Heavy Lifting

Over the last twenty years or so, Halifax has hosted visits by several heavy lift platforms associated with the Sable Offshore Energy Project (SOEP). In fact, the second largest of these platforms in the world, Thialf (Halifax Shipping News has written a piece here) is sitting offshore of Halifax Harbour as I write this. Like Thialf, the modern generation of heavy lift platform, such as the Saipem 7000 (currently the world's third largest) is designed (among other things) to transport and place jackets and topsides for offshore oil and gas exploration and production platforms. I have yet to take any photos of Thialf due to the current COVID-19 quarantine, but I have previously written about the visits of Saipem 7000 (1998) and Heerema's Hermod (2003).

Saipem 7000 approaching the jetty in Woodside, with two SOEP jackets onshore to the left of the image.

Saipem 7000 now alongside and with the two jackets lifted onboard.

Shown here in Halifax in 2003, Hermod has since been scrapped. Heerema replaced her, and presumably her older sister Balder, with the new platforms Sleipnir and Thialf.

The history of floating crane platforms lifting heavy loads in Halifax Harbour goes back much further than the last twenty years, however, with (admittedly much smaller) heavy lifts occurring at least as far back as the Second World War. For use in their marine construction and salvage operations, the Foundation Company of Canada and their marine arm, Foundation Maritime, operated several such platforms bearing names such as Foundation Masson, Foundation Mersey, Foundation Scarboro, and Foundation Shipshaw (among others). The heaviest lifter of this bunch was Foundation Scarboro, with a lifting capacity of 230 tons on her shear legs.

One particular operation in 1945 or so involved lifting a number of small wooden tugboats onto a freighter to take them overseas. 

Foundation Scarboro lifting the tug CT65 onto a freighter, which appears to be the Fort Moose. 

"Under Tow" by Donal M. Baird recounts that twenty-two of these small 50-60 ton tugs of the Tanac-class were built of wood in small east coast boat yards, and many were shipped overseas as deckloads, with Britain and the Mediterranean as some of the destinations - one made it as far as Australia. Some remained in, or were repatriated to, Canada and served as late as the 1990s for companies such as Atlantic Towing.

In place of a name, the Tanacs initially carried the letters CT (for Canadian Tug) and a number. CT61 through CT65 were built on the South Shore of Nova Scotia by Industrial Shipping Co. Ltd. in Mahone Bay (61 through 63) and by Smith & Rhuland in Lunenburg (64 and 65). The Shipbuilding History website indicates that CT65 ended up in Italy under the name Tenax. 

Foundation Scarboro underway in Halifax with CT63 on the hook.

Lifting CT65.

Foundation Scarboro started off life with just the two shear legs fitted, but was later refitted to include a rotating derrick crane for more flexible but lighter lifting.

A close-up of the connection detail between the spreader bar and the tug.

A close-up of the connection detail between the spreader bar and the tug.

A close-up of the connection detail between the spreader bar and the tug.

A steel cable wrapped in padding passes down from the spreader bar and under the hull of the tug.

Presumably CT63 on board a freighter.

CT61 and another Tanac tug on-board their freighter. I'm not sure how many of these tugs a freighter could carry at once, but it was at least two at a time. In the top right of the image, just to the left of the bridge of the tug on the right, is what I assume is one of the old Halifax Harbour ferries.

CT64 onboard a freighter.

These tugs were build for the Ministry of War, who ultimately distributed them as needed. According to the Shipbuilding History website, a total of 265 of these tugs were built in Canada between approximately 1943 and 1946. Interestingly, as one of the hundreds of cargo vessels built in Canada during the war, Fort Moose was also built in Canada, at Montreal in 1943.

As it turns out, Foundation Maritime also operated a Tanac tug for a few years after the war, the Foundation Alice. She was built as CT262 at Smith & Rhuland in 1945, but was sold on from Foundation in 1948.

Foundation Alice.

2019 in Reflection

This past year has been a busy one with its ups and downs, and various things have kept me from spending much time on this blog - a busy autumn at my day job, home renovations, and writing for Warships IFR magazine have seen to that.

Nevertheless, I found some time to take photos this past year, so I will do my annual retrospective of what I consider to be my best or otherwise most interesting imagery.

