HMCS Athabaskan

[Navy_Pete]

There seems to be a lot of misunderstandings with how refits work.  There is actually three phases;

Extended Working Period (EWP) 1 - preps the ship for the docking, gets all the comms/weapon systems off for repair, and takes all the crews gear off

Contractor Docking phase - all docking critical work done (paint, fix hull valves, etc) plus work on other mechanical systems (replace valves, pumps, other stuff that is hard to get at)

EWP2- comms/weapons put back on, misc 2nd line work completed

So there is always another 4-6months after the ship gets back from the yard before it's ready to go start all the trials, and always work left to get finished.  This one is a little different as it doesn't just get pulled across the harbour.

 

[Ziobrop]

Shipfax is reporting that the tow line parted today setting HMCS Athabaskan adrift of Scatrie Island, where the M/V Miner is grounded on shore.

Athabaskan was towed into Sydney by the backup tug Andre H, and is reported to be safe, though damaged.

Halifaxshippingnews.ca will be aggregating all reports at http://blog.halifaxshippingnews.ca/2012/12/athabaskan-tow-troubles.html?m=1

 

[jollyjacktar]

Man, she doesn't deserve shitty service like this.  More work for FMF I suppose.  :not-again:

 

[observor 69]

Apparently some damage was done to the ship says the Halifax CBC evening news at the 2.42 minute mark:


http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/NS/ID/2322699158/

 

[Stoker]

Apparently some damage was done to the ship says the Halifax CBC evening news at the 2.42 minute mark:


http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/NS/ID/2322699158/

Yes she sustained a number of hull perforations and some dents at the bow. I would say quite a repair bill. She's sitting along side now in North Sydney without power or shore services waiting for weather to improve.  I would imagine some repairs will have to be made before she can safely proceed to Halifax.

 

[Navy_Pete]

Aside from the photos on shifax, does anyone know if there are any others posted on flickr etc?  Curious what kind of damage happened.

 

[Stoker]

Aside from the photos on shifax, does anyone know if there are any others posted on flickr etc?  Curious what kind of damage happened.

None that I could find. The holes seem to pretty serious, perhaps some structural damage. I imagine the Navy will be sending people to inspect the damage.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Who foots the bill in a case like this?

 

[Stoker]

Who foots the bill in a case like this?

Hard to say the Navy didn't have custody of the vessel but the tow agreement may absolve any responsibility from the towing company. I would say the Navy is going to end of paying as it was a storm and thus an act of god.

Imagine if someone other than the tow company managed to get on board before they reestablished the tow, I think they could claim salvage rights.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Rgr tks. It could have been a lot worse I guess.
 

 

[dapaterson]

What is the current plan for the retirement of the Iroquois class destroyers?  Might this damage change those plans, and see her removed from service?

 

[Stoker]

What is the current plan for the retirement of the Iroquois class destroyers?  Might this damage change those plans, and see her removed from service?

Obviously I can't speak for the Navy, but I would imagine that it'll get repaired as many millions have been sunk into the refit and she will be a designated training platform eventually. Your right though that it doesn't help things and it could of been much much worse.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

What is the current plan for the retirement of the Iroquois class destroyers?  Might this damage change those plans, and see her removed from service?

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion at all. We do not know the full extent of damage but if it is limited to hull punctures and the like, that is repairable. Considering what was just done to her in Port Wellar, it would not make any sence to pack it in now.
It most definately will be however, very interesting to see what happens next.

BTW the plan for the class's retirement has been made though I don't think it has been made public yet.

Pat

 

[Navy_Pete]

Thanks Chief Stoker, didn't see any photos either except that one.

Damage actually didn't look too bad; in the grand scheme even worse case of having to replace some of the stiffeners as well as hull plating itself will be the easy part.  Pulling out and putting back all the interference items behind and redoing the paint will actually take just as long if not longer then the welding itself.  So unless there is additional damage below the waterline (doubtful, as the tugs all have those old tractor tires around the sides for clearance, hence the paint gone on the boot top) 

Normally there is 6 months after the docking to complete the refit work anyway (put weapons, comms etc back onboard) so might not even delay the normal tiered readiness program.

