# HMCS ANNAPOLIS TO BE SUNK



## Colin Parkinson (6 Nov 2009)

Did a tour of the ship while she is getting prepped to be sunk as a artifical reef, here are some pictures and a link to the society website and my photo alblum.

http://s690.photobucket.com/albums/vv262/colinpark_photo/HMCS%20Annapolis/

http://www.artificialreef.bc.ca/


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## Pat in Halifax (9 Nov 2009)

Wow-Memories!! My first ship (Mar 85) was NIPIGON (for those not in the know; sister to ANNAPOLIS). Looked through all photos but recognized the bottom one of these four immediately as Tiller Flats - More specifically, the Hunting gear and the two variable swash plate hydraulic pumps which pumped fluid into either side of the main ram. The moving part of the ram had two cams which in turn were fastened to the top of two rudder posts by the two biggest nuts I have seen to date!!!,,,and there was actually a huge wrench kept back there to put on the nut and steer "by chain fall" in an emergency!! Even during WUPs, I never saw that done (on any of the steamers as far as I know).
With ANNAPOLIS going and GATINEAU and TERRA NOVA soon to follow, that will leave only FRASER. Last I heard (and discussed in another thread somewhere here), the prospect of retaining FRASER is not looking good. A most definate end of an era - sad days ahead indeed.
From the photobucket pics, The Engine Room Console (minus the main throttle wheels - probably in some ret'd Admiral's Rec room!) brought back a lot of memories. Spent far too many hours staring at that guage panel - If I remember correctly, a little over 2100 hours 'steamed' as EOOW on GATINEAU, NIPIGON and MARGAREE. I am starting to sound like one of the 'old' Chiefs from 25 years ago telling 'BONNIE' or 'TRIBAL' stories!!!!!
I better go take my teeth out now and go for a nap!!!!!!


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## Colin Parkinson (17 Nov 2009)

Here is a video of the HMCS Saskatchewan, it's a long video and takes time to load.

http://www.vimeo.com/7567765


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## MasterInstructor (1 Dec 2009)

Here is a lot more pictures/videos

 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18857408365

If you are in Vancouver and would like to help out on the ship for cleaning etc You can! More details on the link. 

As a local dive instructor , I am looking forward to sinking of HMCS Annapolis!


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## Colin Parkinson (5 Jan 2015)

Since 1989, the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) has sunk
more ships to create marine habitat than any other non-profit group in the world.
Today we are announcing that we are moving forward with plans to sink the
former HMCS Annapolis, a 366 foot (110 meter) helicopter-carrying destroyerescort
to create an artificial reef in Halkett Bay Marine Provincial Park on
Gambier Island, British Columbia. This involves two steps:
The ship will be towed from Long Bay, also known as Port Graves, to
neighboring Halkett Bay on January 13, 2015 for anchoring over the sink site.
Final preparations will be made before sinking on Saturday January 17, 2015.
The sinking is expected to take place in the late morning and is a weather
dependent event, we advise watching our web site for updates. The viewing
public is welcome to attend via water craft from an establish stand-off distance.
Leading up to the sinking, the Annapolis has been meticulously cleaned of
hazardous and pollutant materials in compliance with federal regulations and an
estimated 250 tons of materials--almost everything but the steel hull and
aluminum super structure will have been recycled.
The ship was purchased from the Federal Government in 2008 with the intent to
making this the largest artificial reef in the Greater Vancouver area. In the past,
BC Parks placed a number of smaller artificial reef structures in other provincial
marine parks such as Porteau Cove Provincial Park. The Annapolis will be the
second vessel prepared and gifted to BC Parks, the first being the GB Church,
sunk in 1990 at Princess Margaret Park, Portland Island BC. ( now part of the
Gulf Islands National Parks Reserve).
2
Howie Robins, President of the ARSBC, commented:
“We are deeply appreciative to all our volunteers for their hard work and dedication to the Project. And a special thanks to the many who remained confident in our determination during the more difficult periods of the Project”.
Annapolis has been the most complicated and most controversial project ever undertaken by the Reef Society. Starting with the stock market correction in 2008 and the rapid fall of recycling metal values which undermined the economics of the project, we also encountered changing federal government regulations, emerging environmental concerns, and erroneous legal challenges. These all forced the Project timelines and costs to be extended. The Project has consumed over 17,000 person-hours on the part of over 1,000 volunteers who came out to complete the preparatory work on the ship.
Robins added, “The project is now moving rapidly into its final phase of readiness. We successfully navigated through all the obstacles and now have all the required federal and provincial permits in place and the legal challenges dismissed in federal court”.
Once sunk, the Annapolis will be the most comprehensively prepared man-made reef anywhere in the world, in terms of environmental cleanliness. The Annapolis will provide a unique recreational diving experience for all diver skill levels, and will be a strong tourism draw due to its close proximity to Greater Vancouver.
The Reef Society have sunk an impressive fleet of seven underwater marine habitats/tourism attractions in BC coastal waters, including five large former naval vessels, a coastal freighter that participated in the D-day landings, and the world’s first intact Boeing 737 passenger jet, mounted on a cradle support system.
The artificial reef program, by virtue of its international visibility, has made a major contribution to dive tourism in BC by bringing international media attention, and in turn divers, to the Province’s superb diving conditions. These projects quickly attract an impressive variety of marine life. Biological reviews on the Boeing 737 sunk in Chemainus BC in 2006 documented the accumulation of over 110 species of marine life in just the first two years after sinking. This is similar to the ships that were sunk.
“The ARSBC’s mandate is to create long term sustainable marine habitat using ethical means of vessel preparation helping promote eco-dive adventure tourism. It’s good for the small businesses, the economy, the environment, and the province as a whole,” commented Doug Pemberton, ARSBC Vice President.


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## CougarKing (5 Jan 2015)

You forgot the source for the above article:

http://seaproof.tv/hmcs-annapolis-to-sink-january-17th-2015/


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## Nfld Sapper (4 Apr 2015)

HMCS Annapolis to be sunk today to make artificial reef
Artificial Reef Society of B.C. has been working to sink the ship since 2008
CBC News Posted: Apr 04, 2015 9:59 AM PT Last Updated: Apr 04, 2015 12:29 PM PT


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## daftandbarmy (4 Apr 2015)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> HMCS Annapolis to be sunk today to make artificial reef
> Artificial Reef Society of B.C. has been working to sink the ship since 2008
> CBC News Posted: Apr 04, 2015 9:59 AM PT Last Updated: Apr 04, 2015 12:29 PM PT



Oh goodie!

That's the only one I haven't dived on yet.... I hope they don't mess it up, like the Chaudière  :facepalm:


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## Occam (4 Apr 2015)

Sinking video


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## daftandbarmy (4 Apr 2015)

Occam said:
			
		

> Sinking video



WOW... that looks just about perfect


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## GreenWood (4 Apr 2015)

Thanks for the video!  ;D


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