Bedford Basin, that circular body of water at the head of Halifax harbour, has been a sheltering haven for ships for centuries. During the First and Second World Wars it was an assembly area for convoys and was sometimes congested with scores of ships. In recent years it has hosted naval reviews, embargoed ships, ships awaiting orders and more often has provided shelter in bad weather.
Today, January 10, the weather forecast for high winds, light snow and a possible storm surge was not enough to keep several merchant ships at anchor in the Basin (see Exodus from Bedford Basin - Part 1).
That left only one ship in the anchorages, HMCS Margaret Brooke AOPV 431. No stranger to the Basin, the ship was launched there (more accurately floated off) on November 10, 2019, and has conducted various trials and calibrations there. The second ship of the Harry DeWolf class of Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels, built at Halifax Shipyard it was commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy on October 28, 2022.
Today marked the official send off for the ship on an ambitious mission entitled Operation PROTECT 2025. As is frequently the case with these "send offs", the ship leaves the confines of HMC Dockyard, but still has some work ups, calibrations, trials and drills to do. It may also have some technicians on board to carry out work before the ship actually outs out to sea. Compass swings and dynamic positioning trials are among the adjustments that can't be done while the ship is still alongside.
Margaret Brooke off Africville Park this morning as the BBC Tarragona prepares to get underway in the background.
HMCS Margaret Brooke is expected to be away from Halifax until May, by which time it will have visited several South American ports, recorded the first ever visit of a Canadian naval vessel to Antarctica, conducted various research projects and diplomatic events. It will also be the first Canadian naval vessel to circumnavigate South America, returning to Halifax via the Panama Canal.
Bon Voyage!
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