Foundation Maritime: Salvaging HMCS QUINTE

Commissioned on August 30, 1941, the Bangor-class minesweeper HMCS QUINTE was essentially brand new and had undergone a recent refit in Lunenburg in late 1942 when she ran aground and had to be "beached" - at some point she seems to have additionally capsized and sunk in the St. Peter's Canal. Foundation Maritime deployed to salvage the wreck, but winter apparently set in and the canal froze over before work could begin in earnest.

QUINTE lies on her side in the frozen waters of the St. Peter's Canal. The salvage operation has begun, and righting masts with block and tackle have been set up on the pier to begin righting the ship. This photo looks to the south.

The salvage operation began with the ship up against the sea wall on the east side of the canal entrance. The ship was lying on her port side with the bow pointed to the north, up into the canal.

Looking to the north, a man stands on a gangway rigged from the pier to the wreck. Tackle rigged to the righting masts is already connected to the ship.

The ship is sitting on the bottom in these photos, and her exposed sides and deck would have been subject to the rise and fall of the tides - with all the ice present, this probably contributed to scouring paint from the hull.

QUINTE still on her side, with her starboard lifeboat davits pointing up into the air. The ground is still covered in snow in this image.

The tug that supported the operation at this stage was the Saint-class Ocean Eagle - a Canadian Government asset at this time, and formerly Royal Navy tug St. Arvans, she had been placed under the operational control of Foundation Maritime during the war.

Though ice remains in the canal, snow cover on the ground itself is receding, and Foundation Maritime has managed to maneuver the crane barge Foundation Scarboro into position alongside the now-righted wreck. Operated during the war by Foundation Maritime, the government tug Ocean Eagle can be seen to the right of the image. Foundation Scarboro's shear legs are in the stowed position in this photo - folded down onto the deck on the right side of the barge.

The masts and tackle are still in position after righting the wreck, though she has not yet been refloated. If is hard to tell if the wreck has already been relocated, or if some of the photos have been reversed, because she is now port side-to the pier as opposed to starboard side-to in the previous photos. I am assuming they would not have relocated the righting masts, so I believe this photo is mirrored - the opposite side of the canal in this photo should be the west side.

Once QUINTE was back on a more or less even keel, she was refloated. Presumably Foundation Scarboro's participation would have been critical to this state of the operation.

Now refloated, QUINTE is rafted outside Foundation Scarboro on the west side of the canal entrance, the latter with her shear legs now deployed. Ocean Eagle can be seen in the background. The righting masts can still be seen erected on the east (near) side of the canal.

Apart from the removal of a minesweeper wreck, this end of the St. Peter's Canal hasn't changed that much over the years - the sea wall is still there, and you can see the knuckles in the edge in these Google Map Streetview images to locate the action all those years ago. In fact, the house in the background appearing between the shear legs on Foundation Scarboro still appears in the Streetview image here. 

QUINTE alongside Foundation Scarboro on the west side of the canal. The house in the background right of the image still exists and can be seen in the Google Streetview link above.

A close-up of the now-refloated QUINTE, looking rather the worse for wear after her ordeal. This is the starboard side of the ship, which would have been exposed to tidal action and ice, and presumably the paint has been partially scoured off - although I am unable to immediately find a photo of QUINTE taken before her sinking, so I don't know what her paint scheme would have been - but the camouflage applied during the war tended to consist of lighter colours in order to blend in on the horizon.

After completing the salvage operation in 1943, QUINTE was towed to the Foundation Maritime-operated Pictou Shipyard, where she was repaired by 1944, and then she spent the rest of the war as a training ship attached to the HMCS CORNWALLIS training base in Digby, NS. Although the Bangors had been built with enclosed bridges, it would appear that QUINTE's new training role demanded an open bridge modeled along the lines of the Flower-class corvette, and she appears to have received a new armament outfit as well, at least as compared to her contemporary sisterships.

In 1946, she briefly operated with the Naval Research Establishment in Halifax, but paid off by October 25th of that year. All this might seem like a lot of work for little return, as QUINTE was scrapped in Sydney, NS, in 1947. But then, salt water has a bad effect on electrical wiring, and perhaps problems were beginning to surface - certainly, if her history was known, she would not have been among the first to be purchased by other navies after the war.

