The Coast Guard ship Hudson sailed into Halifax harbour for the last time today. the ship is being decommissioned after 59 years of service after suffering a starboard motor failure. She was escorted in by Several vessels, including the sir William Alexander, which showed off its water monitors.
As the Hudson sailed down the harbour, she was saluted by a chourus of horns throughout the harbour.
The CCGS George R. Pearkes departs, passing the CCGS Ann Harvey inbound to the narrows Saturday morning.
The CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier spent the Afternoon in the Basin conducting lifeboat drills.
the Jean Goodwill sailed early this afternoon for some exercises in the basin, and returned to BIO just after 5:30. This is the first time the ship has left the dock since it arrived from Davie after its conversion for Coast Guard use.
On March 2, The F/V Atlantic Destiny Caught fire, with 31 persons onboard. Facebook posts seemed to indicate that the engine blew up, which was the cause of the fire. The fire was extinguished by the crew, but the vessel was then found to be taking on water, and a Mayday issued at 20:10.
The RCAF deployed a Hercules aircraft, which parachuted a SarTech to the stricken vessel, and a CH-149 Cormorant Helicopter, Both based at 14 Wing Greenwood.
The Halifax Joint Rescue Co-ordination centre notified watchstanders at the USCG 1st District Command centre of the incident at 20:05. USCG Sector North East deployed a HC-144 Ocean Sentry Aircraft and two MH-60 JayHawk Helicopters to the scene from the USCG Air Station Cape Cod.
Winds were reported to be 55Knots, and 30′ seas at the time. The CCGS Cape Roger also responded, as did Clearwater fishing vessels Maude Adams and Cape LeHave.
Helicopters began removing crew around 11:30pm. 21 were removed by the two USCG Jayhawks, and 6 were removed by the CH149 Cormorant, which reported suffered a winch malfunction. The ships crew were flown to Yarmouth.
The CH149 also delivered a second SARTech, who along with 4 remaining crew worked to dewater the vessel. as of 00:30 the ships generator was operating, and the pumps running. By 8am, the decision was made to cease de-watering efforts, and the remaining 4 crew and 2 sar Techs were transferred to the CCGS Cape Roger. The F/V Atlantic Destiny sank at 10:36am.
The F/V Atlantic Destiny was built in Denmark in 2002, and is a scallop factory freezer vessel, owned by Ocean Choice International of Newfoundland. It sails out of Riverport N.S, and is staffed by two 30 person crews who rotate 3 week stints.
There will be much speculation into what happened. The Vessel was the subject of a TSB investigation after a March 2017 incident that led to main engine failure. The report indicates that the ship had a history of engine shutdowns.
This post is an updated version of the live twitter thread i have been maintaining about the incident.
The Coast guard has attended the vessel Hydra Mariner, which broke free of its mooring and ran aground on Navy Island, in Wrights Cove of the Bedford Basin.
Built in 1963 by Davie as Cape Mira, The Ex Fishing vessel was purchased for conversion as a chase boat for seismic survey operations, however that never happened, and the vessel has been tied up in wrights cove for a while. It is currently registered as a pleasure craft to Daniel MacNeil of Canso.
Currently the Coast Guard has CGE310 on site – one of their trailerable pollution control craft, which deploy boom. With heavy weather forecast Tuesday into Wendsday, this could be a mess.
The CCGS Hudson is underwraps undergoing more refit work. The work looks to be an amendment issued in September 2020 to the Dry dock/refit contract that was awarded to Newdock in St John’s Newfoundland.
Hudson has been wrapped for a while, i believe the work actually started in December.
CCGS Alfred Needler (above) and IT Intrepid (below) both took to pier 9 for the holidays.
The Alferd Needler was required to take to pier 9 due to the piers being full at bio, with Hudson alongside undergoing work, and the Arrival of the Jean Goodwill.
the first complete medium icebreaker conversion from Davie arrived in Halifax today where it will be based. the First Ship, the CCGS Captain Molly Kool, was rushed into service, and only received a paint job. It will get the full conversion later.
UPDATE – the ship docked at BIO, on the proper side of the jetty and facing in the correct direction. Below, CCGS Jean Goodwill entering Halifax for the first time, via Novascotiawebcams.com.
The Ship operated as Balder Viking between 2000 and 2018, the ship is named for Jean Goodwill (1928–1997), a Canadian Cree nurse who, in 1954, became Saskatchewan’s first Aboriginal woman to finish a nursing program
The CCGS Hudson sailed on Saturday, giving her destination as Science. the ship is currently south of Clarks Harbour NS, presumably doing Science.
