(Update: the name changed from Heddle to Ontario. [onshipyards_about])
Heddle Shipyards posted three photos with the comment: "Monday, May 8th, [2023,] was a historic day for Heddle Shipyards with all three Ontario shipyards in action. The CCGS Des Groseilliers, built at the Port Weller Dry Docks in 1982, was docked in Port Weller for regular maintenance, Fabmar successfully docked CSL's Atlantic Huron in Thunder Bay, and the first of three main engines was successfully removed from the CCGS Georges Pearkes. With the support of partners like CSL Group and the Canadian Coast Guard we are re-building Ontario’s shipyards."
Heddle Shipyards bought this shipyard in 2016.
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| Heddle Shipyards posted Flooding the dock on undocking day for the tug Miseford this morning [Oct 1, 2021] at the Thunder Bay Shipyard. Kent Rengo shared |
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| HeddleShipyards Heddle Shipyards purchased the facility in 2016 and intends to make a significant investment to reanimate this historic shipyard, creating a top-service facility. Equipped with a Seawaymax graving dock and large fabrication shops, Thunder Bay is well situated to provide repair and re-fit services. Berthage at Heddle Shipyards Thunder Bay provides our customers a strategic winter layup location.
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| Photo moved to St. Catharines Heddle Shipyard. This shipyard does not have two drydocks. |
David Schaur shared a Shawn Sabbe post of three photos.
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| Michael Hull posted Chi-Cheemaun (1974 Canada) was in dry dock at Heddle Shipyards on Boxing Day 2021 in Thunder Bay. Alan Wooller: Carolyn Ward this style of drydock is known as a graving dock. Paul Ingram Alan Wooller The word "grave" or "graving" in "graving dock" originates from the practice of dismantling wooden ships and building a new one from the pieces. That was the very purpose of the first dry dock ever built in 1495, in Portsmouth, England; when Sir Reginald Bray was requested by Henry VII to dismantle the ship Henry Grace à Dieu and from the pieces construct a new ship to be called the Sovereign. Such "graving" of a ship, i.e. the end of life, soul and legal entity of one ship for the creation of a new one, was a common practice and continued well in to the 19th century. Subsequently to grave or the process of graving was later understood to mean to clean, to remove barnacles etc, and subsequently coat or seal the hull of a wooden ship with tar. Thus a classic dry dock is commonly known as a "graving dock" as it facilitates the graving process i.e. being the place where old wooden ships are cannibalized or repaired and turned into a new or a seaworthy ship. A graving dock is simply one particular type of dry dock. Dry docks are part of a shipyard to provide access to the normally submerged parts of a vessel. This can be achieved by a floating dock, by flooding its ballast tanks for it to sink far enough for a ship to get into position, before buoyancy is restored by pumping out the ballast water, lifting the ship with it above the water surface. Also, small ships or boats can be lifted out of the water by travelling (Gantry) cranes. The traditional method was to dig a deep trench with a flood gate towards the water front and flood that basin for the ship to get in, close the gate and pump out the water. Because it was carved out of the ground, it is called a graving dock. Dry Docking is a method of ship repair being practiced for decades. It is a process of manufacturing, repair and maintenance of ships in an area known as the ‘lock’. In simple words, a lock is like a ‘garage’ for repairing ships. The only difference being, a lock is constructed aligning the shore for easy manoeuvre of the ship and sea water drainage. The main purpose of a Dry Dock is to expose the underwater parts for inspection, repair and maintenance. The ship to be repaired is hence manoeuvred into the lock and the gates are sealed post which all the sea water accumulated in the vessel is drained for better inspection and repairs. According to SOLAS, active ships that fall under the 100A5 category have to be subjected to a bottom survey twice every 5 years. Also, a Merchant Vessel which is older than 15 years needs to be checked for breaches or any defaults twice in every five years. In case of Passenger Ships, the repair period is every two years. |
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| Heddle Shipyards posted The MS Chi-Cheemaun at the @cityofthunderbay Shipyard for its 5 year survey. Kent Rengo shared Mar 12, 2022: safe_image for Manitoulin Island ferry damaged in Thunder Bay shipyard fire "A spokesperson for the Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC) later confirmed that one of two heating boilers was damaged by fire. No other machinery was affected and there were no injuries....The Chi-Cheemaun entered service in 1974 and can carry 140 standard North American-sized cars and 638 passengers." John Dennis: What is with yearly ship fires during winter layup is there a fire bug going place to place setting these fires. Richard F Winnel: It’s a time for “hot-work “ lots of sparks flying from cutting and welding gear!! |
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| Shawn Sabbe commented on the fire share |
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| Shawn Sabbe commented on the fire share |
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| safe_image for Boiler Room Fire on MS Chi-Cheemaun Will Not Affect Sailing Schedule This is GREAT news - the Boiler Room Fire on MS Chi-Cheemaun Will Not Affect Sailing Schedule An OSTC press release dated March 12 states: “On March 12th, the Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC) confirms that one of the two heating boilers was damaged by fire on the MS Chi-Cheemaun. No injuries resulted from this incident and no other machinery was negatively affected by the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The repairs are already underway and there is no reason for concern about the sailing schedule. The Chi-Cheemaun will arrive in Tobermory on May 5 and the sailing season will begin May 6. Reservations are being booked. |
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| Shawn Sabbe commented on Janey's post |
The ferry is fixed and headed "home."
