HMCS Preserver will be paid off in a ceremony on Friday, October 21, 2016. It was announced back in may that the ship would be paid off by the end of the year. She has been used as an alongside Fuel depot for the past year.
The date for the Paying off Ceremony was reveled in today’s Halifax council agenda as a request for a flypast.
word is HMCS preserver will be paid off before the end of the year. She is currently being used as an alongside refueling depot, and thus retains her commission.
her twin,HMCS Protector recently arrived in Mersey NS to be scrapped. Algonquin also departed Esquimalt yesterday to be scrapped along side.
rcn photo
Last night a fire was extinguished aboard HMCS Toronto. The Toronto is currently undergoing FELEX upgrades in the Graving Dock at Halifax Shipyard. It is now believed a Powertool battery battery failed, causing the fire.
The fire was reported to be minor, but hard to reach, and located 3 decks down. After it was extinguished, the ship was ventilated. There was no one aboard at the time, and no reported injuries.2 people were sent to hospital as a precaution.
This morning brought the arrival of SPS Patiño, a Spanish replenishment ship. She is on loan to the RCN, to allow the continued training of crews with Replenishment at Sea Duties.
She has the Distinction of having been attacked by Pirates in 2012
Photo above by
The Navy went looking to Purchase 4 new Large tugs to replace the Glen and Fire Class Boats in 2012. That procurement hasn’t gone anywhere, and the government is now looking at the price and availability to charter tugs for 5 years, with options on renewal for up to 20 additional years. They are looking at four tugs; Two for the East Coast; and Two for the West Coast.
The Stated requirements are:
•Twin engine/propulsion plant capable of delivering an approximate bollard pull of 40 tons or an equivalent total power of 4,000 BHP;
•Firefighting capability (FiFi 1);
•Full speed of at least 12 knots (fully loaded);
•Draft not to exceed 6 meters;
•Vessels not to exceed 5 years of age at the start of the contract.
•Preferred length overall not to exceed 33 metres;
•The vessels will be operated by a civilian crew holding Transport Canada certification;
•The tugs must have a Transport Canada Certificate of Registration;
•The vessels must meet regulatory requirements to operate in Canada and be in full compliance with the Canada Shipping Act; and
•Daily in harbour operations consisting of hot or cold moves of existing and future warships up to 25,000 tons displacement;
•Assisting in closing harbour gates, delivering supplies or fresh water, buoy operations and other routine harbour tasks
Interestingly, they are looking at both Bareboat Charter, or as a Time Charter. In a bareboat charter, the Navy would crew the vessels and only pay for using the Hardware (Much like leasing a car) the other option would be to provide a fully crewed tug, available on 15 min notice for an hourly rate. this is very much the arrangement commercial shippers use when they pay for tug services. The difference is that the tugs would be dedicated to navy use
last night, in the basin.
Davie has revealed that the have received the go-ahead to convert a commercial ship to a new Interm replenishment ship.
To be called the Resolve, She is the former 1708TEU Containership Asterix, which Davie purchased in July for 20 million dollars. The conversion is expected to cost 350 million, and the vessel will be leased to the Navy.
the Converted vessel will carry 2 helicopters, 40teu, 10,000ton fuel tanks. the ship has a cruising speed of 20.5 knots.
PCT Wolf is a Canadian Navy Orca Class training vessel. The craft are primarily used to facilitate the two-to-six-week long ‘at sea’ component of naval officer training in Esquimalt. the class contains 8 vessels, built between 2004 and 2008 at Victoria Shipyards.
A Non-commisioned vessel, they carry the PCT prefix, for Patrol Craft Training, though they are designed to carry heavier armament. The names in the class are all former Armed Yachts that served in the RCN in the Second World War.
WATCH Defence Minister Jason Kenney LIVE here at 1 pm ET
CBC News has learned that Defence Minister Jason Kenney will announce today a plan for Quebec’s Davie shipyard to retrofit a commercial cargo ship to serve as a temporary naval supply ship.
CBCNews.ca and CBC News Network will livestream his announcement at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa starting at 1 p.m. ET.
