Navy ship rams Halifax drydock
Posted Nov 4, 2011 04:05:07 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Halifax-based navy ship collided with a drydock at the Irving Shipyard on Friday, damaging both the dock and the ship.
HMCS Preserver, which went through at $44.7-million refit this year, was heading for the Maritime Command dockyard when it rammed the drydock, leaving a big dent in the ship and a hole in the dock.
Navy spokesman Major Paul Doucette says HMCS Preserver was making its way to the Navy dockyard at 2:30pm when it struck the Nova Dock at the Irving yard.
“There’s definitely significant damage along the top part of the starbord bow,” said Maj. Doucette. “After the ship made contact with the dock, there were tugs there and basically from that point, the ship carried on back into the dockyard and was secured alongside.”
No one was injured and Maritime Command Atlantic says there are no environmental issues.
Preserver recently underwent major refit work in Halifax.
“This project is very extensive as it includes structural repair, hull painting, basic mechanical repairs, hull valve refurbishment, shaft line work, as well as comprehensive maintenance and repairs to various ship systems,” says a Navy web site about the ship.
Ships in Preserver’s class are AORs, Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels, according to the Forces. “Such ships are designed to carry large amounts of fuel, provisions, and dry stores for the support of naval operations far away from port. Replenishment oilers are also equipped with more extensive medical and dental facilities than destroyers and frigates can provide. Such combination of capabilities provides Canada with the ability to deploy naval forces for extensive periods, off our coasts or overseas, for the defence of Canada at home and the support of our foreign policy abroad.”
