Eastern Canada – Page 3

Desgagnes Officers on strike… sort of

December 7, 2011

MV Sarah Desgagnes in Montreal Desgagnes Tanker division is under strike action by it’s shipboard officers, engineers and navigators. Desgagnes is a well known Canadian shipping company, based out of Quebec City. They operate a mix fleet of bulkers, roros, general cargo, heavy lift and tankers in the Eastern Arctic trade, down into the Great Lakes, and all point in between. The tankers division, known as Petronav, and based out…

Mate still in Jail

November 29, 2011

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You might recall a blog entry here, a few months back, and beyond, telling a story about a Ship’s Mate, Philip Halliday. The Digby, Nova Scotia, man was working aboard the Destiny Empress (ex CCGS Parizeau), when the ship was apprehended by the Spanish navy, while at sea in international waters. Once the ship was searched by authorities, a large quantity of cocaine was found aboard, stashed there by…

Things that go bump

November 26, 2011

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The Maersk Detector, a Canadian offshore supply ship, based out of St Johns Newfoundland, has sliced open one pontoons of drill rig operating off the East Coast of Canada. The GSF Grand Banks, a semi sub drilling rig, was performing drilling operations at a depth of 4000 meter, in support of Husky’s White Rose project, when the ship contacted the rig. As usual for energy companies, Maersk, Husky or the…

Korean giant gains foothold in Nova Scotia

June 23, 2011

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In other Shiyard news… sort of… Korean shipyard heavyweight, DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering) has open a facility in Nova Scotia. Yes, you heard right. In March 2010, Daewoo, the province of Nova Scotia, and the federal government, entered a partership to transform a defunct rail car manufacturing plant into a modern windmill factory. Daewoo and the government spent $40 million dollars (~20 each) converting the Trenton Works rail…

Ocean to dredge river

June 21, 2011

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Progressive and innovative Quebec City based Groupe Ocean has won an important dredging contract from the government, to dredge the St Lawrence River, and maintain parts of its navigational channels. Dragage St Maurice, a division of Groupe Ocean, won the $30 million dollar contract, which will see two sections of the St Lawrence being cleared of an estimated 70,000 tons of silts annually, from around Ile D’Orleans, just downstream from…

Getting Laid (up)

March 23, 2011

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I have been up to my eyeballs in work, getting the ship ready for the 2011 navigation season. Two weeks now, getting all the systems up and running, getting all our welding done, and various defects looked after. Some projects will be orphaned until next year, but overall I am please that the boat, I think, will be in better shape than last year, so I think that is progress….

Another Yard Gone

June 17, 2010

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Another shipyard is being turned into condos with an expensive view of a harbour front, following the trend across Canada that is seeing our ship repair business dwindling to a few survivors. Dartmouth Marine Slips started business in 1890, though a marine shipyard was located at Dartmouth Cove beginning in 1830. I found the aerial photo, below, online, which shows the yard in the 50s. I joined my first ship…

Fame, perhaps fortune

May 26, 2010

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The article below, recently published in Canadian Sailings Magazine, caught my eye, because it involves a good news story, about a burgeoning Canadian ship operator, who has given me some “great” memories. Great Lakes Feeder Line has recently taken possession of the a 1991 built vessel, destined for their Canadian market. Turns out their new ship has a bit of a storied past, which I am sure almost all of…

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