I will start with my Naval photography, as that seems to have the most highlights.

USCGC Seneca.

USS Jason Dunham.

In May, we received a visit from the Mexican Navy's training vessel ARM Cuauhtemoc. 

ARM Cuauhtemoc

The first Sunday in May is Battle of the Atlantic Sunday, and as a Trustee with the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust, I made my annual pilgrimage to the waters off Point Pleasant Park onboard an RCN vessel for the committal ceremony. This opportunity is always a great privilege that yields a unique perspective on the burial of veterans at sea, as well as new angles of the comings and goings from Halifax Harbour in general.

Battle of the Atlantic service, 2019.

While the summer was a bit quiet in this regard, September and October more than made up for it. First, the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth paid her first visit to Halifax, and as a contributor for Warships IFR magazine I had the opportunity to fly out to the carrier in a Merlin helicopter and remain onboard as the ship entered the harbour. 

RN Commodore Utley and RCN Rear-Admiral Baines pose on the ski-jump of HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The ship's crew "man the rails" as she enters port.

The entire gallery of images is here. During her visit, I also caught the departure of RMS Queen Mary II.

HMS Queen Elizabeth at anchor in Halifax as RMS Queen Mary II departs.

September's excitement didn't end there, as a week or so later, I was extremely fortunate to experience my second helicopter ride of the month (and only my third in a lifetime) onboard an RCAF CH-148 Cyclone in order to spent a few hours at sea with HMCS Ville de Quebec during Exercise Cutlass Fury.

HMCS Ville de Quebec as seen from a Cyclone helicopter.

HMCS Fredericton stalks a "vessel of interest" (in this case, Leeway Odyssey) while her RHIB approaches with a boarding party.

RCAF Cyclone helicopter on the deck of Ville de Quebec.

Cutlass Fury provided some imagery around Halifax Harbour as well, and I was able to catch various comings and goings. The gallery is here.

Having previously written about the 1969 gearbox explosion in HMCS Kootenay, I was exceptionally aware that the 50th anniversary was approaching on October 23rd. Upon finding out that one of my fellow CNMT trustees was a survivor of this event, I asked if he was willing to be interviewed about his experience - he was, and I was able to weave his recollections into my existing text and turn it into a two-part article that appeared in the September and October issues of Warships IFR magazine. On October 23rd, the event was recognized with a service at the Bonaventure anchor memorial in Point Pleasant Park.

Rear-Admiral Baines places a wreath at the anchor memorial.

The chain from the refurbished anchor memorial extends into the waters of Halifax Harbour.

Not all my photography was aimed at Naval subjects this year - I also took a few photos of the Coast Guard, and one of my favourite sequences is of the arrival at dawn of CCGS Louis S St. Laurent back in April.

CCGS Louis S. St. Laurent entering Halifax Harbour.

I will end this post with random photos from my other ramblings during 2019.

West Ironbound Island as seen from Gaff Point.

A fallen tree reflected in the waters of the LaHave River.

A wharf reflected on a foggy LaHave River.

A peaceful scene on the waterfront in Lunenburg.

A still at the Ironworks Distillery in Lunenburg.

Blue Rocks, NS.

Ice sculpting in downtown Dartmouth in February 2019.

Ominous clouds approach Halifax from the south, as seen from the ferry.

George's Island receives a ray of sunlight against a dark background.

A tower crane on the waterfront reflected on the surface of the harbour.

Ripples in the sand.

Harbour seal.

Woodpecker set against fall colours.

Trees reflected on the ice of a water hazard in the Brightwood Golf Course.

To close out this post, here are some photos from the 2019 edition of Nocturne - Art at Night.

Street art near Pizza Corner.

An art installation in Public Gardens.

Next to the Central Library, there was a temporary photo booth set up....

...and it projected the photos onto a nearby building.

As well, Incendia Motus put on another show by the Maritime Centre.

Oh, OK - one more photo. The Dartmouth Tree Lighting fireworks at Alderney, fired from a barge on the harbour, make for some interesting visuals with the Halifax skyline as a backdrop.

Here's hoping everyone has a successful year in 2020. Personally, apart from some highlights, I am happy to see the end of 2019.