HMCS SACKVILLE returns to the Waterfront

SACKVILLE spends late fall, winter, and spring within HMC Dockyard, in a more sheltered berth under the watchful eye of the Navy. It is therefore a sure sign that summer is coming when she returned to the Halifax waterfront and her summer berth in front of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. 

Ville class tug Granville wears an apron to avoid marking SACKVILLE's new paint, while Glenbrook is barely visible in the background on her port side.

Glenbrook is now in the usual position starboard aft, with Granville a little ahead of midships. 

Glenbrook and Granville shepherd SACKVILLE along the waterfront, with the new buildings at King's Wharf in Dartmouth in the background.

Glenbrook and Granville ease SACKVILLE into her berth. Theodore Too's stern can be seen to the left. Granville dropped off shortly after this was taken to avoid hitting Theodore Too.

This year threw a few kinks into the movement. SACKVILLE is normally kept port side to the jetty, but was rotated this spring for what I suspect was some painting work. The Glen class tugs normally secure starboard aft during a movement, but this time around Glenbrook had to start on the port side before shifting to starboard out in the harbour. The second kink was that Theodore Too was already berthed within the camber (the basin between wharves) where SACKVILLE berths, though on the opposite side. Normally the Ville class tug stays on the bow right into the berth, but this time left around the time the first lines were put onto the wharf.

Theodore Too sits on SACKVILLE's starboard side as she comes into her berth.

Granville showing off her apron, while SACKVILLE has handed off the first line to the wharf.

The water was nice and calm during SACKVILLE's transit, and her reflection shows up particularly well here. I might have cheated a bit in my post processing of the image, though, to make the reflection stand out better. As an aside, the best time for reflection photos of SACKVILLE (indeed, any ship along the waterfront) is during the early morning before 8:00 am on a calm morning. Bonus points for fog to simplify the background of the image:

Coincidentally, I have just such an image. Taken a year or two ago, the tugs weren't quite as gentle as can be seen from the scuff marks under the ship's pendant number.

The reflection can be especially impressive if you can get down low, for instance from the small boat floats. The camera here was just inches above the water's surface.

I usually find that the light transmission loss from the reflection off the water means that I have to apply a gradient filter to the image in post processing in order to balance the exposure from top to bottom of the image, in order to make the reflection really stand out. You could do the same thing (and retain slightly better image quality) if you had the forethought to pack a graduated neutral density filter to mount on your lens when you take the image, but I seldom have one with me.

But I digress. Back to the docking maneuver:

As SACKVILLE pulls into her berth in front of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, a volunteer with the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust hauls the bow line to a bollard. No, not that bollard - the next one!

The Navy usually contributes personnel to aid in SACKVILLE's transits to and from Dockyard, and this time around HMCS HALIFAX provided some of her ship's company. I've carefully selected some images to imply much more drama on the foc'st'le than there actually was. Otherwise, what's the point?

Diving for a rope.

Hauling the bow line through the bull nose. 

Admiring handiwork.

Taking a small break while ashore personnel make lines fast.

As the work of tying up SACKVILLE came to an end, but before the brow (gangway) could be lowered to the pier, a few breaks appeared in the clouds above and some sun appeared.

Space in the camber was a bit tight with Theodore Too on the opposite side, but SACKVILLE slid in easily with no major issues.

The Navy pilot gives instructions to the tugs via a handheld radio, while SACKVILLE's CO looks on.

A view from the other end, with Glenbrook still tied up alongside. SACKVILLE's ensign (the flag flying from the stern) is shown to good effect - it was flying during the entire transit.

Once SACKVILLE was properly alongside, and everything put away, it was time to raise the ship's jack on the jackstaff (the flag pole at the bow of the ship).

The raising of the jack, with the main mast of Bluenose v.2.5 in the background.

Ships in the Harbour in May/June

I haven't had a chance to do much writing here recently, and still don't have the time, but I have been posting photos over on my Smugmug website over the last few days. Here they are:

NYK Rumina arrived in the fog yesterday (June 7, 2016).

Atlantic Fir provided a tethered escort through the narrows.

Taking the time machine back to May, I took a number of photos that I only got around to processing in the last few days:

Ijsselbord

Havelstern (left) and Adelina.

CSCL Oceania at Halterm.

