HMCS Fredericton Collides with USNS Kanawha

[yoman]

No injuries after Canadian frigate collides with U.S. ship

The Canadian Press

Date: Friday Nov. 19, 2010 11:04 AM ET

HALIFAX — The Canadian navy says one of its frigates and an American navy ship both suffered minor damage after a collision off the coast of Florida.

The Canadian Forces says HMCS Fredericton "briefly came into contact" with USNS Kanawha during a routine manoeuvre.

The Forces says there were no injuries, but both ships suffered "superficial" damage consisting of scrapes and dents on both hulls.

The cause of the collision, during a replenishment-at-sea manoeuvre, is under investigation.

Such a manoeuvre involves one ship taking on fuel and other supplies from another while both ships are in motion.

Both ships are involved in an exercise taking place off the east coasts of Canada and the United States for most of November.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20101119/navy-collision-101119/

I'm glad no one got hurt and that the damage appears to be minor.

 

[Occam]

Scary stuff.  I've been on a destroyer's top part ship as comm number for fueling party when things start to go wrong.  I recall one instance where I was standing around with my headset minding my own business, when I looked around to find out that I was the only one left, and I was being pulled by the headset cord by the RAS team leader back to safety, as the refuelling ship loomed large.  The skipper managed to pull that one out of the gutter, but it was close.

When things go wrong, they go wrong in a big way.  Back in '88, HMCS Preserver's starboard anchor tore a gash right down the port side of HMS Penelope during a RAS when the Penelope's steering failed.  Millions of dollars worth of damage, and the Brits very nearly lost the ship.  I suspect the very same thing could've happened to the Freddy had the right actions not been taken.

edit: fix typo

 

[NavyShooter]

Glad to hear no-one's been injured.

Paint can be fixed, stanchions can be welded. 

NS

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Occam: It was actually an engine telegraph failure on PENELOPE. Her outboard tel. got stuck at "Full ahead" and of course, the engine room responded, surging her ahead and across PRESERVER's bow. PRESERVER's captain ordered full astern and, though not strictly correct, hard a port as soon as IROQUOIS who was almost finished approaching cleared the way. This and the fact that our AOR's don't have a bulbous bow probably saved PENELOPE, which got rolled over to about 60 degrees.

The video used to be compulsory viewing at DC/FF school. I don't know if it still is.

This one sounds like Freddy got caught in a pressure zone "suck-in" incident.

Hope nobody got hurt too badly on deck (they don't usually report 'minor" injuries - in the PENELOPE incident, there were four or five if I recall correctly that were injured from the returning tensioned gear).

 

[Navalsnpr]

Well the current marine weather around Florida has 'significant' wave height and winds at the 15+ knots.  Always so many factors that could contribute to the 'kiss'.

At the end of the day, if it's considered minor and there were no casualties, then I echo was NavyShooter stated.

Plus the word "Collide", sells papers more than bump/kiss/touch

 

[Wilshire Blvd.]

Plus the word "Collide", sells papers more than bump/kiss/touch

I guess it depends on the type of papers you are trying to sell.  >

 

[jollyjacktar]

I was under the understanding that PENELOPE was effectively written off following that incident as her keel was screwed.

 

[Stoker]

I believe she was sold to Ecuadorian Navy in 1991 and renamed the B.E.A. Presidente Alfaro. She sailed up until 2008.

 

[Navalsnpr]

In my opinion, most news agencies have turned into tabloids.