After Hyundai found themselves in finacial trouble the only way to keep them afloat was to be aquired by Maersk Line. Some of their ships have been renamed by Maersk and are running on the 2M Alliance.
The 366 metre ex Hyundai Smart was renamed Maersk Enping. As part of the Alliance this is one of the first Hyundai ships to call at Felixstowe in quite a few years.
The Maersk Enping sailed from Antwerp with a draft of 13.55 metres. While in Felixstowe her drafft increased to 14.6 metres making her draft restricted. She had to leave by midday or have to wait for the next flooding tide.
They made it but only just. The pilot had just bought in the second largest conainer ship Madrid Maersk and his next job was this one. He managed to get a lift from the Madrid up to Trinity 6 where the Maersk Enping was berthed. The tugs had also finished with the Madrid and paddled up there.
Once onboard the pilot says that there was a gear bin and 3 containers to go onboard then they were ready to depart. Svitzer Kent was made fast centre lead aft and the Svitzer Shotley was made fast centre lead forward. Tugs in position the lines fore and aft were relieased and the pilot gets both tugs to begin to pull off at 50%.
Slowly edging away from the berth the Shotley is asked to go all easy and let the stern come out befor the bow. In the channel the pilot comes ahead on the main engine or so he thought but the engine wouldn't start up. The Shotley is asked to pull 50% straight ahead and hope for the best. Engine started, the pilot releases the Shotley and they break away onto the Felixstowe side.
The pilot holds onto the Kent just incase the they are needed around the 90deg Beach End turn out of the harbour.
The 2nd largest container ship Madrid Maersk arrives to the port of Felixstowe with a draft of 13.6 metres.
Shortly after 08:15, a Harwich Haven pilot boards the Madrid Maersk at the Sunk Pilot Station around 12 miles out in the North Sea.
Once onboard he radios Harwich VTS to say they were inbound with a Maximum draft of 13.6 metres from Algeciras. VTS replies that there is a ready berth planned portside to Felixstowe Berth 9, wind speed and direction and the height of tide. The pilot replies that he require 2 tugs for berthing, the first an escort tug at 7&8 make fast centre lead aft, the second tug at the at the Platters lay alongside the starboard quarter. I will be a starboard swing off the berth. Duty tug copies the conversation. As the forth tug was still manned they asked Harwich VTS if they could stand down. VTS replies that as the Madrid had ordered 2 tugs they couldn't see why not. The tug skipper replies that they will be on a 90 minute call if required.
Madrid Maersk making her way inbound via the deep channel, the Svitzer Kent and Svitzer Shotley leaves the tug pontoon and makes there way out to meet the the giant outside the harbour. Svitzer Kent is made fast on the centre lead aft while the Shotley gets in position on the starboard quarter. Approaching the 90deg Beach End the pilot gets the Kent to go out on the port side for a powered indirect to help the Madrid to steer around the corner into the harbour.
Once in the harbour the the Kent eases up and goes right astern at 50% as a brake. Shortly after the pilot comes astern on the main engines and gets the Shotley to get in position for a push. In position the Shotley increases to 50% to start the swing. Some black smoke pours from the funnels as the pilot uses the bow thrusters to help the swing get mommentum. The Kent moves out onto the port quarter and begins to increases up to 50%. The pilot increases the tugs to 75% then up to full power. Swinging around the berthing master comes on the radio and says that the car is in the bridge position. The pilot says that he sees them there and the final tie up would be 6 and 2 with springs first each end.
The pilot gets the Kent o come around onto the starboard side in a check position until they were alongside Felixtowe Berth 9.
The 2006 record breaking Maersk E class ship, Ebba Maersk the fith to be built out of eight arrives to the Port of Felixstowe straight from Colombo, Sri Lanka with a maximum draft of 14.4 metres.
The Ebba Maersk has not been upgraded like some of her sisters yet. The upgrades consist of heightening the bridge and lasing platforms also reshaping the bulbous bow and a new propeller. They will also fit an anti-roll tank behind the accommadation block.
At 07:00 the pilot boards the Ebba Maersk at the Sunk Pilot Station around 12 miles out in the North Sea. Once onboard he radios Harwich VTS to confirm that they are inbound with a maximum draft 14.4 metres from her last port of Colombo and he believes Ebba was going portside to Felixstowe Berth 9. VTS replies that is correct planned potside to Felixstowe berth 9, wind speeds and direction also traffic heading out towards the south via the main channel was the Capucine and there were the 2 ferries to order up to leave within the time of her arrival. The pilot replies that he would like 2 tugs for berthing the first tug at the normal place fast aft for an indirect and the second inside the harbour on a bow to bow heading. He also said as the wind was due to pick up he may require a third tug but will make a decicion closer to the harbour. Duty tug Svitzer Sky comes on the radio to say he copied the conversation.
A little while later the captain of the DFDS ferry Suecia Seaways radios Harwich VTS to give them a 30 minute from departure time but as he knew the Ebba was inbound and had to have a clear run to 5&6 Buoys. VTS replies that they would stay alongside until the Ebba had swung and was pushing onto the berth also the Stena Britiannica was hoping to depart from Parkeston Quay at 09:00.
Svitzer Deben leaves the tug pontoon and heads out of the harbour to meet the Ebba near 7&8 Buoys. As the Ebba Maersk gets closer to the harbour thew pilot radios Harwich VTS and asks for the wind speed. VTS says that the wind hadn't increased much so the pilot sticks with the 2 tugs as requested.
