Category Archives: visiting ship

Fleet Week Review

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.

More in the Video Above.

Fleet Week Visits

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.

USS Oscar Austin for Port Visit

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 ship visited St John’s last week.

Halifax Gets a Fleet Week

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.

Arc Gloria for Port Visit

The ARC Gloria, Barque of the Colombian Navy arrived for a Port visit Sunday. The ship is currently anchored in the harbour, and will be moving to Tall Ships Quay behind NSP on the morning of the 15th. The ship will be open to the public 9am-10pm. ARC Gloria is currently scheduled to sail at 17:00 on the 18th.

The ship is on a tour to celebrate the bicentennial of the Colombia Navy. It was last in Halifax in 2016.

Built to a Blohm &Voss Design, she is a modern version of the Gorch Fock. The original Gorch Fock was built in 1933, and was taken as war reparations from Germany. Her sisters include NRP Sagres, USCG Eagle, and Mircea. The German Navy built a new Gorch Fock in 1958. the 1933 ship is now a museum in Germany.

Arc Gloria is the Oldest of the Modern Set of 4, Having been built in 1968  at the Astilleros Celaya S.A. shipyard in Bilbao. Her contemporaries Include Cuauhtémoc (1982 Mexico) , Guayas (1977 Ecuador) and Simon Bolivar (1980 Venezuela)

The ship was open to the public most nights until 10 PM, with traditional Colombian music playing. The above photo was taken just after 9pm, and the ship was still busy.

FS Garonne and USCGC Forward

The dockyard saw two visiting vessels this week. The FS Garonne is the 4th and Final Loire Class BSAM vessel. They are designed to support divers and submarines, and also server a towing and supply role. the first vessel of the class, FS Rhone also visited halifax in 2018

the second visitor is USCGC Forward. the ship is a famous class cutter, commissioned in 1990. Homeported in Portsmouth VA, the type is a frequent visitor to Halifax, though the Forwards first visit (since 2008)

Both Vessels are likly taking part in Op Nannook, the Canadian forces annual arctic exercises. HMCS Harry DeWolf was noticed earlier at the ammunition jetty. FS Garonne Moved to anchor in the Bedford Basin, and is scheduled to sail Wednesday morning, with USCGC Forward.

USCG Hollyhock

USCGC Hollyhock tied up at the Tall ships Quay. the ship was built in 2003 at Marinette Marine in Wisconsin and stationed at Port Huron Mi, spending her whole career to date in the great lakes. Hollyhock is currently headed for the USCG’s shipyard in Curtis Bay, near Baltimore Maryland.

The Crew will pick up USCGC Sequioa, which will then take up station at Port Huron. Both these vessels are Juniper Class Buoy Tenders. USCGC Juniper and USCGC Willow have also called in Halifax in the past.

Hollyhock is due to sail at 8am on the 25th.

FS Fulmar for port visit

The French Marine National patrol vessel Fulmar put into port yesterday for a visit. The ship is the French Naval presence in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. The ship is a regualr visitor to Halifax, Usually tieing up at Tall Ships Quay next to Nova Scotia Power.

USCGC Morro Bay port visit.

The USCGC Morro Bay looks to be headed back to the great lakes for the winter. the ship arrived at Tall Ships Quay, by the NSP building, this morning.

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