HMCS HARRY DEWOLF (AOPV 430) returns from her circum-Newfoundland cruise

Upon seeing that HARRY DEWOLF was entering Halifax Harbour yesterday morning, and not having any meetings on my calendar, I was able to nip down to Alderney Landing to take a few photos. The weather did not cooperate, starting off with light fog and ending with actual rain.

HARRY DEWOLF just rounding George's Island with McNab's Island in the background and a Canadian Coast Guard Bell 412 helicopter in the background.

One of the Glen tugs approaches HARRY DEWOLF as a CCG RHIB speeds by in the foreground.

HARRY DEWOLF with George's Island in the background.

It was at this point that the rain started, which supplanted the fog in degrading my image quality.

At this point, I think I got a single shot off before rain coated my front filter, and I had to retreat to the back of the car to clean it off.

HARRY DEWOLF passing in front of MV Asterix.

As the first of a new class of Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPV), the Navy has been putting HARRY DEWOLF through her paces both in Bedford Basin and at sea, with her most recent cruise a counterclockwise circumnavigation of Newfoundland that also took her into the Northumberland Strait where she had a photo op with the Confederation Bridge. With a planned Arctic passage in 2021, all her systems need to be certified and the crew needs to be well familiar with the ship. It is also a time to root out any inevitable bugs and deficiencies, like some recent fuel pump failures, which presumably need to be fixed under warranty by the shipyard. 

Harbour Fog and HMCS ST. JOHN's return from NATO

Warm temperatures and high humidity over the last week have joined to create some impressive mists and fogs, and the view on this morning's commute to work on the ferry was accordingly somewhat obscured. There were a number of fog horns at work in the harbour, including those of the harbour ferries. (A drive down Highway 103 late this afternoon was also suitably impressive.)

Ferry Viola Desmond heading for Woodside.

This complicated my aim this morning of photographing the return of HMCS ST. JOHN'S, which was arriving in Halifax for the first time after a six-month NATO tour. Although I could see her approach on the Marine Traffic app, the ship herself was completely obscured. 

I had hoped that ST. JOHN'S would pass west of George's Island, as I had clear sight out through that channel, whereas the fog was mostly concentrated on the east side of the harbour. However, she stubbornly stuck to the eastern channel. In the end, I was rewarded with an imposing view of ST. JOHN'S in the fog, but for a while I was worried I would miss her entirely.

For instance, I could see Holland America Line's Veendam just fine out through the western channel.

I even got my obligatory shot of Veendam with the George's Island lighthouse.

Even when the fog thickened up again, I could still see Veendam just fine.

I also got to capture this cormorant taking off.

Admittedly, despite being able to see Veendam, the image quality suffered - heat coming off the water on hot days tends to play havoc with the optical qualities of the air when using telephoto lenses, and if you zoom in on the ship you can plainly see the degradation. But the images look fine here, at least.

Just when I was about to give up on ST. JOHN'S, a shadow started to appear out of the fog behind the Vincent Coleman, itself returning from the Woodside terminal.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S finally makes an appearance.

Although the fog is obscuring the ship, it is also obscuring Dartmouth, so there's that. (Nothing against Dartmouth, but the former refinery area is not exactly picturesque, and I prefer to have mostly blank backgrounds for my ship images, when possible, to avoid confusing the outline of the ship.)

If you look closely, you can make out the crew lined up on the foc'st'le.

ST. JOHN'S proceeded up the harbour and alongside her jetty in HMC Dockyard, where her crew and their families were reunited. Welcome back, 340!

Battle of the Atlantic Sunday - 2017

After several years of sunny weather on the first Sunday in May, I suppose it was time for some typically Nova Scotian weather to accompany the Battle of the Atlantic Sunday service. Halifax Harbour was socked in with thick fog, lifting only occasionally to reveal other ships in the Dockyard and the Macdonald Bridge.

HMCS MONTREAL in the fog.

As with last year, the service was held onboard HMCS MONTREAL, but unlike last year, the attendees were crammed like sardines into MONTREAL's helicopter hangar. Because of the wind, rain, and limited visibility, MONTREAL remained alongside for the entire service. Although the ashes of those to be committed were present for the service, the committal itself will occur at a later date, and the families of the deceased may or may not have the opportunity to be present depending on what arrangements are made at the time. The ashes of veterans are sometimes committed to the sea when the opportunity arises (and a ship is available) and it is not always possible to have the families present.

