Portuguese Navy's SAGRES II and Bluenose II

On possibly her first visit since the tall ships festival in 1984 (Shipfax suggests this isn't the case, and she has been here since), the Portuguese Navy's sail training barque SAGRES paid a visit to Halifax today, docking at Pier 24 just at after 10:00 this morning. I decided to put my Father's Day gift, a new fitness tracker, to good use and walked down to the ferry and then to the seaport.

SAGRES was fairly small on the horizon when seen from the ferry, and was carrying minimal sail.

SAGRES is one of a number of near sisterships that include the US Coast Guard's EAGLE, the German Navy's GORCH FOCK II, and Romania's MIRCEA. SAGRES is actually the second or third ship of that name in the Portuguese Navy, though online sources are unclear on whether she should be SAGRES II or SAGRES III - when she was here in 1984, it is my recollection that she was referred to as SAGRES II, and that is how I always think of her. 

On her entry to Halifax Harbour, SAGRES pulled up to the camber containing Pier 24, and two Ville class tugs of the RCN took up lines from bow and stern, and SAGRES was guided in stern first. Around this time, Bluenose II headed out with a load of guests.

Bluenose II heading out while tugs bring SAGRES into Pier 24.

The Navy's Ville class of small tugs often wear aprons over their bumpers to prevent marking the white hulls of certain visiting ships.

The lighting was not in our favour this morning, with the ship backlit for the entire approach.

Standing in the shadow of the ship's ensign yielded this image of the illuminated flag.

Members of what I assume was the Stadacona Band were on hand to greet SAGRES.

Pier 24 is not the most accessible or picturesque pier in the Port of Halifax - I personally would have preferred her to tie up further north in a more accessible portion of the waterfront. EAGLE has used the Cable Wharf in the past, however, the ongoing construction of the Queen's Marque development makes this impossible at the moment, and this may partly explain SAGRES berthing location.

After being securely tied up, the jack is raised on a staff midway along the bowsprit.

After finishing up with SAGRES, I headed north once more to catch the ferry back to Dartmouth. My walk was interrupted when I saw that Bluenose II was headed back to her own temporary berth in front of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Like SAGRES II, it is unclear what number the current Bluenose should be. Although formally called Bluenose II by her owners, the Province of Nova Scotia, the original Bluenose II (launched in 1963 as a mascot for the Oland Brewing Company) ended its life in a wood chipper, and the current Bluenose II is a complete new schooner from the keel up, and to slightly different lines. She should properly be called Bluenose III, and I have sometimes been known to refer to her as Bluenose v2.5. Regardless, she is an attractive sight when sailing the harbour, and without the original Bluenose II to compare her to, she is virtually indistinguishable from her namesake. 

Although "sailing" with the wind, her sails are hauled in tight, and she was making her way past George's Island under engine power when this image was taken. 

I managed this angle of her approach by kneeling on the floating wharf opposite Bluenose II's berth.

This early in the season, the floating wharf is unusually devoid of small boats, allowing this unencumbered viewing angle of Bluenose II and her reflection on the water. I needed a 12mm lens (18mm equivalent on my APS-C camera) to fit everything in.

Last year was the big tall ships festival for Canada's 150th year, so this year I will have to make do with the table scraps thrown my way with the occasional barque and schooner. 

ARM CUAUHTEMOC

The Mexican Navy's sail training vessel CUAUHTEMOC arrived in Halifax last week, and departed today. I wasn't around on the weekend, so I had to settle for getting a few photos this morning and this afternoon. 

CUAUHTEMOC alongside Cable Wharf this morning.

I waited around for the 8:00 am raising of the Mexican national flag and the courtesy Canadian flag, for which they played both country's national anthems.  

Raising the Mexican flag.

Raising the courtesy Canadian flag.

Originally scheduled to depart at 10:00, she instead moved to HMC Dockyard for the afternoon, and went with a departure in the early evening - which I didn't catch. 

CUAUHTEMOC at HMC Dockyard.

CUAUHTEMOC at HMC Dockyard.

CUAUHTEMOC has been here before. Here is a photo of her alongside Purdy's Wharf during Tall Ships 2004.

At least one of her sister ships has also been here: Colombia's GLORIA was here in 2000, as well as more recently.

GLORIA in 2000.

She is also related to Venezuela's SIMON BOLIVAR and Ecuador's GUAYAS.

All four of these ships were built to a design similar to that of USCGC EAGLE and the Portuguese Navy's SAGRES II.

USCGC EAGLE on 2000.

EAGLE in 2012.

SAGRES II in 2009.

2018 Retrospective

Normally, at this time of year, I would do several posts of my favourite photos from the year, across several of my favourite subjects. I've run out of time this year, so I will settle for a single post with some of my highlights from 2018.

January saw our family's first visit to the new Halifax Oval for some skating. I managed to make it around a few times without falling down, so I count that as a win. I'm not much of a skater.

I didn't have to use one of the red contraptions to stand up on my skates, but I wasn't far from it.

MV Asterix, whose progress I keenly followed after her arrival in Halifax, was a prominent feature in the harbour during this time. Asterix is the RCN's new interim AOR, a one-stop-shop for deployed Navy ships to refuel and replenish from at sea.

Asterix heading out for some trials.

In February, I was present for the haul-out of HMCS SACKVILLE on HMC Dockyard's Syncrolift, and her transition into the Submarine Maintenance Facility there. 

SACKVILLE lifting from the water for the first time in a number of years.

SACKVILLE inside the submarine maintenance building.

My photos of SACKVILLE's refit caught the eye of the editor of Warships International Fleet Review magazine out of the United Kingdom, and my first article in that magazine covering her restoration appeared in the May 2018 issue. A second article on the addition of MV Asterix to the RCN fleet followed in the July issue, and two more articles are slated for 2019. This partly accounts for my reduced blogging frequency in 2018. 