Alise P entering port on Battle of the Atlantic Sunday.

Hapag-Lloyd's Ningbo Express back at the end of April.

I also caught several Canadian Coast Guard vessels back in May:

CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell was in port for a SAR exercise.

CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell

CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell with Ningbo Express in the background.

CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell

CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell

CCGS Earl Grey

CCGS Earl Grey

CCGS Earl Grey

CCGS Earl Grey

CCGS Caporal Kaeble.

CCGS Hudson in late April.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S departing on May 24.

A Cruise on the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien

During a 2009 visit to San Francisco, I was lucky enough to be in town over the Memorial Day weekend, and was able to take in a cruise on the restored Liberty Ship S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien. Originally built over a period of 56 days in 1943 in Maine, Jeremiah O'Brien spent 33 years in the reserve fleet in Suisan Bay until rescued in 1980 when she was able to steam away from the mothball fleet under her own power (see the Wikipedia article).

S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien alongside in San Francisco.

Jeremiah O'Brien taken a few days earlier on a sunnier day.

Even with the growth of merchant ships in the years since the Second World War, Liberty Ships were not small.

The O'Brien is on the US National Register of Historic Places, and is normally berthed at Pier 45 in San Francisco, just aft of the restored Second World War submarine USS PAMPANITO (which I will probably cover in a separate post at some point).

Museum submarine USS PAMPANITO.

Jeremiah O'Brien makes several cruises under her own steam (yes, STEAM!) each year, so it is well worth checking out her schedule if you plan on being in San Francisco. In my case, I just got lucky that the timing worked out. 

Jeremiah O'Brien alongside at Pier 45. The port-potties were not original equipment.

The crew made sure to bring along some tunes.

Although the O'Brien's triple expansion steam engine still works and is put to use during these cruises, she definitely requires tug assistance to get away from the wharf, and the two tugs (Sagittarian and Taurus) provided an escort during the entire cruise in case the ship ran into trouble. 

Sagittarian taking a line from the stern.

Sagittarian providing escort after casting off the stern line.

After easing the ship out into the stream, the tugs cast off and Jeremiah O'Brien got underway.

O'Brien making a turn away from the city, with the Bay Bridge in the background.

The San Francisco fire boat escorts the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien around the Bay during the Memorial Weekend cruise. The two monitors firing water on either side of the bow are for putting out fires under wharves. Alcatraz is in the background.

The cargo handling masts, booms, and cranes of the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien.

Though a merchant vessel, Jeremiah O'Brien carried armament that would have left many of the RCN's smaller vessels in envy: a 3" gun at the bow, a 5" gun at the stern, and eight 20mm Oerlikon AA mountings.

Gun tubs and armouring on the port superstructure of the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien.

One of the purposes of the Memorial Day weekend cruise was to place wreaths in memory of Merchant Navy veterans and others. The ship headed out under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Golden Gate itself.

With the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, and under the watchful eye of Taurus, Jeremiah O'Brien approaches the site of the wreath ceremony. 

A collection of wreaths prior to the ceremony where they were thrown overboard.

I was able to monopolize a location on the port side just aft of where the wreaths were being thrown over the side, and used my flash to fill in the exposures.

A wreath is thrown into the bay from the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien.

Two Oakland Police officers form an Honour Guard to throw a wreath into the bay in memory of four fallen officers.

Once the wreaths were all deposited into the Golden Gate, the ship turned around and headed back to Pier 45. Once back at the pier, the line up to visit the engine room subsided, and I headed down to take a look - as a result, I unfortunately wasn't able to see the engine in operation.

The piston rods and crank shaft of the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien's triple expansion steam engine.

During the return to the pier, I was able to turn my lens outboard of the ship to catch some of the other sights.

An unusual view of the Golden Gate Bridge during the cruise.

Taurus following along on our way out, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

San Francisco Bay was definitely alive with all sorts of traffic during the Memorial Day Weekend.

There was at least one race going on at the time.

I will finish off with some more photos of the two tugs.

The tug Sagittarian in a bit of chop outside San Francisco harbour.

A freighter heads out to sea in the background of this shot of Sagittarian.

Looking down from the deck of the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien to Taurus below. It is a long way down.

There is a full gallery of my photos from this cruise on my Smugmug site, including some not shown here.