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Berthing the Freighter Krousson in Victoria BC

Krousson

The tug Charles H. Cates XX helps the freighter Krousson berth in Victoria’s Outer Wharf.

Recently our Victoria Waterfront correspondent Murray Polson captured images of the Bulk carrier Krousson being berthed with the aid of two harbour tugs (the Charles H. Cates XX and Charles H. Cates IV) at the Outer Wharf in Victoria BC. (Photo: Murray Polson 2012)

The Krousson (IMO# 9590101 229m x 32m x 13.4m) is a Panamax bulk carrier built in 2011 by Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Tongyoung, South Korea. 43,600gt. 81,316dwt. She is owned by Efshipping of Athens, Greece and registered at Majuro, Marshall Islands.

A ‘Panamax’ ship is one that has been designed and built to the maximum allowable dimensions to be permitted to pass through the Panama Canal. The allowable size is limited by the width and length of the available lock chambers, by the depth of the water in the canal and by the height of the Bridge of the Americas. An ocean-going cargo vessel of the maximum size possible to pass through the locks of the Panama Canal, which are 1000ft long by 110ft wide and 85ft deep. These vessels are typically of 50,000 to 80,000 dwt, 965ft (290m) in length; 106ft. (32.3m) beam; and 39.5ft (12.04m) draft.

There are larger vessels afloat (known as Post-Panamax ships) but they are limited to the natural sea routes and unable to take advantage of the shortcut between the Pacific and Atlantic. In 2009 the Panama Canal new regulations for ‘New Panamax’ that take effect when the third lane of locks (currently under construction and larger than the current two lanes), become operational in 2014. The ‘New Panamax’ standard will have an impact on British Columbia ports as goods currently travelling from China to eastern seaboard ports may go directly by sea.

Charles H. Cates XX

Built in 1969 by John Manly Ltd in New Westminster BC, the harbour tug Charles H. Cates XX (12.56m x 4.72m x 1.07m carvel/flush steel hulled 14.50gt 9.86rt) is powered by two 700bhp diesel engines. She is currently owned by the Seaspan Marine Corporation, North Vancouver BC. (Photo: Murray Polson 2012)

Charles H. Cates IV

Built in 1974 by John Manly Ltd. in Vancouver BC, the harbour tug Charles H. Cates IV (14.23m x 5.36m x 1.71m carvel/flush steel hulled 32.13gt 21.85rt) is powered by two 680bhp diesel engines. She is currently owned by the Seaspan Marine Corporation, North Vancouver BC. (Photo: Murray Polson 2012)

Seaspan Marine Corporation is an association of Canadian companies primarily involved in coastal and deep sea transportation, bunkering, ship repair and shipbuilding services in Western North America. In addition to the marine transportation services offered directly through Seaspan Marine Corporation, commercial ferry, shipyard and bunkering services are provided via affiliate companies: Marine Petrobulk Ltd., Seaspan Ferries Corporation, Vancouver Drydock Company, Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. and Victoria Shipyards Co. Ltd. Seaspan also provides shipdocking services to the Port of Vancouver, Victoria Esquimalt and other BC out ports.

Nauticapedia

Site News: December 21, 2024

The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 94,824 vessel histories (with 16,274 images and 13,929 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters).

Vessel records are currently being reviewed and updated with more than 45,000 processed so far this year (2024).

The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,599 entries (with 3996 images).

Thanks to Ray Warren who is beginning a long process of filling gaps in the photo record of vessel histories in the database. Ray has been documenting the ships of Vancouver Harbour for more than 60 years.

Thanks to contributor Mike Rydqvist McCammon for the hundreds of photos he has contributed to illustrate British Columbia’s floating heritage.

My very special thanks to our volunteer IT adviser, John Eyre, who (since 2021) has modernized, simplified and improved the update process for the databases into semi–automated processes. His participation has been vital to keeping the Nauticapedia available to our netizens.

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