Alfred Needler on the move

 The retired research trawler CCGS Alfred Needler was on the move today (October 4) - but not very far from its start point. In November 2022 a generator failure meant that it could not use its trawl winch. That resulted in cutting short a research trip. Later that month there was a failure in an air receiver tank fitting. The ship returned to its base at the Bedford Institute (BIO) on December 18, 2002 and was laid up. At some point, likely in January 2023, it incurrred structural damage to a potable water tank when it was slammed against the dock in severe weather. In February 2023 Fisheries and Oceans Canada cancelled a planned life extension refit and announced that the ship would not be repaired but would be retired and recycled.

Recently its name and all government identifiers have been painted over. This usually means that the ship will be given a new numerical name prior to selling it. So far at least a new name has not appeared.

 

This morning the navy tugs Glenbrook and Listerville moved the ship to an adjacent berth at the BIO. In recent days the CCGS Sir William Alexander and the visting British research ship RSS Discovery have tied up at Pier 9C because the 'Needler was occupying prime space at BIO.

The CCGS Kopit Hopson 1752 and the CCGS Earl Grey are also alongside the north pier at BIO. (CCGS G.Peddle S.C. is ahead of the Grey but not visible in the photo.) As for the other Halifax based CCGS ships, the CCGS Captain Jacques Cartier is currently in Pictou, NS and the icebreaker CCGS Jean Goodwill is in drydock in St.John's. When the CCG takes delivery of its new Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessels in a few years time, it will need more pier space at BIO if one of the ships is based in Halifax. (One of the AOPVs will likely go to the west coast.). The current pier replacement project may make up some of the needed space. 

The CCGS Alfred Needler has been the subject of many posts here over the years. It was built by Ferguson Industries Ltd in Pictou in 1981 and measured 925.03 gross tons. It  was originally operated by the Department of Fisheries, but was merged into the Canadian Coast Guard when the Minster of Fisheries and Oceans took over responsiblity in 1977. At that time it adopted the Canadian Coast Guard red hull with white stripe. The ship originally carried a grey hull and white superstructure as a Department of Fisheries vessel. It also had a white hull for a time in 1990s.

Sister ship CCGS Wilfred Templeman, built in 1982, was renamed 2011-01 then sold to McKeil Marine and renamed Blain M in 2012. It was sold to Marine Recycling Corporation (MRC) of Port Colborne, ON. At last report it had been laid up at MRC's scrapping facility in Sydport, NS since 2019. The Needler is likely to be heading in a similar direction.

CCGS Wilfred Templeman in 2004.

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