Carlz Boats: Livestock Carrier OCEAN DROVER

Carlz Boats: Livestock Carrier OCEAN DROVER: As we crossed over Victoria Bridge in Fremantle, Western Australia, my wife said 'hey look, there's a cruise ship'. And I said 'no, I thi...

Livestock Carrier OCEAN DROVER

As we crossed over Victoria Bridge in Fremantle, Western Australia, my wife said 'hey look, there's a cruise ship'. And I said 'no, I think its a car-carrier'. As we got a closer look from the opposite wharf, we could see that the OCEAN DROVER was neither and wondered what is she? I then said, 'you know, I think I saw a ship like this on the  'Mighty Ships' and it was hauling cattle'. Sure enough, this was her, only then her name was BECRUX and she is the largest custom-built livestock carrier in the world. Built for Italy's 'Siba Ships' in 2002 by Uljanik Plovidba in Pula, Croatia, the OCEAN DROVER can carry 20,000 heads of cattle or 60,000 sheep from Australia to destinations all over Asia and the Middle East. Purchased in 2009 by Wellard Rural Exports, the 591' DROVER currently flies the flag of Singapore and if you search for Fremantle, Australia on Google Earth and zoom in on North Quay, you will see truckloads of cattle (or sheep) being loaded onto the OCEAN DROVER. COOL!! c):-o Or you can download the season one episode on the BECRUX on the Discovery Channels website. It's your dime. c):-D

Meanwhile, you've got to hand it to the Fremantle Port Authority for doing an excellent job to make visitors feel welcome. Most ports are fenced off with few vantage points to take pictures or even look at docked ship. Everything here is clean, maintained and there's public art everywhere. Just like this sculpture who allowed me to get photographed with on the Art & Culture Trail entitled 'Southern Crossings', depicts all who have disembarked from ships in Fremantle. I came by plane and felt right at home.

Carlz Boats: Container Ship MOL EMINENCE

Carlz Boats: Container Ship MOL EMINENCE: While a couple of huge tankers sit anchored high in the water and waiting for a berth at the BP Oil Kwinana refinery at Fremantle's Outer...

Container Ship MOL EMINENCE (Revisited)

While a couple of huge tankers sat anchored high in the water and waiting for a berth at the BP Oil Kwinana refinery at Fremantle's Outer Harbour, the 965' x 105' MOL EMINENCE from Hong Kong exchanges containers at the Inner Harbour's North Quay. If you thought the earlier featured SWAN RIVER BRIDGE (photo below) was big, "Boy Are Your WRONG!", because his EMINENCE here which was built in 2009 in South Korea can carry up to 4,658-20 foot containers compared to the SWAN's 1,708 which is still a lot more than you'll see on any ship traversing the Great Lakes.

Meanwhile, I don't understand all the negative hoopla dingo dogs are getting down there in Australia. This one I found waiting to be petted near the E Shed Market in Fremantle was very well behaved, a little stiff mind you, but he didn't eat a single baby while we were in the area. I've always said be kind to animals and they'll be kind to you. Especially the ones that aren't a little stiff and stuck to the ground, like Dingo here. Hey, watch for more ships and possibly valuable tidbits of information on our visit to Fremantle Harbour coming soon to Carlz Boats. I know you can hardly wait. Right?

http://carlzboats.blogspot.ca/2012/10/container-ship-swan-river-bridge.html

Carlz Boats: Self Unloader PETER R. CRESSWELL

Carlz Boats: Self Unloader PETER R. CRESSWELL: Hey, look what the PETER R. CRESSWELL dropped off at the Rideau Bulk Terminal near Morrisburg on Thanksgiving evening last Monday. Is ...

Self Unloader PETER R. CRESSWELL

Hey, look what the PETER R. CRESSWELL dropped off at the Rideaubulk Terminal near Morrisburg on Thanksgiving evening last Monday. Is that a boatload of snow? Not Quite!! Actually it's a whole lot of road salt which is the product most used in Canada to melt the snow that falls on our roadways during our long and cold winters. Well, maybe not last year, but that could change. However, according to the Feds, more than 6.8 million tonnes of road salt was sold for deicing in 2003. To maintain its 12,000 lane-kilometres of roads and 2,000 kilometres of sidewalks during the winter, the City of Ottawa uses an average of 175,000 tonnes of road salt every year, which is probably where most of the CRESSWELL's precious cargo is going, or not. FYI: Most of Ontario's road salt is produced in Goderich, Ontario which has the largest rock salt mine in the world. The mine is 1,750 feet below the surface and extends 7 square kilometres under Lake Huron. 

Meanwhile, my doc says I have to watch my sodium chloride, so let's go back to talking about boats like the 730' CRESSWELL which when launched in 1982, her name was ALGOWEST and was built as a gearless bulk carrier to primarily carry grain from the Lakehead (Thunder Bay, that is) to St. Lawrence River ports for furtherance to overseas markets. In the late 90's when the grain trade declined significantly, the ALGOWEST was converted into a self unloader. Eight month and $20 million later, and re-named PETER R. CRESSWELL, after the former President and CEO of Algoma Marine, she became better equipped to carry such cargoes as coal, iron ore, stone and of course, road salt. 

Yes, that is a bulldozer in top of one of those piles of road salt, and how's it going to get down? Probably the same way it got up there, very carefully!!

Carlz Boats: Container Ship SWAN RIVER BRIDGE

Carlz Boats: Container Ship SWAN RIVER BRIDGE: If you're a true boat-lubber and visiting Western Australia, you will definitely want to check out Fremantle Harbour.  Fremantle is the o...