March saw the formal ceremony welcoming MV Asterix to the RCN fleet. I was fortunate enough to be invited, and toured the ship a couple of times during the winter and spring.

The crew lines the rail prior to the ceremony.

Asterix's civilian master, centre, with Vice Admiral Ron Lloyd to his left.

In contrast, March also saw the final departure of the former HMCS ATHABASKAN - on her way to the breaker's yard.

Athabaskan's final depature. 

Ospreys aren't a common sight in downtown Dartmouth, at least not when you get away from the harbour. When someone told me back in April that there was an osprey eating a fish on top of a utility pole on Thistle Street, I had to grab my camera and take a look. I wasn't disappointed.

The first Sunday in May is Battle of the Atlantic Sunday, and in recent years I have participated by photographing the service and committal ceremony off Point Pleasant Park - this year from HMCS HALIFAX. In a pleasant change from last year, the weather was actually conducive to taking the ship out, instead of observing the ceremony alongside back in HMC Dockyard (inside a very crowded hangar).

Service on HALIFAX's flight deck.

Committal of ashes.

In June, I checked in on the progress of SACKVILLE's refit and hull repairs. At the time, she was painted in red primer ("red lead"), and work was continuing.

SACKVILLE's hull coated in "red lead".

June also saw the first visit to Halifax of the Portuguese sail training vessel SAGRES II in many years. This was one of the high points in a year with relatively few Halifax port calls by ships of foreign navies.

SAGRES II approaches the quay.

In July, I heard that the schooner Amasonia was being rebuilt and would soon relaunch from Bill Lutwick's boatyard in Indian Point, NS - a short jaunt from the family cottage. Of course, I had to visit and take some photos - Amasonia was a prominent feature on our stretch of the LaHave River when I was a kid.

Amasonia in Bill Lutwick's boat shop.

The end of August and early September saw the family driving to, around, and from the Magdalen Islands (Les Iles de la Madeleine), located at the end of a five hour ferry crossing from Souris, PEI. The beautiful scenery and friendly people made for an enjoyable visit, and my camera was seldom not busy documenting the landscape. My earlier blog post on this trip can be found here.

Lighthouse at Cape Alright with Entry Island in the background.

In September, I checked in on SACKVILLE, still in the maintenance building. Her hull repairs were complete, and workers were putting the finishing touches on her new paint job.

A worker paints on the draught markings at SACKVILLE's stem.

My commercial shipping photography has been lagging behind other subjects this year, but I did manage to grab a few well-timed shots of YM Moderation on my way home from capturing SACKVILLE.

YM Moderation heading up the harbour, approaching my vantage point on the Macdonald Bridge.

In the first of several instances where I regretted not taking my proper camera on my daily walk in Public Gardens, I had to run back to my office so that I could get pictures of a Great Blue Heron standing on top of the Titanic model floating in the pond there. 

This was one hazard that the original Titanic didn't have to contend with.

September was fairly busy - it also saw the launch of the first of the new Arctic & Offshore Patrol Vessels, the future HMCS HARRY DEWOLF.

Harry Dewolf, with the after two-thirds of the future HMCS MARGARET BROOKE on the hard in the background.

The end of September into early October saw me in the UK, kicking around the roads of northern Scotland. Based in Dornoch, I made multiple day trips all across the north, including one overnight trip with a stay in Kinlochbervie. I will hopefully post a blog specifically about this trip, but for now I will just link to my image gallery on Smugmug.

A boat house on Loch Stack.

In October, shortly after I returned home from Scotland, I returned to HMC Dockyard to witness SACKVILLE's return to the water. Looking pretty smart in her new paint job, it took three attempts spread over several weeks to accomplish her re-floating - small leaks scuppered the first two attempts. 

SACKVILLE returning to the waters of Halifax Harbour.

For the last few years, friends and I have gone out to photograph Nocturne, the once-a-year nighttime art festival in downtown Halifax and Dartmouth. 

The NS Potters Guild were set up in the Lieutenant Governor's house. 

The autumn colours were still in full swing at the start of November, ensuring that Public Gardens was still a pleasant stroll despite the cooler temperatures. 

Halifax Public Gardens.

Not two weeks later, however, things looked a little different in the city.

This tree set against a brick building, across from the old Halifax Central Library, frequently draws my attention.

And a week or so after this, I had to go to another place that was experiencing snow - Alberta.

Alberta field.

Alberta field.

These last two photos were taken with my new toy, a Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens (24mm on APS-C). Though relatively inexpensive, it appears to be sharp from corner to corner, and is my new primary lens that gets left on the camera body most of the time.

2018 saw the retirement of the CH-124 Sea King from Canadian service, with the final flights on the West Coast. It is therefore now more common to see the new CH-148 Cyclone flying overhead in Halifax.

Catching the blur of the rotor blades of a moving helicopter from a moving platform such as the ferry can be challenging - at 1/80th of a second my photos are usually blurry, so I now try for 1/100th or slightly faster. 

Come December, it is time for the Dartmouth Tree Lighting, which this year was accompanied by fireworks off Alderney Landing. These images were taken hand-held using the aforementioned new Sigma lens.

Public Gardens continued to be a draw for me, both before and after the next major snowfall. 

Still-green foliage along the shore of a frozen pond.

I caught this while the still-falling snow was clinging to the trees and their branches, before wind and melt could take it away.

I finished the year off with some abandoned building exploration, which is always a favourite subject of mine.

Looking up an elevator shaft.

Looking back, 2018 was quite eventful for me, even though it seemed like a long slog at many times along the way. Hopefully 2019 will be just as eventful, but perhaps a little less trying.