http://www.lookoutnewspaper.com/archive/20060814/index.shtml
Here is the story in today's Lookout
First Orca training vessel nearing completion
Melissa Atkinson
Lookout Editor
August 14, 2006
Last Tuesday, RAdm Roger Girouard rapped his knuckles on the hull of the first Orca Class vessel being built at Victoria Shipyards. The ping of metal that resounded was a reminder the 33-metre training vessel will soon replace the antiquated, wooden hull Yard Auxiliary General (YAG) 300 series.
Victoria Shipyards won the $67.9-million contract to build six Orca class vessels. The small ceremony on the Public Works graving dock jetty, complete with the smashing of champagne on the hull, was a lead up to the Orca being launched the next day. While the first Orca will not be ready to hand over to the navy until November, it needed to go waterside to make room on the jetty for the next vessel.
In attendance were dozens of shipyard workers; Malcolm Barker, General Manager of Victoria Shipyards; Capt(N) Bill Truelove, Commander Maritime Operations Group Four; Cdr Kurt Salchert, Commanding Officer of the Naval Officer Training Centre, Venture; and three junior personnel: Sea Cadet Cory Thomson, A/SLt Melissa Knight and MS Tyson King.
“The young officers, cadets and reservists are going to have a hull and capability that is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor,” said the Admiral to the crowd.
The new training platform, primarily for regular and reserve junior officers, has a large, enclosed bridge that is four times bigger than the YAG. Three consoles for navigation, propulsion and damage control will provide the means for Maritime Surface and Subsurface (MARS) officers to hone their bridgemanship and navigational skills.
A/SLt Knight’s eyes lit up when she toured the Orca. She completed her MARS III training in the YAGs, but wished she had a chance to train in the new vessel.
“This is going to make MARS III training phenomenal,”she said. “It has everything we need. The YAG was so disjointed. The radar was below and the bridge was open.”
She says having the radar readily accessible aids in getting the overall marine picture quickly and more accurately, and reflects what she’ll find on the bridge of a warship. Having an enclosed bridge with an unobstructed 360-degree view will greatly add to crew comfort, allowing them to focus on the job of navigating, she added.
MS King described it as “going from a steam ship to a frigate, from old age to state-of-the art.”
The Orca can reach speeds over 18 knots with its twin Caterpillar engines; that’s almost double that of the YAG. It has an endurance of 660 nautical miles before the fuel tank hits “E”. The decks are lined with a fire retardant and acoustic dampening substance.
But the most noticeable difference between the Orca and YAG are the accommodations. With accommodations for 20 personnel (four crew plus 16 students) in three crew cabins and three larger student cabins, the improvement in comfort levels is impressive. Compared to the YAGs’ lone toilet and lack of showers, the Orca boasts five “heads”, five showers, and five washbasins, split between male and female sailors.
For decades the 50-year-old YAGS have served as a training platform for MARS officers and sailors in the early stages of their training. But high maintenance costs and outdated equipment have forced them into retirement. Over the next three years, each YAG will be replaced by a new Orca.
(In the article they state 6 Orcas, I have seen documents that state we have picked up the option for the other 2 for a total of 8.