Davie shipyard is located in Levis, Que., the riding of Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney
The earlier than anticipated retirement of the Protecteur-class ships has resulted in an unexpected loss of both capacity and capability for the RCN during this transition to the future fleet. The Government of Canada will enter into discussions with Chantier Davie to see if arrangements can be made for an interim ship that provides a solution at a cost, time, and level of capability acceptable to Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).
The Government will enter into preliminary discussions with Chantier Davie Canada Inc. to determine if it can provide an interim supply ship at a cost, time, and level of capability acceptable to Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy. Should the Government of Canada decide to pursue a provision of service contract agreement, it would provide a required interim ship to bridge the gap until the first JSS is delivered.
The provision of service contract agreement would be for a commercial ship to be refitted for military use. An interim supply ship would provide a more modest capability and would not conduct full-spectrum military operations in high-threat environments.
The Full release:
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is in the midst of the most intensive and comprehensive period of fleet modernization and renewal in its peacetime history, touching upon all elements of the fleet.
This period of transition includes the modernization of its 12 Halifax-class frigates, the retirement of two Protecteur-class replenishment ships and two Iroquois-class destroyers and the procurement of three new classes of ships, including the Joint Support Ships (JSS), the Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships and the Canadian Surface Combatants, as well as the integration of new maritime helicopters into fleet service.
The earlier than anticipated retirement of the Protecteur-class ships has resulted in an unexpected loss of both capacity and capability for the RCN during this transition to the future fleet. The Government of Canada will enter into discussions with Chantier Davie to see if arrangements can be made for an interim ship that provides a solution at a cost, time, and level of capability acceptable to Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).
On September 19, 2014, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, announced the retirement of the Navy’s legacy refueling fleet. HMCS Protecteur was an AOR ship based in Esquimalt, BC, and the lead ship of the Protecteur-class. Its sister ship, HMCS Preserver, was based in Halifax, NS.
HMCS Protecteur was retired after sustaining serious damage in a fire in February 2014. An extensive assessment concluded that the ship was damaged beyond economical repair. Considering the relatively short service life remaining for HMCS Protecteur, which was scheduled to be retired in 2017, the cost to re-instate the ship to full operational capability did not represent the best use of public funds.
HMCS Preserver was scheduled for retirement in 2016, but engineering surveys done in 2014 identified levels of corrosion that had degraded the structural integrity of the ship below acceptable limits. As a result, the cost to reinstate the ship to full operational capability also did not represent a responsible use of public funds.
These unexpected circumstances have resulted in the urgent need for Canada to obtain refuelling capacity in the short term to bridge the gap until the first Joint Support Ship is delivered.
The Joint Support Ship (JSS) project is designed to increase the range and endurance of the Canadian Armed Forces by enabling naval task groups to stay at sea for long periods without obtaining provisions from ashore. The Joint Support Ships will supply deployed Naval Task Groups with fuel, ammunition, spare parts, food and water. They will also provide an at-sea platform for maintenance and operation of helicopters, a limited sealift capability, and support to operations ashore.
As the selected shipyard for non-combat vessels, Vancouver Shipyards will be responsible for the construction of both Joint Support Ships at their shipyard in North Vancouver, British Columbia.
The two Queenston-class Joint Support Ships (JSS) will replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels. The new ships will provide core replenishment, sealift capabilities, and support to operations ashore. The Queenston-class will be capable of operating across a full spectrum of threat environments.
The JSS are a critical component for achieving success in both international and domestic CAF missions. The ships constitute a vital and strategic national asset. The presence of replenishment ships increases the range and endurance of a Naval Task Group, permitting it to remain at sea for significant periods of time without going to shore for replenishment.
The Government will enter into preliminary discussions with Chantier Davie Canada Inc. to determine if it can provide an interim supply ship at a cost, time, and level of capability acceptable to Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy. Should the Government of Canada decide to pursue a provision of service contract agreement, it would provide a required interim ship to bridge the gap until the first JSS is delivered.
The provision of service contract agreement would be for a commercial ship to be refitted for military use. An interim supply ship would provide a more modest capability and would not conduct full-spectrum military operations in high-threat environments.
