narrows on her way to Bedford Basin.

WINDSOR in May 2006.

WINDSOR in May 2006.

WINDSOR in May 2006.

Finally, some news on fleet disposals. HMCS PRESERVER moved south in the Dockyard this week. She will be paid off for the last time on Friday October 21. While still in commission, she has been stranded alongside for around 2 years, pretty much relegated to serving as a fuel barge.

HMCS PRESERVER on week prior to being paid off.

The former HMCS IROQUOIS will also soon be moving, when she leaves Halifax for the last time. It was announced this week that Iroquois will be heading for Liverpool to be broken up alongside ex-HMC Ships ALGONQUIN and PROTECTEUR, the former a sistership.

HMCS IROQUOIS in 2007.

Commercial traffic was also busy this week, and October is usually one of the busiest months for cruise ships. Wednesday saw at least 5 cruise ships, although two were rather small, and one had overnighted from Tuesday.

From left to right, Victory I, Pearl Mist, Crystal Serenity, and Zuiderdam.

Victory I, Pearl Mist, and Crystal Serenity in the background with Chebucto Pilot to the far right.

Victory I and Zuiderdam.

Speaking of Chebucto Pilot, I captured a nice image of her passing Georges Island, with sunlight reflected from a Halifax building illuminating her port side.

Chebucto Pilot.

Even without being part of a dastardly plot to capture HMCS ST. JOHN'S, Anthem of the Seas is an impressive sight. She is apparently the fourth largest cruise ship in the world (for now, anyway).

Anthem of the Seas.

Anthem of the Seas.

Serenade of the Seas seems small by comparison.

Serenade of the Seas.

Serenade of the Seas.

On Tuesday, Common Venture was at anchor after receiving fuel from Algoma Dartmouth.

Common Leader.

Veteran Atlantic Conveyor was threading her way out through the narrows, on what is probably one of her last trips before heading to the breakers. 

Atlantic Conveyor.

Nolhanava.

Coriolis II is the former CCGS John Jacobson. She was tied up at the former Dartmouth CCG base, which is now slated to become an ocean research facility. 

Finally, in case you missed it, I will mention my previous post with photos of the Picton Castle up on the Lunenburg Marine Railway.

Photos this week: September 26-30

The week started off sunny, and there was nice warm lighting from the morning's rising sun. HMCS ST. JOHN'S was still on the Syncrolift where I last saw her, although a bit higher out of the water. The blue antifouling is showing through a bit better now, and the black may just be harbour scum. Having a similar colour of blue antifouling on my own boat, I am well familiar with the boat not being quite the same colour when she comes out of the water as when she went in.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S.

Looking further out the harbour, there was a procession of three cruise ships on their way in, along with some naval traffic.

Rotterdam, Norwegian Gem, Disney Magic, with HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC is just visible to the far right.

Rotterdam.

Norwegian Gem and Rotterdam.

As always, it was a challenge to get them all lined up just right, but I managed a variety of combinations.

Norwegian Gem, Disney Magic, and Rotterdam.

Monday also saw two separate species of cormorant circling the harbour.

This guy was diving for fish in front of Bishop's Landing.

And this guy (RCAF CH-148 Cormorant) was circling overhead. It didn't catch any fish that I am aware of.

The Coast Guard's Sir William Alexander returned to port in the rain on Tuesday.

CCGS Sir William Alexander.

Wednesday brought a new group of ships, including what I assume is the one and only cruise ship ever built in Halifax.

Pearl Mist and Crystal Serenity. The former was built by Halifax Shipyard and delivered in 2013.

Anthem of the Seas was also a return visitor. The ship features a viewing pod mounted on the end of a long crane arm, seen deployed here.

Friday brought another procession of cruise ships, this time comprising of Serenade of the Seas, Azamara Quest, and once again Disney Magic as tail-end charlie. Celebrity Summit arrived later in the day, and I missed her.

Serenity of the Seas, Azamara Quest, Theodore Too, and Disney Magic. 

As usual, Theodore Too was greeting the cruise ships as they arrived. HMCS SHAWINIGAN also put in an appearance.

Azamara Quest, Theodore Too, SHAWINIGAN, and Disney Magic.

Azamara Quest fortunately turned and allowed me to catch her with some sunlight on the starboard side.

Cruise ships these days are not often what one would call beautiful, but occasionally you get one that makes up for the rest. Queen Mary 2 is one that I approve of, and the Disney ships (despite the Mickey Mouse flourishes) also do the trick. I might even go a step further, and say that Disney Magic and her sisters are probably some of the best looking of the bunch of modern cruise ships.

Disney Magic.

Broadside view of Disney Magic.

The Disney and Queen Mary 2 designs seem to me to harken back to earlier ocean liners of the 20th century, which is probably why I prefer them to the rest.

Theodore Too.

HMCS SHAWINIGAN returning from a successful arctic cruise.

Also on Friday, SPS PATINO returned to Halifax.

SPS PATINO, Spanish Navy replenishment tanker.

As I was rushing to take pictures of the ships arriving this morning, I glanced aside to see what another of my fellow commuters was taking pictures of - and saw a Great Blue Heron standing in the water just to the side of the boardwalk.

Great Blue Heron. I am not used to getting this close.

I was able to change my angle slightly to fill the background with reflections of the Halifax skyline.

I will finish off with this dramatic sky from yesterday afternoon.