Shipping: Ports lively with activity

A flurry of last-minute arrivals has made this one of the busiest weeks of the year out at sea.

A Swedish tall ship, a fuel tanker and a cable ship will all be arriving during the course of the week, as well as a full complement of three container vessels.

The naval cadet ship HMS Gladan arrived in Bermuda on Monday afternoon and dropped anchor just off the Salt Kettle dock in Hamilton Harbour.

The double-masted vessel, which was launched in 1946, originated in the US and is on her way to the Azores.

She is expected to move across the harbour on Wednesday and come alongside on Front Street.

The crew will then remain on the island until the end of the week when they are scheduled to depart.

There are a further two scheduled arrivals tomorrow; one in the east end and one in the west end.

The Pacific Guardian will call in at the Flagstaff berth in Dockyard to pick up cable before setting off to mend the line out in the Atlantic Ocean.

The fuel tanker Veronica PG is expected to come alongside at the Oil Docks in St George’s to deliver gasoline supplies for Esso.

Both the cable ship and the tanker are expected to leave the island on Friday.

Penno’s Wharf in St George has been a busy berth this week, playing host to two tall ships: Tres Hombres and Roald Amundsen, as well as the Atlantic Explorer research vessel. Both tall ships are expected to leave Bermuda later this week while the two US research vessels that have been on island for the last week or so are looking to depart tomorrow and head back home.