Cargo Operations: Port Everglades, Redwood City

Two ships, Sevenstar Yacht Transport’s Spielgracht and Dijksgracht, teamed up recently at Port Everglades, so that the cranes aboard both ships could be used to lift a brand new, 140-ton Ferretti yacht model Navetta 26 and lower it into the water. CSL Tacoma, the latest and last in the so called "Trillium" class of self-unloading Panamax size bulk carriers ordered for Canada Steamship Lines, arrived at the Port of Redwood City November 7 carrying sand and gravel construction materials from a quarry in Canada.

Port Everglades: Two Ships Lift One Yacht 

Two ships, Sevenstar Yacht Transport’s Spielgracht and Dijksgracht, teamed up recently at Port Everglades, to handle a big load. A brand new Ferretti yacht model Navetta 26, inbound from Italy for display at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, was deemed too heavy to be lifted by a single shipboard crane. With a little ingenuity, expert piloting and a lot of power from the Seabulk Towing tug New River, the two Seven Star ships were pushed and tethered together so that the cranes aboard both ships could be used to lift the 140-ton yacht and lower it into the water. 

"Previously, this style of operation has never been conducted in Port Everglades," said Chief Harbormaster Conrad Strong. "Typically, a yacht of this size would be lifted by a dockside mobile harbor crane or gantry crane. The advantage is that the transport company can save some money by using their own cranes as long as they have two ships in port at the same time."

Photo/Port Everglades

Redwood City Hosts New CSL Self-Discharging Bulk Carrier as Construction Materials Cargo Soars 

CSL Tacoma, the latest and last in the so called "Trillium" class of self-unloading Panamax-size bulk carriers ordered for Canada Steamship Lines, arrived at the Port of Redwood City on November 7 carrying sand and gravel construction materials from a quarry in Canada. Delivered by her Chinese builder on October 12, the 228-meter/748-foot long, 71,405 dwt ship was on her maiden voyage to the San Francisco Bay area.

A building boom in the South Bay and Peninsula area has sent demand soaring for construction materials in the San Francisco Bay area. As a result, Redwood City’s import of these materials will double to 2.0 million metric tons during the next 18 months, predicts Port Executive Director Michael J. Giari.  

Grounds for his optimism are evidenced by the fact that CSL Tacoma was one of three vessels to deliver construction materials to Redwood City that week, a combined total of 100,000 tons.

The importer, Cemex Aggregates, handles and distributes the aggregate materials to readi-mix plants throughout the South Bay. Millions of tons of construction material are needed in the South SF Bay for the new Apple headquarters, housing, hotels, entertainment complexes near the new Levi Stadium, office campuses for Google and other Silicon Valley companies, and more, including the residential construction boom in Redwood City. 

The logistics chain for this material consists of the Orca Quarry on northern Vancouver Island with its large modern, high-speed ship loader, the new CSL ships, Redwood City's Wharf One facility that due to open next month and new Cemex ready-mix concrete plants at or near Siilicon Valley construction project sites. Private companies and the port have invested millions of dollars in infrastructure, ships and equipment to make the movement of this material as efficient as possible.

According to CSL Americas West Coast Director Garth Mitcham, the Tacoma "represents the latest in environmental technologies utilization and IMO Tier II propulsion among many other design achievements shared with her sister ships: Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin, CSL Tecumseh, Balto and Balchen. Each of these vessels has performed their maiden voyages into the SF Bay area serving the State of California's infrastructure needs."  

The ships are equipped with engine technology and hull design to increase fuel efficiency and decrease air emissions, as well as state-of-the-art cargo handling systems to minimize dust and cargo residue.

CSL Tecumseh arrived in Redwood City the day before CSL Tacoma; the Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin made its maiden cargo voyage to the port in 2012.

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