Stephen B Roman to Halifax

[Mac Mackay]

It seems that Stephen B. Roman's delayed departure from Toronto was not entirely due to weather forecasts. Transport Canada's inspectors
found defciencies that resulted in a 21 day detention from October 22 to November 12.
Their Port State Control website refers to load line and construction certification matters relating to the classification issued by International Naval Surveys Bureau (INSB) of Piraeus, Greece.
The ship was not certified for ocean service according the last Lloyd's Register that I have. It was classed under Lakes Special Survey.
To make the ship seaworthy for an ocean crossing - even if only to the scrap yard - there was apparently quite a bit of work required.

[canadoc]

The Stephen B.Roman is presently tied up in Bermuda , I assume
bunkering. Check the Bermuda webcams.

[Mac Mackay]

Winter North Atlantic is a nasty place - especially this year. The ship is taking a southerly route, to minimize exposure, so will likely head to the Azores next in a wide southerly arc.
Even new ships, in good condition and built for ocean voyages take this route in winter.
Redwise, the ship delivery operators, make use of weather routing services to predict the best conditions for ocean crossings particularly with ships not built for ocean travel.
That is the likely reason why the ship did not leave Toronto on the original schedule - they knew there was very bad weather in the Gulf and on the Atlantic coast.
I would be interested to learn what work they did on the ship before it sailed, such as sealing up openings, welding covers on port lights, etc., to prepare for an ocean crossing.

[GuestfromEU]

Maybe she is headed to South America to operate there?

It would make sense if this were the case, as it has been mentioned before as a possibility in another thread, but I’ve been told that Bermuda is just a bunker stop enroute to eastern scrapyards. However, such a stop seems like it would be out of the way for a trip like this. Is this a normal procedure for this situation?

They may not have a choice, based on the capacity of the bunker storage tanks aboard. I would imagine they are relatively small, likely not enough to make the non-stop voyage from Eastern Canada to Gibraltar or even the Azores.

[Tristin Woolf]

Maybe she is headed to South America to operate there?

It would make sense if this were the case, as it has been mentioned before as a possibility in another thread, but I’ve been told that Bermuda is just a bunker stop enroute to eastern scrapyards. However, such a stop seems like it would be out of the way for a trip like this. Is this a normal procedure for this situation?

[DC from QC]

Maybe she is headed to South America to operate there?

[rh]

As of this morning, AIS shows the Stephen B has apparently altered course prior to arrival at Halifax and changed their destination to Bermuda .

ETA Bermuda:2018-11-21 21:30 LT (UTC -4)

[DC from QC]

When a ship spends extended periods of time on the great lakes zebra mussels attach themselves to the internal passages of the sea water systems, (pipes, strainer boxes, sea bays, etc.). These proliferate greatly of not stopped by, say, a trip into salt water. Salt water causes them to detach immediately, similar to a cigarette applied to a leech. When this happens, if their numbers are great enough, they will plug all sea strainers to such an extent that main engines and possibly even generators may have to be shut down from lack of cooling water. Worst case, a dead ship, until the strainers can be cleaned and replaced. In the case of the Roman, if her seabays haven't been "de-musselled" lately, this could go on for a while as the sea bays could be full of the mussels. Fingers crossed as she is entering salt water right now.

[Guest]

It will be interesting to see how she copes with a lifetime accumulation of zebra mussels in her system once she hits salt water for the first time. I hope they have planned for this?

What do you mean ? TIA

[DC from QC]

It will be interesting to see how she copes with a lifetime accumulation of zebra mussels in her system once she hits salt water for the first time. I hope they have planned for this?

[Chris M]

Headed for Turkey for scrapping

[Tristin Woolf]

Just noticed on AIS that the Stephen B Roman has finally left Toronto, under her own power, bound for Halifax.
Does anyone know the plans for the ship now? I know there was talk about her possibly going to Turkey for scrap under her own power, and also saw something about a Caribbean buyer? Any insight