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Oil of disabled tanker being transferred

On Dec 15, 2014, the Liberian flagged tanker "Americas Spirit", 63213 gt (IMO: 9247443), arrived in the Bedford Basin after having been tasked from New York on Dec 12 around midnight, to begin offloading oil from the disabled "Australian Spirit". It was too early to discuss what went wrong with the tanker’s steering or how long repairs would take. The tanker was towed in to Halifax by the Secunda Marine AHTS "Ventura Sea", after following loss of steering off Nova Scotia on Dec 12. A local harbour pilot assisted the ship into the Bedford Basin. The operation required the use of four tugboats. The tanker, which was carrying 675,000 barrels of crude oil, began having trouble in heavy seas already on Dec 9 while travelling from Newfoundland to New York. Two tugs were dispatched to tow the vessel to Halifax. Reports with photos: http://shipfax.blogspot.de/2014/12/spirit-to-spirit-transfer-underway.html http://shipfax.blogspot.de/2014/12/big-tanker-in-waiting.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/australian-spirit-lucky-commercial-tugboat-was-nearby-1.2874224 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/australian-spirit-towed-into-bedford-basin-1.2872007

Tanker arrives at Halifax

The loaded TeeKay tanker AUSTRALIAN SPIRIT was brought into Halifax (Canada) with rudder failure on Dec 12, 2014. Visibility was poor but tug crews from both Secunda Marine (VENTURA SEA) and Atlantic Towing (ATLANTIC LARCH, ATLANTIC FIR and ATLANTIC WILLOW) professionally escorted her "dead in the water" through this very narrow stretch of the Harbour. The vessel is currently undergoing repairs in the Bedford Basin.

Tanker adrift off Nova Scotia

The "Australian Spirit" carrying 675,000 barrels of crude oil was drifting off the coast of Nova Scotia after losing its steering on Dec 10, 2014. The tanker with a crew of 28 on board was about 70 kilometres southeast of Halifax in the early afternoon and it wasn’t near any other ships. The problems started in the evening of Dec 9. The tugs "Atlantic Larch" and "Venture Sea" from Halifax meanwhile reached the vessel. As the steering could not be fixed the tugs took the ship in tow for repairs after a drift of 1,5 days. It was roughly 40 nautical miles from Chebucto Head and was disabled enroute from Placentia, N.L., to New York. There were gale force winds and four-metre waves. The "Australian Spirit" still had power and engines which meant the tugs would be able to steer the ship while it is towed to port. The weather conditions have improved on the seas with reduced wind speeds and there was no danger to the 28-member crew or the ship's cargo. The Coast Guard vessel "Earl Grey" was also on site. Once the tanker has reached Halifax, she will be towed straight through to the Bedford Basin. She will be anchored in the Bedford Basin area. At 11 a.m. on Dec 11, the tanker was about 50 kilometres from the coast.