• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

HMCS Provider

I've probably done 500 fuellings off the Provider during my years, 1981-1991 in the Navy. Does anyone else remember the old tale of her going through the panama canal back in the 70's with a wooden gun on her Forecastle, to prevent having to pay passage fees? Any merit to it?

Mike
 
FMRMSNESOP said:
I've probably done 500 fuellings off the Provider during my years, 1981-1991 in the Navy. Does anyone else remember the old tale of her going through the panama canal back in the 70's with a wooden gun on her Forecastle, to prevent having to pay passage fees? Any merit to it?

Mike

Heard the same thing too.  What did you do?  Go down for the Rose Festival and stay?
 
Yeah, pretty much. I had a boss that was trying desperately to run me out. I had met a woman here at Rose festival, and after a year, got out and moved here. Can't say I don't regret the career decision, but I don't regret the marriage or moving here. Last weekend, I was in Esquimalt for a buddy's retirement party. He joined 3 months before I did.

Mike
 
- Last weekend, I was in Esquimalt for a buddy's retirement party. He joined 3 months before I did.


By chance, are your buddy's initials PH?

whiskey601
 
Actually no, his initials were R.H., but I know who PH is. He's a C1 at Sea-training. We were both MasterSeamen together on the Rusty-guts.

Mike
 
I was at Davie shipyard when Provider was being built and can assure you it was built from scratch for the Navy and was not in any respect a converson. It had a big honkin Navy crest built into the bow during build.  The RAS equipment was ordered by the yard from Scotland with long lead times before installed onboard as were  much of the engineering equipment.  She was built with a flight deck and big honking aircraft hanger and huge dry & refridgerated  storerooms plus ammunition magazines in addition to fuel tanks so was of Naval construction from the start.

Cheers Stoney.
 
Dolphin_Hunter said:
I have sailed with this ship out east numerous times, it was a very ugly ship to say the least, but it was capable of hauling a big load of fuel.

I was wondering if there is any truth to the stories that I always hear.  The story of it being a civilian vessel which was then converted after the fact to a Naval supply ship.  All my research so far indicates the complete opposite, that it was a naval design from the beginning.  I have also read that it had a crew of 192?  And our current Protecteur class are crewed at around 300?

Thanks
she crewed 11 officers and 131 men . i sailed on her from 83-86 
 
Back
Top