Departure and Arrival of MV Asterix

MV Asterix made a trip from Halifax to Norfolk and back this week, departing on Tuesday January 3 and returning on Sunday January 8. I managed to capture both departure and arrival, from King's Wharf and the Macdonald Bridge respectively.

MV Asterix departing Halifax.

MV Asterix departing Halifax.

MV Asterix departing Halifax.

MV Asterix returning to Halifax.

MV Asterix returning to Halifax.

MV Asterix returning to Halifax.

Asterix had already released the tug when I captured her departure, but was helped back alongside by a single tug from Atlantic Towing.

Atlantic Star

Although luckily already positioned by chance on an ideal portion of the Halifax Waterfront to take photos of outgoing ships, Atlantic Star managed to sneak up on me on Thursday morning - I was just about to head up the hill to work when I found an excuse to stick around for a few more minutes. In the foreground, employees of McNally continue the demolition and removal of the old Foundation Maritime/Pilot wharf.

Winds were light enough that the pilot obviously felt comfortable cutting the escort tug free after the narrows, and Atlantic Star proceeded to take the western passage past George's Island to avoid the incoming Elka Nicholas.

The rows of containers in the forward cells appear to be cut down as they approach the bow, presumably to improve forward visibility from the bridge.

Elka Nicholas headed east of George's Island to avoid the outgoing vessel.

In the above image, one of McNally's work barges supports a crane involved in the demolition of the Foundation Maritime / Pilot wharf.

Unlike many (the majority of?) container ships, the design of both the 3rd (now sold for scrap) and 4th (pictured) generations of Atlantic Container Line (ACL) vessels incorporated cell guides to help stabilize the racks of containers, and to hold the containers in place. With some of the world's larger container ships recently experiencing large-scale collapses of container stacks (with the resulting loss of, and damage to, cargo), these seem to be a good idea. Containers lost at sea, when still afloat, are also a cause of damage and loss for smaller vessels at sea. The cell guide system can be seen to good effect above, and ACL boasts that it has not lost a container at sea for the last 30 years.

In addition to the deck cargo of containers, the ACL ships incorporate a large ramp and several decks dedicated to RO/RO (roll-on/roll-off) cargo - these are currently the largest multi-purpose RORO / Container vessels in the world, and they are regular callers at the Fairview Container Terminal in Halifax.

The ship is about to eclipse the McNab's Island lighthouse in the image above. In addition to cargo, these ships are set up with passenger berths, although the passenger service has been put on hold in 2020 due to COVID-19. 

Both ships that day would also have needed to give way to the tanker Largo Desert, which was at anchor in the inner harbour.

While my commute some mornings can be devoid of interesting shipping in the harbour, I was lucky to catch three ships that morning. With COVID-19 forcing me to work from home since March, with only a limited return to the office since late-September, catching shipping in the harbour on my occasional trip to the office is much welcomed.

MV Asterix arrival in Halifax

The Royal Canadian Navy's new interim AOR (Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment) arrived in Halifax this morning. MV Asterix proceeded to go alongside at Pier 20 near the offices of Federal Fleet Services, her owner.

Sooner after picking up a pilot, two Atlantic Towing tugs headed out to help her into port. There was a stiff wind blowing this morning.

Asterix headed east of George's Island in order to loop around to Pier 20.

As an interim AOR, intended to bridge the gap between the now paid off PROTECTUER and PRESERVER and the two yet-to-be-build JSS (Joint Support Ship), Asterix remains the property of Federal Fleet Services and is chartered to the Navy. While there is the option of purchasing Asterix outright, for the time being she will not be commissioned into the Navy, and will be crewed by civilians with a small Naval complement.

Canadian Defence Review has a short article here.

The only time I got some images with some sun on her, there were tugs in the way.

A first for an RCN AOR, Asterix has her superstructure aft and her cargo handling gear forward, similiar to the AORs in some other navies. The two kingposts (aft towards the superstructure) handle fuel and dry goods, and the heavy lift hydraulic cranes can presumably be used to stow heavier containers and equipment.

A close-up of the two kingposts and the control cab in between.

Asterix has two hangars within the superstructure to carry the new Cyclone helicopters, and can even land a Chinook.

Asterix's superstructure towers over the Seaport Market at Pier 20.

A close-up of the bridge superstructure, with the lower control deck presumably used during replenishment operations.

I understand that Asterix is scheduled to begin trials with the Navy earlier in the new year.

Torpedoed tanker "Nipiwan Park"

Operated by the Park Steamship Company, Nipiwan Park (sometimes spelled Nipawan Park, although the park after which she was named was apparently called "Nipawin Park") was a Great Lakes type tanker that was torpedoed off Halifax on January 4, 1945. Two of her 31 crew were killed when she was hit just forward of the bridge, and the bow (which sank) was separated from the rest of the ship. The bulkhead below the bridge held, and the stern portion of the ship stayed afloat long enough to be rescued and towed to port by Foundation Maritime Limited. The remaining 29 crew were rescued by HMCS KENTVILLE.

While I have photos from the Foundation Maritime collection indicating she was salvaged, I don't know which tug brought her in. 

The stern portion of Nipiwan Park safe in port.

The bridge superstructure suffered some damage in the blast.

Nipiwan Park carried a gun for self defence. It looks to be a 3"/40 (12 Pdr) Mk.V QF HA.

A better angle of the damaged bridge superstructure.

A shot of the all-important bulkhead that kept the ship afloat.

According to S.C Heal's "A Great Fleet of Ships" (my main source for this post), the Great Lakes type tankers were 259 feet long overall, had a deadweight tonnage of 3,600 tons, and could manage 10 knots on their 6 cylinder diesel engines (not sure if they had one or two of these). They were the only Canadian war-built ships (above the size of tugs) to be designed wholly in Canada, to be of all-welded construction, and they were the largest of the war-built standard types to be fitted with diesel engines. They were designed by the Montreal firm Milne, Gilmore & German. Nipiwan Park herself was built in Collingwood, Ontario, and was completed in November, 1943.

Nipiwan Park's engine room. 

Nipiwan Park was lucky in that unlike some other torpedoed ships rescued during the war, she was actually rebuilt by Foundation Maritime at the shipyard in Pictou, NS, and continued in service after the war. Purchased by Irving Oil, she was renamed Irvingdale in 1952, and was eventually cut down (and had her engines removed) for use as a barge in 1962.

Bibliography & Acknowledgements:

Fisher, Robert C. Downloaded 2002. "Canadian Merchant Ship Losses of the Second World War, 1939-1945". http://familyheritage.ca/Articles/merchant1.html

Heal, S.C. (1999) "A Great Fleet of Ships - The Canadian Forts and Parks". Vanwell Publishing Limited, St. Catharines, ON.

Photos displayed here were scanned from the files of AECON, the successor firm to the Foundation Company of Canada.