Monday, May 26, 2014

Bulkers on the move...


      APA pilot Evan MacDonald was tasked to take the hybrid self-unloading bulk carrier Alice Oldendorff off the dock at the Martin Marietta Materials dock at 1300h  this afternoon and got underway about 1315h.
The Sophie Oldendorff was boarded by APA pilot Chuck MacDonald at the pilot station and took it in to the same berth vacated by the Alice O.
    As the Alice was proceeding outbound the McNally tug Sandra Mary was departing from Mulgrave but hesitated crossing the Strait til the bigger vessel had passed .
Both vessels passed port to port just abeam of of the NS Power coal dock.

    Assisting in the docking manouever in Aulds Cove was the tug Point Valiant with Tugmaster Jerry Maltby in the wheelhouse.
Earlier in the day the gasoline tanker Teatralny Bridge
made a return visit to Nustar and was berthed at the inside  dock.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

As promised..



 Saturday May 24th saw 3 early morning vessel movements.The  Australian Spirit was at the pilot stn at 0600h  and proceeded in to Nustar One to load crude .
At 0800h the coastal tanker Algocanada took a pilot and was berthed at Nustars' inside berth by 0930h

The self-unloading bulk carrier Alice Oldendorff was proceeding inbound after taking a pilot at 0830h to the Martin Marietta Materials Dock in Aulds Cove to load aggregates.
   It is expected that the Algocanada and the Australian Spirit will be back at sea by earl Sunday morning the 25th.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Busier and busier days in our port.



The tanker Arctic Blizzard departed Nustar 's outside berth on May 9th about 1430h
and a short time later the Americas Spirit was brought in and loaded with crude.
Next in after the Americas Spirits departure was the DS Warrior with another load of crude oil.
Meanwhile further up the Strait at the Martin Marietta loading dock the Rt. Hon .Paul E. Martin was brought in of the Alice Oldendorff and partially loaded with aggregates before being sent to anchorage to allow the Alice to be loaded on the 15th
A partial load of gypsum was unloaded at the Superport Dock in Mulgrave thru the early morning hours of May 14th.When about half unloaded APA pilot Scott MacDonald moved the vessel over to the Cabot Gypsum dock to finish the unloading .
                                                                  


At the same time the Atlantic Huron was unloading at Cabot Gypsum the European Spirit was at Nustar discharging its cargo of crude at Nustar.
On the evening of May 14th Nustar's David Smith outlined to the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce's AGM the good news of more work at the facility and the hopes of seeing the proposed crude oil pipeline being extended to Point Tupper thus allowing Alberta crude to be exported from the Nustar facility in Point Tupper. An event  such as that would certainly help in all employment sectors in our area and further utilize our deep-water port to its full potential.Fingers are crossed.
After the European Spirit departed the Teatralny Bridge
occupied the outside berth at Nustar  and departed shortly after 1300h on the 16th of May
It was last in our area back in February of 2012 and was berthed at the Nustar inside dock.
At the same time the Teatralny Bridge was departing the Master and some of the crew of the Baltic Sapphire went by launch to Port Hawkesbury for some shore time.
                                                            
The coast guard buoy tender Sir William Alexander was also busy picking up buoys in Port Hastings that were lifted through the winter and placed at the south wall on the approaches to Canso Lock
 Our typically foggy spring weather greeted the cargo vessel Santiago Pearl which came in on the 18th of May shortly after 1400h.




 The Santiago Pearl departed the quarry dock after 1300h on the 20th and was replaced by the Bernhard Oldendorff .
Also returning to our area for a quick visit was the tug Evans McKeil .She left Mulgrave and headed upriver with the recently reconfigured barge Labrador Spirit.
Expected in at Nustar on the 24th are the tankers Algocanada  and the Australian Spirit and the Alice Oldendorff  is coming back in to the quarry to load aggregates.




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Thursday, May 8, 2014

Tanker traffics certainly up...

The Straits' been busy of late with a string of crude and gasoline tankers coming and going.Both inside and outside terminals at Nustar have been hosting various visitors loading and discharging cargo.
   The Asian Spirit a most most frequent caller here was at Nustar One about the 2th-21st of April.
After departing Nustar it went to anchor in Inhabitants Bay for a few hours to fix an engine problem.


The Australian Spirit arrived shortly after the Asian Spirit was anchored and loaded cargo for a refinery in New Jersey.Next in was the crude oil tanker NS Lotus on  a very foggy 25th of April.
The Gotland Carolina a gasoline tanker was docked at the inside berth loading product on or about the 28th of April.

An AGM inspection was carried out on the British Tranquility on April the 29th.The Superport Marine Service vessel Strait Pilot was used to shuttle the inspectors to and from .


May 1st saw the return of the Mare Picenum wtth a load of West African crude for the Nustar storage tanks.It was escorted from Charlie 6 buoy and docked by the tugs Svitzer Bedford,Point Valiant and Point Chebucto..The Overseas Andromar arrived and was docked at the inside berth at Nustar on the morning of May 2nd.
Sunday morning the 4th of May saw the Coriolis II steam north and transitted the Canso Lock on its way to Quebec.

   About the same time the Baltic Sapphire was inbound to the Nustar inside berth to load gasoline for a distant market.
Assisting with the docking were the Svitzer owned tugs Svitzer Bedford and Point Chedabucto

The oil products tanker Arctic Blizzard arrived on May 6th about 1330h at the pilot station and was berthed at Nustar Ocean Berth One .

                                              It is expected to depart early morning May 9th.