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Messages - Mac Mackay

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1
Help and Advice / Re: Ship search - Trijillo (possibly Trujillo)
« on: March 18, 2017, 10:45:25 PM »
Trujillo (IMO 5216604) was a general cargo ship, engines aft, derrick amidships, with reefer capacity, 539 gross tons, built 1950 by Canadian Vickers, Montreal for Compagnia Anonima Venezolana de Navegacion of Caracas.
It was built for service on the Orinooo as a feeder service to larger ships, and was likely a common site in Aruba.(It had five sister ships ZULIA, CARABOBO, LARA, BOLIVAR and MRIANDA)
In 1962 it returned to Canada and was renamed MADELEINE and served on the St.Lawrence River and in Canadian coastal trade until broken up in 1973.
I have one partial photo of it in my colleciotn which I posted on my blog, at: http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2015/02/ctma-continued.html

2
Shipping News and information / Re: "Pacific Hickory"
« on: October 15, 2016, 12:36:41 AM »
I notice in recent photos that the windows in the crowsnest appear to be plated over. These may just be storm shields, however. If they have decommissioned the crowsnest it may be because it is seldom used anymore, and I guess it was easier to blank out the windows than it would be to cut off the whole tower and disturb the tug's balance.
Some early photos with the crowsnest in use on my blog Tugfax - date October 13,2016.

3
Shipping News and information / Re: "Pacific Hickory"
« on: October 11, 2016, 12:57:32 AM »
The crow's nest was installed to improve visibility when she was pushing The large newsprint barges. She was built to tow the barges from Saint John, New Brunswick, to various ports, including Miami (thus her orginal name Irving Miami), but she pushed the barges whern she got to the ports, which were usually inland on rivers where towing was impractical if not impossible.
She also pushed Irving Oil barges from a stern notch, and the bird's nest was used regularly when moving around in ports.

4
Shipping News and information / Re: World
« on: January 13, 2016, 01:07:16 PM »
Interesting speculation, but ACL needed to replace its old third generation ships. The new fourth generation ships burn less fuel (70 tons per day, versus 75 tons) use a smaller crew(16 versus 21), and carry a variety of RoRo cargo that is not carried by PCTCs and similar ships.
Their container stowage system, which does not require lashing, speeds up loading and unloading. Also they have never lost a container due to sea conditions.
My opinion is that ACL was very smart building these new ships to capitalize on their unique transatlantic market share, since no one else serves Liverpool and Goteborg in particular to Halifax/ NewYork/ Baltimore/ Norfolk with such speed and regularity.
When I see the kind of RoRo cargo - including airplane fuselages, railway locomotives, large machinery, very large trucks, etc., I believe they are unique to carry this variety on a liner service.
Their larger container capacity will allow them to take cargo from other carriers now that they have the capacity.
Based on the previous experience with the G3 ships, these G4 ships may be in service for 25 years or more, and will more than pay for themselves.
There have been several recessions in the past and ACL has weathered them all.

5
Help and Advice / Re: Shipping Magazines
« on: November 09, 2015, 12:15:37 AM »
If your interest stretches to North America, don't bother with Ship's Monthly or Sea Breezes. I cancelled subscriptions to them long ago, since their editors apparently did not have recourse to maps west of Land's End, or the the wits to fact check. Their cringeworthy errors relating to Canada and the United States put me off completely.
I suggest Professional Mariner for an interesting slant on US shipping - and it has an online version. GCaptain, which is entirely on-line is also worthwhile - and free.
Speaking of free sites Boatnerd is essential for the Great Lakes, and has excellent coverage of international ships on the Lakes [called "Salties"].

6
Pride of Porstmouth, Portsmouth to Bilbao was the roughest I've been on, several broken limbs among the passengers. The bar, which was in the very stern of the ship, was full of customers who were hanging on to their drinks with one hand and the bar with the other. The entertainer was having a hard time keeping her footing, but kept on singing. A real trooper. The ship was pitching so severely that the acceleration force in the stern probably reached several Gs.
It was quite exciting even with water washing in under doors to the outer decks creating slippery footing.
I can say I enjoyed it, since I have an iron stomach and no tendencies toward mal de mer, but I may have been in a minority.
My only regret was that I was on the ship and therefore could not get a picture.

7
This ship, the Fusion, will soon be replaced on the weekly Halifax to St-Pierre et Miquelon run by Nolhanava (ex Shamrock). Its mechanical reliability is questionable, having had several issues in recent months.

