Generally i was pretty happy with fleet week, for a first event. The ship selection could have been better, and it would have been better if the week, was actually a week, and not just 4 days.
The American Ship had a not so long line, that took forever to get through, and some signage indicating it was the line for the US Ship only would have been Helpful. (also there was no shade, and the line looked to be around waste containers, and a transformer vent made part of the line quite loud.
Beyond that, Freddy was disorganized, and the Moncton’s gang plank was way to steep.
HMCS Margaret Brooke was open for public tours today as part of Halifax Fleet Week. This marks the first public tours of an AOPS in Canada (HMCS Harry Dewolf was open to the public in Boston earlier this year.)
I have to say, she is a very nice ship, and it seems lessons from the Asterix were incorporated in the design of this ship.
With the first ever fleet week taking place later this week, we have some updates. Yesterday saw the arrival of HMS Portland to the dockyard. USS Porter is due tomorrow.
The Halifax Fleet week tour schedule has been Released, with ships open 9-4 Friday and Saturday. Note that HMS Portland is currently scheduled to only be open Friday. Access to the dockyard is via HMCS Scotian, next to the Casino
HMCS Fredericton @ Tall Ships Quay. HMCS Moncton @ Sackville Landing HMCS Glace Bay @ Alderney Landing USS Porter @ HMC Dockyard HMS Portland @ HMC Dockyard HMCS Margaret Brooke @ HMC Dockyard.
I suspect there will be more then 2 foreign vessels participating in the Cutlass Fury exercise, as the original release indicated French and German vessels, as well as USS James E. Williams. If the Tour list is expanded, I will keep this post updated.
Sunday Noon to 1300 is the Sail Past as the ships head out for Cutlass Fury.
UPDATE: Additional Cutlass Fury arrivals Friday morning 0830-0900 at Pilot station: Destroyer USS James E Williams and Supply ship USNS William Mclean, both heading for the dockyard. An unnamed USN nuclear submarine is also due for shearwater.
the USNS William Mclean (Above) is a Lewis and Clark dry supply ship, and is named after the Navy Physicist who developed the sidewinder missile.
The exercise will conclude on the 22nd, and some ships will return to Halifax then.
An odd vessel tied up at Pier 9 recently. Layla is a small cargo ship and features two 3mt derricks. the ship also looks to have a cable handling roller on the bow.
Layla is one of three ships belonging to South African firm Mertech Marine, which specializes in recovering and recycling sub sea cable. Founded in 1998, Mertech claims to have recover 75,000km of disused subsea cable.
Layla was built in 1975 in the Netherlands, and was rebuilt in 2008. The ship is 65m long, and is powered by a Caterpillar 3512 engine producing 749KW of power.
USS Oscar Austin put in for a Port visit this morning tieing up at the dockyard jetty NB next to the Casino. The ship is the 29th Arligh Burke class destroyer, and the first of the Flight IIA variant. She was commissioned in August 2000.
USS Oscar Austin is homeported in Norfolk. ship was named after Pfc. Oscar P. Austin, U.S. Marine Corps, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War.
The Royal Research Ship Discovery put into BIO over the weekend. The research vessel is operated by the Natural Environment Research Council, or NERC. the ship is the Third Discovery, the first being 1901 built ship that Robert Falcon Scott used on his antarctic expeditions.
The ship is likely at BIO to complete some science that would have previously used the Hudson. BIO has chartered British ships in the past, with RRS James Cook calling on a couple of occasions.
I first covered the coming Age of Sail in 2021 in the Herald. The Oracel Wind is now looking at 2027, but construction contracts were signed for the NeoLiner earlier this year.
Beluga Skysails now sails as Onego Duesto, and was in Halifax delivering a load of rail for CN in November 2020. sadly i don’t have a photo of the ship.
The CCGS Hudson, will be towed from Pier 9 this evening, bound for sheet harbour where she will be recycled. The pilot order is tentatively for 1700.
The ship suffered a motor winding failure, and sailed into Halifax in January 2022 for the Last time. The ship was sold for scrap, with the recycling contract going to RJ MacIsaac Construction. Prep work has been done at pier 9 over the last number of months, while waiting for the Holiday Island recycling to finish.
(Above) Hudson, and Atlantic Fir just prior to departure.
Yesterday it was announced that the first Halifax Fleet week would be taking place Sept 7-10, coinciding with the biannual Cutlass Fury Exercise.
The week will feature a number of ships open to the public on Friday and Saturday Including an AOPS, HMCS Margaret Brooke as well as Naval vessels from the US (USS Porter and USS James E. Williams both Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers), UK, France and Germany.
The event will end on Sunday at noon with a Parade out to sea to mark the start of the Exercise.
More Details can be found at hfxfleetweek.ca
** why does the fleet week logo use a Battle Ship? UPDATE: I spotted this Amazing Fleet week patch on IG. so much better.
