HMCS Charlottetown has been up on the sychrolift at the dockyard undergoing a work period. Her Paint below the waterline was recently completed, and looks sharp.
HMCS Charlottetown on the Synchrolift
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Category Archives: Navy
SD Victoria at the Dockyard
The SD Victoria Arrived February 10th, and has been at the dockyard ever since. It recently moved to a more photogenic berth, and i was able to get a picture. The ship is operated by Serco, which holds a contract with the UK MOD to provide support services to the British Armed Forces, and also operates the RCAF Air base in Goose Bay.
The SD Victoria is a support ship used to provide service to the Royal Navy. Its trip here was in support of some diving exercises, and remained to conduct some repairs. the ship is expected to sail next week.
Update on large naval tugs
Today the feds gave an update on the Large Naval tug project. this project will see 4 new tugs commissioned to replace the current fleet of Glen Tugs currently in use. The tugs are being built by Ocean Industries, at their Isle-aux-Coudres, Quebec shipyard.
The first two tugs (Haro and Barkerville) are scheduled to be delivered by sealift to the RCN’s Maritime Forces Pacific in Esquimalt, British Columbia, in 2022. The other two (Canso and Stella Maris) will sail to Maritime Forces Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2023 and 2024.
The new tugs are named as follows.
- Naval Large Tug #1 Haro – This name is taken from the Haro Strait, which connects the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca in British Columbia, and is frequently transited by Royal Canadian Navy vessels proceeding north from Esquimalt, the home of our Pacific Fleet.
- Naval Large Tug #2 Barkerville – This name is taken from the Second World War-era Ville-class tug of the same name, which capsized and sank at the entrance of Bedwell Harbour, British Columbia, on December 17, 1945, while towing His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Hespeler to its mooring.
- Naval Large Tug #3 Canso – This name is taken from the Canso Strait separating Nova Scotia from Cape Breton Island. This is a region that figures prominently in Canada’s formative history. It also reflects the Royal Canadian Navy’s past with HMCS Canso, a minesweeper that served in the Pacific and Atlantic during the Second World War, and was on hand at D-Day.
- Naval Large Tug #4 Stella Maris – This name was selected in recognition of the valiant actions of the crew of the tug that came to the assistance of the French munitions ship, SS Mont-Blanc on December 6, 1917, in Halifax Harbour. The tug crew tried to fight a fire on board Mont-Blanc, and recognizing that they had insufficient water to quench the fire, selflessly attempted to tow the burning vessel away from shore. The tug was severely damaged and 19 personnel on board perished when Mont-Blanc then erupted in the disaster known as the Halifax Explosion.
HMCS Montreal on the Synchrolift
HMCS Montreal on the sychrolift at the dockyard for maintenance. I understand that there is not currently a dry facility in Halifax capable of maintaining the new AOPS, nor the Type 26 CSC. The Navys future fleet will necessitate some upgrades at the dockyard, and Halifax Shipyard.
Halifax Shipyard of course was able to accommodate panamax vessels until it retired and sold the NovaDock, which is now in service at International ship repair in Tampa Florida. That dock was owned by the province, and leased to the yard, untill it was quietly transferred to the shipyard as part of ships start here. Halifax Shipyards then sold it, claiming it was in disrepair.
AOPS #3 in the Basin
AOPS #3, the future HMCS Max Bernays moved into the basin for launch this morning. The barge will now be submerged over the coming hours, with AOPS #3 likely being floated off late this afternoon or early in the evening.
AOPS #3 set to launch this weekend
Word is AOPS #3, the Future HMCS Max Bernays, will be loaded onto the Boa Barge 37 on Friday mornings high tide, and then launched in the basin Saturday.
the ship is scheduled to be the first of two west coast based AOPS.
RCN Sailpast
Sadly timing didnt work out for me to catch the RCN Sailpast and Fly over today. I Say RCN, as the Americans sailed early, and the french were late, but 3 frigates, 4 MCDV’s, a submarine and Asterix sailed out of the harbour today for Exercise Cutlass Fury 21, which runs to Sept 16th.
Ships Anchored in the basin starting at 0930 this morning. FS Aquiaine (Below) of the French Marine Nationial, and (Above) Asterix and HMCS Moncton wearing a western approaches disruptive paint scheme.
HMCS Toronto on the Sychrolift
HMCS Toronto took to the synchrolift for some pre-depolyment work. Her are below the waterline looks to have been cleaned and painted.
AOPS Updates on ships 2 and 3
Halifax Shipyard achieved two milestones this week. The HMCS Margaret Brooke completed several days of sea trials off the coast of Nova Scotia. The Ship departed the shipyard the afternoon of the 7th, and returned Tuesday morning.
The bow mega block was rolled out May 8th for ship number 3, the future HMCS Max Bernays, and positioned to join the rear two thirds of the ship already outside. The ship is scheduled to enter the water in the fall.
HMCS Windsor In the Basin
HMCS Windsor has completed her recent work period and has spent the past week exercising in the Bedford Basin. Windsor is currently the only sub on the east coast, Corner Brook, Chicoutimi and Victoria are all currently on the west coast.