With the hangar so crowded, it was not possible to move around easily taking photos, without getting in the way of family members attending the service (or smacking them in the head with my camera bag, which is apparently bad form). Those of us photographers present spent most of our time just outside the hangar shooting the service from the front, trying to stay out of each other's way, while aiming for good angles of the proceedings.

Due to time constraints, I will largely present the photos of the service without further commentary:

The command staff salute during the singing of 'O Canada'.

The hangar was very crowded, making it difficult to move around.

Cdr. Chris Sherban addresses the attendees. 

LCdr. (Ret'd) Jim Reddy.

MONTREAL's kisbee ring, with the ensign at half-mast.

CNMT member Graham McBride stands by the ashes of veterans to be committed. 

Padre singing a hymn.

Raindrops on MONTREAL's bell.

Command staff of HMCS MONTREAL, from left to right: CPO1 Stan Ryan, LCdr Kevin Nolan, and Cdr Chris Sherban.

After the service, the ensign was hauled all the way back up.

Photos this week: October 1-7

I will start with the weekend, during which I managed to pop over to Lunenburg to see the sights there. This sailboat was sitting in her cradle next to the old Smith & Rhuland shed, which appears in the background.

I also caught up with the Blue Dream Project schooner, now named Mahayana, which was launched this summer and is being completed alongside a wharf in front of the old Smith & Rhuland shed where she was built.

Mahayana alongside a Lunenburg Wharf, with the Smith & Rhuland shed in the background.

The work week started out a bit rainy, and Monday was a bit of a loss for photos, however Tuesday was sunny again and made up for it with HMCS ST. JOHN'S getting her feet wet again after a maintenance period on the Syncrolift. The speed of the process took me by surprise a bit, in that I took too long getting my camera out to capture her with the keel blocks still showing.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S being lowered back into the water.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S being lowered back into the water.

By the end of the day when I returned to Dartmouth on the ferry, ST. JOHN'S was once again alongside one of the jetties.

Speaking of frigates on the Syncrolift, I should share a view of VILLE DE QUEBEC on the lift some years ago, from a slightly different (and more impressive) viewing angle.

VILLE DE QUEBEC on the Syncrolift. I don't remember how I got close enough to get this angle.

Wednesday brought with it a terrific fog that replicated the sea smoke that one normally expects in the dead of winter with temperatures of -17 Celsius or so. I turned around just at the right time to see HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC sneaking out of the fog bank.

HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC.

HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC. Look carefully for the RHIB to the left of the photo.

Silhouetted against the rising sun and casting shadows in the fog, VILLE DE QUEBEC continued up the harbour and went to anchor.

VILLE DE QUEBEC at anchor.

Around the same time that morning, I captured an image I am calling "Last of the Old Guard": ATHABASKAN and PRESERVER are the only two HMC warships remaining to have been commissioned into the RCN before 1992 (I am being careful to specify warships here, because sail training vessel HMCS ORIOLE was commissioned in the 1950s), when the namesake ships of the HALIFAX class commissioned.

Last of the Old Guard: HMC Ships ATHABASKAN and PRESERVER. Despite the fog hiding the background, the sun is cutting through and illuminating both ships - a lucky catch!

Although a jetty queen and unable to go to sea due to corrosion issues in the hull, PRESERVER is nevertheless still in commission, but is due to be paid off on October 21, 2016. She has been used for alongside refueling in recent years. ATHABASKAN is scheduled to follow her in Spring 2017, the last of the IROQUOIS class destroyers to leave service.

From Cable Wharf I managed to get this shot of the Woodside Ferry heading to Dartmouth with the sun burning its way through the fog and cloud.

Sun, ferry, & fog. The sun is reminding me of the moon in this shot for some reason.

A day or two later, the sun cooperated for me and I caught it shining through the gun shield on HMCS SACKVILLE. 

HMCS SACKVILLE.

Cruise ship traffic continued unabated this week, with a total of five visiting on Friday, of which I only managed to photograph three.

Seven Seas Mariner appearing from behind George's Island.

Serenade of the Seas, Seven Seas Mariner, and Caribbean Princess.

Serenade of the Seas and Seven Seas Mariner.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend, everyone!