8
What is the Canadian connection? Did I miss something?

9
Shipping News and information / Re: Catherine Desgagnes in tow
« on: January 11, 2015, 02:26:39 AM »
Thank you
They reached Quebec City later the same day and the ship went into winter layup.

10
Shipping News and information / Catherine Desgagnes in tow
« on: January 09, 2015, 12:42:09 PM »
Ocean Henry Bain out of Quebec City has Catherine Desgagnes in tow off Cap Tourmente. Does anyone know where the tow started?

Ocean Henry Bain de Quebec remorque le Catherine Desgagnes au large de Cap Tourmente. Ou a commence le touage?

11
Shipping News and information / Re: Nova Star ferry
« on: April 07, 2014, 11:37:13 PM »
Thank you Ricardo. We are looking forward to seeing this ship.

12
Shipping News and information / Re: Canadian Ice breaking Issues
« on: March 30, 2014, 11:54:51 AM »
The current situation on the St.Lawrence River and Gulf is a little exceptional since there is more ice this year than there has been for several years. In any event, Canada's largest icebreaker, Louis S. St-Laurent has not been used very much this winter, due to government funding limitations. It may come out after March 31 when the new financial year starts.
Similarly on the Great Lakes, this has been an exceptional year for ice,with some of the lakes frozen over completely for the first time in decades. One of the Canadian icebreakers on the Lakes has had main engine problems, and as a result two icebreakers  from the River/Gulf have been sent to the Lakes to open up.
Therefore there is a temporary shortage of icebreaking capacity.
Canada's two largest icebreakers, St-Laurent and Terry Fox are too big to fit in the St.Lawrence Seaway locks,so they cannot help in the Lakes, but they could help in the Gulf and River.
All of Canada's icebreakers are old and need to be replaced. Government inaction is to blame for this situation, but that delay is the result of budget cuts during the recent recession, which had many other benefits to the Canadian economy.
Icebreaking ability for a Polar class ship is only a small part of the requirements for the ship. It must also conduct a lot of scientific and survey work, and establish Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic. It therefore must have very large accommodations, self-sufficeint helicopter capability, cargo carrying ability (to supply scientific and military outposts) and huge fuel capacity to survive one or two years in the ice.
Its mission cannot easily be compared to other icebreakers in the world.
As to why the ship should cost so much , there are two reasons. First is that we have no shipbuilding capability in Canada for ships of this size or complexity. Both Seaspan in Vancouver, and Halifax Shipyard are being rebuilt from the ground up with all new facilities so that they can build warships and other government vessels. There will also be large costs associated with training workers, and buying many components from overseas suppliers.
It is certainly debatable whether Canada should be in the shipbuilding business at all, in view of the high costs. The argument for shipbuilding is that once a shipbuilding industry is re-developed, Canada should be able to build its own ships, to its own unique requirements, without relying on other nations.
The argument against is that most components come from abroad anyway and there are mature shipbuilding capabilities elsewhere, which can deliver on time, on budget and would save tax payers' dollars for other needed uses.
The present government is eager to sign free trade agreements with other countries such as Norway, South Korea and in the E-U and South America. Many of these countries can build  icebreakers for a fraction of the Canadian cost, even if their huge subsidies are taken into account.
However it is Canada's aim, I believe, to create skilled jobs in Canada no matter the cost.
   
   

13
Shipping News and information / Re: Canadian Ice breaking Issues
« on: March 30, 2014, 01:29:42 AM »
Davie is no more qualified to build the icebreaker than Seaspan is, so it makes just as little or as much sense to build it in Quebec as it does in Vancouver.
Seaspan has enough work with the navy supply ships, which should be moved ahead now that Protecteur is a constructive total loss. Also the replacement for the research ship Hudson should also be moved ahead. If Seaspan did not have to build the icebreaker it would be much more effective.
Also if Davie were to get the icebreaker contract we might get the ship much faster. We should be building two of them (the other should be called the Lester B. Pearson, but would likely be called the Brian Mulroney if the current government is still in power) and Davie could certainly follow on with a second at a much reduced price.
The comment about the Finnish icebreaker above does not allow for the fact that Canada's new icebreaker is a Polar icebreaker and must be able to reach the North Pole unaided.

14
Rickmers Hamburg arrived off Halifax March 25 and anchored. Today, March 26, she is jogging back and forth during a severe storm, with waves over 20 feet and winds exceeding 60 miles per hour. She will have a very rough night of it.

15
I believe it will be as safe as it ever was, but we are calling in some experts to verify. Their tests will be long and rigorous and may result in a depletion of stock available for public consumption.
In the meantime, for your own safety, please come no closer than New York until the all clear is sounded.

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