Old and New

 There was a contrast in Halifax harbour today, August 16 as an old ship was towed out of Halifax for the last time, a portion of a new ship was rolled out of the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard.

 

 The Old

The old ship was of course the legendary CCGS Hudson, which was removed from service after propulsion system failures in December 2021. The Coast Guard awarded a contract to R.J.MacIsaac Construction Ltd to demolish the ship at Sheet Harbour. Prep work was to be conducted in Halifax as there is limited space at Sheet Harbour. The MacIsaac company was also contracted to demolish the ferry Holiday Island at Sheet Habour. Until it was sufficiently dismantled to free up space, the company had a"care and custody" contract for the Hudson in Halifax. (Ownership of the Hudson remains with the CCG.)

Today the tug Atlantic Fir made up the tow using the Hudson's anchor chains as a bridle, and with the aid of the Atlantic Oak, got under way for the overnight trip.

I have recounted the Hudson's story here before (more than once), most recently: January 19, 2022 and February 10, 2023

 

There was no official send off, but the ship has been decommissioned with its name painted out, although technically, it is still owned by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. The contract for demolition did not include the actual "sale" of the ship - at least not until it reaches the scrap yard.

An "insurance line" was rigged along the ship's starboard rail. In case the main tow line parts, this emergency towing line could be picked up by snagging the trailing line, which is buoyed. The ship was also showing its riding lights and bow and stern lights - all battery powered - as the ship is "dead" - with no power of its own and no crew.

The New

While the Hudson was getting underway ar Pier 9C, just a short distance away the first mega block of the future AOPV Frédérick Rolette was rolled out at Halifax Shipyard.

 Strings of self propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) linedup under the hull cradles, move the block to a precise location on the "hard" adjacent to the fitting out pier at Pier 8. The fourth ship, AOPV4 William Hall is in the water alongside, having completed its first sea trials.

The future ship will be the fifth of six Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessels for the RCN (to be followed by two more for the Coast Guard.) The main midships block will be joined by the bow and stern sections. and eventually floated off by semi-submersible barge, but that is many months away.

As reported here on August 11, Halifax Shipyard began to cut steel for the first of the Coast Guard AOPS.

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