Bow Roll-Out of future HMCS HARRY DEWOLFE

Construction on the future HMCS HARRY DEWOLFE continues at the Halifax Shipyard, with the bow rolled out and aligned with the middle and aft mega-blocks on December 8th. The bow will now be connected to the rest of the hull, and work will continue inside the ship to ready it for a scheduled 2018 launch. The shipyard hired someone with a drone to get some nice aerial shots of the roll out - I don't have such deep pockets.

Despite the rainy weekend, there was a brief clearing on Sunday afternoon, and I managed to get a few photos. The Shipyard doesn't make it easy, and I had to frame the photos through the chain link fence.

I'm hoping that the current paint is only the primer, and the ship will receive a standard shipside grey and blue antifouling like the rest of the fleet.

The rain at least provided the opportunity for some reflections.

It is most inconvenient that a block wall, trailers, and a light standard are in the way of my photos.

I think the Harry Dewolfe will be the first ship commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy that will carry a bow thruster right from the builder's yard. The MCDVs were designed to accept a bow thruster if required, but never received one. PROTECTEUR and PRESERVER both received bow thrusters during refits. The ship's icebreaking bow is apparent here. I'm a bit surprised the anchor drops so close to the waterline, and hope it isn't too exposed to damage from ice.

The rudder is fitted, but the propellers are missing. The hydraulic crane for launching the ship's boats has been fitted over the transom.