Float off AOPV 435

 The sixth Harry DeWolf class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel for the Royal Canadian Navy was moved to Bedford Basin today, December 9, to be floated off from the semi-submersible Boabarge 37. The ship, unofficially named AOPV 435, was rolled aboard the barge on Saturday, December 7 and would have been floated off yesterday, as scheduled, but weather conditions early in the day had high winds and wet snow turning to rain. Today's weather was totally different, with bright sunshine, light winds and temperatures hovering around 0ºC.

With the attendant tugs, Atlantic Beaver, Atlantic Cedar and Atlantic Larch providing power and direction, the barge and valuable cargo made its way through the Narrows.

Despite being perched on a barge the ship still had considerable clearance passing beneath the A. Murray MacKay bridge.

 It took my 18mm wide angle lens setting to take in the entire scene,

Loading operations on the Schippersgracht (at right) at Pier 9C were not disrupted by the passing flotillla. (see following post).

Once well out into the Basin (and clear of other traffic - see following post) the parade was brought to a halt off the Rockingham shore. There they were met by several small craft, including the mini-tug Eagle Fury and some open boats. (By this time it was close to luch hour, and one boat made a "pizza run" to shore - see following post).

By mid-afternoon AOPV 435's hull was getting wet, but what with rush hour traffic and impending darkness, I did not witness the actual float off, which was likely after sunset. (The scarecrow flags at the Africville museum were barely futtering,)

AOPV 435 will continue fitting out at Halifax Shipyard for a time before handover to the RCN. When it is commissioned sometime next year it will be named HMCS Robert Hampton Gray AOPV 435. Lt. Robert Hampton Gray VC , DSC, RCNVR was a 27 year old pilot flying for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm when he died in combat in Japan on August 9, 1945. (Victory over Japan Day, "VJ Day" is marked in Canada as August 12.) His name is perhaps better known in Halifax as the former elementary school (a Recognized Federal Heritage Building) in the Canadian military facility Shearwater was named for him. He is less well known elsewhere, but there is a brief biography in Wikipedia and a more detailed life in the book A Formidable Hero: Lt. R.H. Gray, VC, DSC, RCNVR by Stuart E. Soward, published by Trafford Neptune.

AOPV 435 is the last of the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels to be built for the Royal Canadian Navy, but two variants for the Canadian Coast Guard are under construction for delivery in 2026 and 2027. These two ships were ordered by the federal government as a "stop gap" to keep Halifax Shipyard operating at a high level as work on the new RCN destroyers ramps up.

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