Deben all fast starboard of centre streches their line ready for work. Svitzer Sky leaves the pontoon and heads toward the Beach End. As the Ebba is a over 395 metres and deep drafted to help them around the 90deg Beach End the aft tug normally performs an indirect to steer them into the harbour.
The pilot requests the Deben to go out on the portside for an indirect. As they come into the harbour the pilot radios the Deben to say that the Ebba flew around the corner more than he thought as he was used to the bigger Triple E's. The Sky makes her approach to make fast forward ready for the port swing off the berth.
The pilot comes astern on the main engine to reduce her speed ready for the swing. A short moment later the pilot gets the Deben to move onto the starboard quarter at 50% and the Sky to go on the portside at 50% to start taking her around. Swinging to port nicely the Deben increases upto 75% then up to full. Sky does the same but later into the swing.
The berthing Master radios the pilot to says the truck is in the bridge position and the cran is moving up to give the bridge more space. The pilot says he can see where it is and the final tie up will be 5 and 2 each end.
Almost swung the pilot uses the stern thruster to get her closer to her position,the pilot also tugs reduce their power, Deben gets in a push position on the starboard quarter while the Sky moves around from the port shoulder onto the starboard shoulder. Maneuvering on to the berth Sky comes in to hold the Ebba alongside while she is made fast.
ETD Saturday 19th August 13:00 bound for Rotterdam.
The drilling Platform Paragon B391 sails to Harwich after her latest contract with Centrica, a subsea plug and abandonment finished in June off the UK Coast in the North Sea. In 2016 the Paragon B391's last contract was with Centrica for just about a month end of October to end of November 2016 at a cost of $53,000 a day but previous to that she was also contracted with Centrica from March to May 2016 at a day rate of $85,000.
The Paragon B391 was built in 1981 to explore for natural gas in the world's seas and oceans. Now in 2017 she has been used to plug a wells off the coast of Norway and off the UK coast. The contract off the UK coast finished and as she is not self proppelled 3 ocean anchor handling tugs were sent to tow her from her last place of work to Harwich International Port.
The UOS Voyage was the lead tug with the Union Lynx being the port tug and the Thor being the starboard tug. Slowly making her way towards the North Shipwash 2 pilots, Senior pilot @rascalmaster and the other unknown at the moment, headed out on a pilot launch to meet the tugs and to at the Cork Pilot Station. The pilot boarding time was delayed by an hour, this could have been due to that she was only going a maximum of just 3.9 knots over the ground or it could have been to let the DFDS ferry Selandia Seaways to pass before the channel narrowed.
The pilot estimated that it would toake around 2 - 2 and a half hours to reach the Beach End turn into the harbour. He also requested that a Svitzer tug preferably one of the smaller tugs to meet them inside the harbour at the Fort Buoy to be fast aft before the Guard/ Shotley Spit to help with getting her in position close to the quay. Svitzer Sky came on the radio to ask the pilot if he minded if the Svitzer tug could be the Svitzer Kent. The pilot had no problem with that. The pilot also said that the 2 big tugs UOS Voyager and Union Lynx would be no help with getting her close to the final position due to their size.
Slowly but surely the Paragon made her way inwards, you could see her legs for miles before you could see the tugs. As she begins to round the 90deg beach End the tugs were changing course by 5deg at a time before she was on a northerly heading inside the harbour. It is not very often that Harwich get anchor handling ships but the Paragon had 3 of them.
Passing the Viewpoint at Felixstowe loads of people stopped to take photos of her arrival. The pilot began to get the tugs to steer to port to get around the Guard and Shotley Spit into the River Stour. Close to her final position the plan was to jack her up to then get a few lines onto the quay side.
It is unknown at his stage if she has been dumped for a while or she has come to Harwich for stores and maintenance.
The 19224TEU MSC Zoe arrives to the Port of Felixstowe with a maximum draft of 12.6 metres from her last port of Algeciras.
The pilot boards the Zoe at the Sunk around 12 miles off the East anglian coast. Once onboard he radios Harwich VTS and says they were inbound for Felixstowe via the deep water berth. VTS replies that there was a ready berth planned portside to Felixstowe Berth 9. The pilot replies that he would like 2 tugs for berthing, the first at the usual place 7&8 Buoys to make fast centre lead aft and the second tug ouside the harbour to position on the starboard quarter then move further forward to push by the funnel for a starboard swing off the berth.
The Svitzer Deben leaves the tug pontoon to be the aft tug shortly followed by the Svitzer Sky.
Rounding the Beach End the MSC Zoe begins to drop off some of her speed with the help of the Deben going straight astern. The Pilot comes astern on the engine while slightly using port rudder and bow thrusters.
Once the ship has come to a crawl the pilot begins the starboard swing by getting the Sky to push up full by the funnels and the Deben to move out on the port quarter and go on full power when they were clear of the North Shelf Buoy.
Swung around the Pilot radios the Berthing master to find out where the bridge position was. As normal the bridge was marked by the master's car. Pilot spotting it he confirms that it will be a final tie up of 5 and 2 each end springs first.
Deben running out of shace on the portside moves on to the starboard side in a check position. Sky pushes up most of the way to the berth then stops as the stern was heading for the berth before the bow so the Deben starts off with an easy check increasing to 25%. Once alongside the Sky pushes up to hold her alongside while she was made fast on the berth.
ETD 1900 Tuesday 15th August 2017 bound for Antwerp.