Container Ship SWAN RIVER BRIDGE

If you're a true boat-lubber and visiting Western Australia, you will definitely want to check out Fremantle Harbour.  Fremantle is the ocean port for the state capital, Perth, and last year 74% of Western Australia's seaborne imports and 10% of its seaborne exports passed through Fremantle Harbour. In other words, lots of ships loading, or unloading, or waiting off shore like the bulk carrier below, for dock-space in either Fremantle's Inner or Outer harbours.
A key vantage point is on Victoria Quay where I snapped the SWAN RIVER BRIDGE actively exchanging containers along the North Quay. This 564'x92' container ship flies the flag of Singapore, can carry up to 1708 twenty foot equivalent containers (TEC) and was built in Imabari, Japan for Kawasaki Australia's 'K' Lines in 2010.  What was especially surprising for a couple of visiting Canadians, other than her size, was the name because as any local can tell you, the Swan River flows through Perth and Fremantle Harbour before emptying into the Indian Ocean and since there are only 4 bridges that crossover the Western Australia river, the question is, which bridge is the SWAN RIVER BRIDGE named after? Sorry, cantilever anything more from me on this post, mate. c);-b

Carlz Boats: Fireboat EDWARD M. COTTER

Carlz Boats: Fireboat EDWARD M. COTTERS: An always welcomed participant at Canal Days in  Port Colborne  and a ship that has truly earned the right to be there is  Buffalo, NY...

Fireboat EDWARD M. COTTER

An always welcomed participant at Canal Days in Port Colborne and a ship that has truly earned the right to be there, is Buffalo, New York Fire Department's famous fireboat, the 118' EDWARD M. COTTER. If there ever was a boat that should be featured on the History Channel's "Hero Ships", it's the built in 1900 EDWARD M. COTTER and let me tell you why. I was 8 years old on the evening of October 6, 1960 and had just returned home from polishing a mess of Macintosh apples (the fruit, that is) in preparation of the next day's cub scouts' "Apple Day". In Port Colborne then, when a fire occurred, a loud siren would blow from the tall International Nickel Company's smoke stack to summon the volunteer fire fighters. I still recall the shreaking fire whistle that blew several times that night followed by ongoing sirens because as it turned out, the Maple Leaf flour mill located at the south entrance to the Welland Canal had exploded and was on fire.
At the time, the Maple Leaf Mill was the largest flour mill in the British Empire producing over one million tonnes of flour daily but like I said, I was only 8 years old and big fire or not, I had to go to bed. As I slept though, the mill continued to burn and apparently the glow from the raging flames could be seen for miles. Despite every effort by Port Colborne's volunteer firefighters and those from nearby communities responding to the request for aid, even more help was desperately needed. Hence an historic and unprecedented event occurred when the call from the Port Colborne's Fire Department went out requesting that the Buffalo Fire Department send it's fireboat, EDWARD M. COTTER. At approximately 8:30 pm, with no radar of her own to help her navigate, EDWARD M. COTTER began her dangerous trek across the often treacherous waters of Lake Erie, escorted by a United States Coast Guard cutter. Apparently two hours after receiving the call, the COTTER arrived and with all her water cannons brought to bear, she fought the fully engulfed eight storey inferno for more than four hours until the blaze was finally extinguished. The estimated eight million dollar fire and explosion destroyed everything except the adjoining grain elevator and warehouse. One person perished and eight were seriously injured, but one can only imagine what may have happened had the COTTER and her brave American firefighting crew on board, hadn't arrived when she did? On that day, the EDWARD M. COTTER became the first fireboat in United States history to cross the international line to fight a fire. 
Like I said, she is truly a 'Hero Ship' and a good friend to anyone who lives or has lived in Port Colborne, Ontario. It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, and I want to thank all my family and friends from all over, who have come to my aid in the past and especially this year. Your being there is always greatly appreciated. Meanwhile, take care and SALUTE!! 

Carlz Boats: Self Unloader JOHN D. LEITCH

Carlz Boats: Self Unloader JOHN D. LEITCH: While driving home after nearly two weeks in Australia, we luckily were able to see the 730' self unloader John D. Leitch, making good...

Self Unloader JOHN D. LEITCH

While driving home after nearly two weeks in Australia, we luckily were able to see the 730' self unloader JOHN D. LEITCH, making good speed upbound near Brockville ON. The first time I saw this ship, she was known as the CANADIAN CENTURY, a name to commemorate Canada's Centennial year, 1967 which was also the year the CENTURY was launched. I remember my dad saying that she had to be the ugliest ship on the Great Lakes, which after seeing her again after so many years, I still have to agree with him. Unlike most ships that appeared to be constructed with a sleek and slender design, the CENTURY, or rather today's LEITCH  appears to be as aerodynamic as a brick. Her bow is straight with no angle to help her slice through the water while her wheelhouse and forward superstructure looks like a high-rise jammed into her bow. Instead of a rounded stern like the SAGINAW which I posted on September 7, hers is flat and compact looking. Actually her unique square hull design offers an increase in tonnage, while reducing wasted space, important factors when hauling coal from Ohio to the Ontario Hydro plant in Nanticoke across Lake Erie or the steel making furnaces in Hamilton ON. Though some still may see her as an 'ugly ducking', after 45 years she's still working hard and is now the oldest Canadian ship operating on the Great Lakes since the JAMES NORRIS retired in 2011.