Think all these contracts have a standard insurance clause, so in theory should be covered (for a change).  But like all good insurance companies, probably not going to just hand over sacks of money.  Can see it turning out more like this;  :argument:

 

[cupper]

This may be a dumb question but:

Is it normal to not have any sort of crew on board during the tow?

 

[Pat in Halifax]

This may be a dumb question but:

Is it normal to not have any sort of crew on board during the tow?

No, it is not. (normal to have NO crew on board during a transit like this)

 

[Colin Parkinson]

With any luck the towers insurance will have to cover the damages.

 

[Navy_Pete]

No, it is not. (normal to have NO crew on board during a transit like this)

There is no 'normal' for something like this, going from the Welland canal, Lake Ontario, numerous locks, St. Lawrence, the gulf, then the North Atlantic isn't comparable to getting pulled across the harbour.  That's like comparing apples to rocks (ie not even a different kind of fruit).

Believe it was being towed as a dead barge (ie no power, heat etc) so it would not have been habitable.  Having it blacked out and unmanned actually decreases the risk in a way, as there is no way to have a fire from a generator or any other of the high powered electrical equipment, which is probably more likely then having a tug boat break down, considering full system tests hadn't been finished after extensive work being done.

Guess this is kind of like towing your car after a breakdown, then having the tow truck get in a fender bender.... the unlikely worst case scenarios have to happen once in a while!  Like that insurance commercial, where they were two suits giving percentages for likelyhood of fender benders etc to alien abduction, and it went from 0.000034% to 100% after a little green guy in a van snatched someone off the street, only in this case it's more embarrassing then funny.

 

[Stoker]

There is no 'normal' for something like this, going from the Welland canal, Lake Ontario, numerous locks, St. Lawrence, the gulf, then the North Atlantic isn't comparable to getting pulled across the harbour.  That's like comparing apples to rocks (ie not even a different kind of fruit).

Believe it was being towed as a dead barge (ie no power, heat etc) so it would not have been habitable.  Having it blacked out and unmanned actually decreases the risk in a way, as there is no way to have a fire from a generator or any other of the high powered electrical equipment, which is probably more likely then having a tug boat break down, considering full system tests hadn't been finished after extensive work being done.

Guess this is kind of like towing your car after a breakdown, then having the tow truck get in a fender bender.... the unlikely worst case scenarios have to happen once in a while!  Like that insurance commercial, where they were two suits giving percentages for likelyhood of fender benders etc to alien abduction, and it went from 0.000034% to 100% after a little green guy in a van snatched someone off the street, only in this case it's more embarrassing then funny.

Its also a liability issue to not have anyone on board, if something happens and there were Navy personnel on board it would probably affect the liability the tow company has for the damages.

 

[The Bread Guy]

.... via The Canadian Press:

A navy destroyer moored in Cape Breton has been damaged and was set adrift while under tow after problems arose with repair work carried out at an Ontario dockyard, the military said Thursday.

HMCS Athabaskan drifted for several hours off Scatarie Island on Friday after the tow line broke, said Capt. Doug Kierstead of the Royal Canadian Navy in Halifax.

Kierstead said there is damage to the hull behind the ship's identifying numbers, though he declined to say what the damage was and how it came about.

``At this point all I can say is that we are aware that there is damage visible,'' Kierstead said in an interview.

He said the vessel was supposed to have undergone a routine refit by the end of November last year and was expected to be capable of sailing after that work was completed at Seaway Marine and Industrial Inc. in Welland, Ont.

But Kierstead said the ship couldn't return to Halifax without assistance due to maintenance delays and other problems.

``The reason why Athabaskan is not returning under her own power is because there have been delays in some of the required maintenance and further unforeseen maintenance required,'' he said.

He said the ship will remain in Sydney harbour until the hull damage has been assessed and officers determine how to safely return it to Halifax to complete the refit and repair the latest damage ....