HMCS ALGONQUIN 283

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Repairs on the hold

The Royal Canadian Navy estimated it will cost $3 million to repair damage caused to HMCS "Algonquin" in a collision with the supply ship HMCS "Protecteur" on Aug. 30 The "Protecteur" sustained cosmetic damage to its bow and was back at sea a week later. The "Algonquin" suffered a large gash to the hangar along the port side of the ship. Since the incident, the destroyer has remained in port at CFB Esquimalt. While some early stages of work on the ship’s port hangar have been done, repairs were on hold until sometime in 2014 due to a variety of other priorities. Repairs were required to the side plating to the port hangar, ventilation trunking in the hangar, as well as some wiring and cable damage,. A board of inquiry was convened to provide a damage assessment and investigate the cause of the collision.

Canadian Navy in problems after losing two ships

As the Royal Canadian Navy conducted two inquiries to determine what went wrong when the two Esquimalt-based "Algonquin" and "Protecteur" collided in a routine exercise on the Pacific, defence analysts say the incident raised concerns about Canada's small, aging naval fleet. Having the only destroyer and supply ship on the West Coast out limited the range and ability for the navy to operate without the option to replenish any ships. Losing the "Protecteur", the Pacific fleet's only supply ship, means the navy was no longer able to be a deep- sea navy, accodring to David Zimmerman, a professor of military history at the University of Victoria. Canadian naval ships would have to stay near the shoreline to ensure a steady stream of supplies. The two ships collided in the afternoon of Aug 30, 2013, during a towing exercise while en route to Hawaii. The "Algonquin" bore the brunt of the damage, with a large gash to the hangar along the port, or left, side of the ship. The "Protecteur" suffered damage to its bow. None of the each about 300 crew members was injured. The ships were on deployment to the Asia-Pacific region, where they were scheduled to attend the International Fleet Review in Australia in early October before making diplomatic stops with the Department of Foreign Affairs. Instead, the ships were ordered to return to CFB Esquimalt, where they arrived late on Aug 31 afternoon. Two investigations were launched to determine what led to the collision and to assess damage. Report with photo: http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Warships+collision+update+Loss+ships+limits+Canadian+navy+range/8864759/story.html

HMCS ALGONQUIN 283

The HMCS "Protecteur" on Sep 3, 2010, got its propeller fouled by a line off the coast of Chile while towing the HMCS "Algonquin" during an exercise. In the final stages of the tow, the "Protecteur" had slowed to recover the tow line when heavy seas pushed the ship back across the rope. As it became entangled with the propeller, the ship’s ability to maneuver became restricted. The "Algonguin" took the "Protecteur" in tow. As the ships headed for calmer water, the thick steel tow cable snapped. As swells reached nine metres height, nine crew members got into a Zodiac to survey the damage. They tried to untangle the snare, but that didn’t work and with darkness setting in, the crews had to wait until daylight. On Sep 4 the rough sea subsided enough to allow the men to cut the rope in still four-metre high seas. The mission was a success and the two Canadian naval vessels continued their journey to Valparaiso to participate in Operation Pacific Amistad 2010. The "Protecteur" berthed at Sep 16.