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| 3:07 time-lapse video @ 1:02 Chi Cheemaun downbound in the Soo early morning 4/30[/2022] |
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| Jan 3, 2022: Michael Hull posted "The Tim S. Dool was the second Great Lakes bulk carrier built with all of the superstructure on the stern and that in 1996 3' was added to the width of the ship." [DeBruler] |
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| Sep 2, 2020: Heddle Shipyards posted The CSL Atlantic Huron at the Thunder Bay Shipyard. David B Seehafer: Temporary repairs so she can be moved to Hamilton to await a scrap tow. Phillip Kemp: David B Seehafer she has 5 years of service left then scrap she is only a lake boat now ... worked on her earlier this year in Thunder Bay. Marc Kranenburg David B Seehafer oh no!!!  . It’s being decommissioned?? It’s so sad to see all the collingwood ships disappearing  Brian Craven: Nothing like it use to be when I worked there. Punch shed is gone the Skycrane is moved to the other side and the tracks for it on the other side is gone where it use to be. Office building is gone. Lot's of open space now & all grown in. Glad it's being used again. |
4 of 14 photos posted by Michael Hull with the comment: "Point Valour (1958) from Thunder Bay Tug Services was in dry dock at Heddle Shipyard in the Port of Thunder Bay on September 6, 2022."
Michael Hull also posted
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Heddle Shipyards posted three photos with the comment: "Monday, May 8th, [2023,] was a historic day for Heddle Shipyards with all three Ontario shipyards in action. The CCGS Des Groseilliers, built at the Port Weller Dry Docks in 1982, was docked in Port Weller for regular maintenance, Fabmar successfully docked CSL's Atlantic Huron in Thunder Bay, and the first of three main engines was successfully removed from the CCGS Georges Pearkes. With the support of partners like CSL Group and the Canadian Coast Guard we are re-building Ontario’s shipyards."
Brian Craven: I used to work there from 1979 to 1990 until the Government shut it down! My Grandfather Uncle's & Brothers worked there as well. It was a great place to work & learn an assortment of trades in one place. The history of the Port Arthur Shipyards aka PASCOL was incredible to hear and read about. I have pictures that I took when working there from inside the Punch Shed to the drydock empty after adjusting the blockings for the next vessel and at the Rudders just before removing the propeller shaft out for the 5 year inspection. All of us were like a huge family that looked out for one another. If i was younger I'd work there again. I started as a typical labor helper for electrical shop stringing lighting throughout the vessels. After a few months i moved up to the fitting gang for a couple years then moved into the punch shed for 5 yrs Running the shears the punch and the sky crane and more. They also had welding classes there. I took that up too. It was free so why not take advantage of that course. My last position was the staging gang installing scaffolding in and around the vessels along with maintaining the dry dock. If you want to stay fit that was the job and you had to like heights & be like a monkey lol. If not you learn it fast. I wish I could share my pictures I have with you all but there's nowhere to post them. So if anyone wants to learn multiple great trades that's the place to learn. When I first started there were about 2,300 workers when we closed about 350 of us left. The John B. Aird was a vessel job to remember half built here the other at Collingwood Shipyards then the other half the vessel was shipped to Thunder Bay to be welded together here! What an incredible job it was to help build and witness at the same time.
Dennis DeBruler: Brian Craven I'll bet the Lake Superior Ports & Shipping Group would like to see your photos. https://www.facebook.com/groups/268456833667668/
Brian Craven: Dennis DeBruler Thanks for that I'll reach out to them and see 👀👍
Roger LeLievre shared
Darryl Harper: And the Keewatin is at Heddle in Hamilton. What Heddle would really like is a piece of new construction for the navy or coast guard, currently in shipyards on the coast.
But nevertheless a comeback given not long ago the Port Wellar drydocks were bankrupt and of course the once major yard in Collingwood is long gone.
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| 1 Tom Mac Arthur: Is that Thunder Bay with the Sleeping Giant in the background?? Matthew Carlson: Tom Mac Arthur ya it was built in 1909 for James Whalen. |
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| Janey Anderson posted BIG NEWS FROM THUNDER BAY - the CSL ATLANTIC HURON came out of Heddle drydock today and will depart tomorrow (May 30) for a load in Superior. Tugs Glenada (1943) and Point Valour (1958) from Thunder Bay Tug Services were on the job. She had been held up in Thunder Bay since April 3 with pitch problems. Her crew was sent home for the repairs. Most amazing photo by Michael Hull 🙂 Matthew Colie: She is not all that old in lakes fleet terms and 38KT she is in some serious competition. She may be one of the very few CP wheel with Kort rings in service.Matthew Carlson: Matthew Colie true but she’s been well used. From what I’ve been told they are only expecting a couple more years. There was even talk of them not even fixing it this time but they chose to. Sounds like once her certificate is up she’s destined for the scrapyard. |
I learned from comments on this post that Heddle closed this shipyard in Jan 2024 because of a lack of business even though their other shipyards have a waiting list.
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