The entire incident seems to have been relatively unknown, to the extent that at least one RCN ship historian wasn't even sure that it had occurred - until I was able to produce the photos. And the only reason I myself had the photos was because I was able to access the archives of the Foundation Company of Canada in Toronto, thanks to the kind assistance of Harold Beswick, who combed the archives, collected anything he found of interest and couriered it to me in Nova Scotia, and then received it back when I was finished scanning it. I learned just last week that Harold passed away on April 10th, at the age of 87. So if you've read this and enjoyed it, please say a little thank-you to Harold.

Salvage of the Maplebranch

On August 13th 1934, the Royal Navy's Danae-class cruiser HMS DRAGON was entering the Market Basin in the Port of Montreal. While trying to avoid contact with a third vessel, the also-maneuvering Saguenay Trader, DRAGON came into contact with the oil bunkering tanker Maplebranch, causing the latter to sink. At least, that was the defence provided by DRAGON's commanding officer, Frederic Wake-Walker, when he was later sued (successfully) by Maplebranch's owners. 

A partially-sunken Maplebranch sitting alongside in the Market Basin, with the offending HMS DRAGON in the background.

Maplebranch viewed from aft. 

The salvage was contracted to Foundation Maritime. Already sitting on the bottom and completely full of water, the salvage was somewhat involved. As the wreck was taking up valuable space in the port, there would presumably have been considerable pressure to remove it quickly. 

Salvage crews went about building a cofferdam around the ship so that the wreck could be pumped out and re-floated. 

With a cofferdam constructed around the aft end of Maplebranch, pumping begins. 

A barge consisting of a platform constructed on two large pontoons supports what I assume is an air compressor used in the salvage.

Another view of the cofferdam around the aft end of the ship and ongoing pumping operations.

Maplebranch returning to the surface as pumping continues.

The view from the other side of the channel. The deep sea salvage tug Foundation Franklin can be seen to the right of the image, behind Maplebranch. 

Once refloated, Maplebranch was taken in tow by two smaller harbour tugs.

Maplebranch now afloat, and being moved by two tugs.

Unfortunately, I am unable to find any further online information on Maplebranch herself, neither photos of her from before the sinking, nor whether she returned to service after this incident or was subsequently scrapped. 

In searching, however, I did learn about HMS DRAGON's then-commander, Frederic Wake-Walker. (links go to Wikipedia). The collision with Maplebranch did not end his career; on the contrary, from 1938-39 he was in command of the battleship HMS REVENGE, and he achieved flag rank as rear-admiral commanding the 12th Cruiser Squadron. He was later appointed rear-admiral in command of all vessels off the Franco-Belgium coast during the evacuation of Dunkirk, and later still was appointed commander of the 1st Cruiser Squadron, during which time he was deeply involved in the hunt for the Bismarck. He was promoted to admiral in May 1945, but died unexpectedly in September of that same year. 

Unconnected to all of this, but of local interest, REVENGE was a frequent visitor to Halifax over the years, and in 1940 (under a subsequent commander) she managed to run down (and sink) the Battle-class trawler HMCS YPRES, then being used as a gate vessel for opening and closing the submarine nets across the mouth of the harbour. 

Goodbye to schooner "Sorca"

The Nova Scotia-built wooden schooner Sorca is reported to have sunk today about 287 kilometres southeast of Halifax, while on her way to Bermuda. The CBC is reporting that all four crew members were rescued after the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre received a distress call around 12:30 a.m.

(CBC has an updated story after interviewing the rescued crew.)

Built in Lunenburg in 1978 by Murray Stevens, Sorca was scheduled to participate in the RDV2017 Tall Ships regatta, which will stop in Halifax between July 29 and August 1.

I believe I first managed to photograph Sorca in June 2013.

In the harbour, with the Georges Island (left) and McNab's Island (right) lighthouses in the background.

Alongside at Bishop's Landing.

I'm a sucker for nice reflection.

I think the last time I managed to photograph Sorca was in July 2015, when she was alongside in front of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax.

The sky was grey, and conditions for photography weren't quite as nice as in 2013.

These photos will just have to do, because it doesn't look like I will get another opportunity.

Ex-HMCS CORMORANT - Still capsized

Work still continues on ex-HMCS CORMORANT, however, she is still capsized at the former government wharf in Bridgewater, NS. She isn't looking that much different this past weekend than she was back in March when I first photographed her predicament.

Here are four photos from the weekend for your viewing pleasure (and/or disgust):

Port forward quarter. 

From aft.

Aft port quarter.

Broadside view.

A Canadian Coast Guard launch is still present to maintain the pollution control boom, and I understand that work is progressing inside the ship to remove contaminants before they can enter the LaHave River.