Two Canadian warships collide during exercise manoeuvres en route to Hawaii

[GAP]

Two Canadian warships collide during exercise manoeuvres en route to Hawaii
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/two-canadian-warships-collide-during-exercise-manoeuvres-en-route-to-hawaii-221905591.html
By: The Canadian Press



ESQUIMALT, B.C. - Two Canadian warships are returning to port in Esquimalt, B.C. after colliding during manoeuvres while en route to Hawaii.

No one was hurt, but a Defence Department statement says HMCS Algonquin sustained significant damage to her port side hangar while HMCS Protecteur sustained damage of a lesser degree to her bow.

The statement says the ships were conducting towing exercises, which require close-quarters manoeuvring, when the collision occurred late Friday morning.

The ships are expected to return to Esquimalt harbour this afternoon.

Commodore Bob Auchterlonie, Commander of Canadian Fleet Pacific, said a Royal Canadian Navy Board of Inquiry would be convened to fully investigate the incident.

The Navy says that while the full impact on the ships' future sailing schedules has yet to be determined, HMCS Algonquin will no longer deploy to Asia Pacific region as planned.
end

 

[Grunt_031]

This is why we can"t have nice things!

 

[Navy_Pete]

Hopefully no one was hurt, but I guess that means the RCN antique traveling road show tour is over.  Will be interesting to see the damage; the PRO bow is pretty heavily reinforced, and the ALG hangar is aluminum for weight reduction.  Imagine some will start popping up as they get into Esq.

 

[vonGarvin]

Significant damage, I'd say.

 

[hugh19]

Pro's bow

 

[Navy_Pete]

Only in 2013 would the first pictures come out on MARPAC's facebook page.

On the plus side they had no reported injuries. 

The metalwork will be relatively easy; the wiring reruns are probably going to take longer as there are restrictions on splicing cables.  Still, wow.

Ironically everyone was joking that one of the ships wouldn't make it back on their own steam, but didn't think it would end while they were practicing a tow approach. :facepalm:

 

[jollyjacktar]

That, is going to be expensive to fix.  PRO tis but a scratch, ALG will take some time.  Glad no one was hurt.  When things go wrong like this it is usually spectacular.  I imagine the Zoomies will be shaking in their boots for some time to come at the memory. 

 

[Good2Golf]

Glad everyone is alright.  Some interesting geometry on the damage path on ALQ...almost sinusoidal.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Glad everyone is alright.  Some interesting geometry on the damage path on ALQ...almost sinusoidal.

Looks like about... A 2 metre sea....

 

[Good2Golf]

Looks like about... A 2 metre sea....

Sea State 4, then (-ish, thereabouts)?  I always thought the Pacific had longer periodicity than what it looks like from ALQ's hangar...

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Depends on the fetch...

 

[Journeyman]

...almost sinusoidal.

... longer periodicity ...

Is that Big Bang Theory marathon this weekend?   

 

[Michael OLeary]

Is that Big Bang Theory marathon this weekend?   

Are you referencing the sinusoidal periodicity of Penny's prow.  ;D

 

[Old Sweat]

If I can add my little bit of geekishness to the discussion, is there any way of determining the effective difference in speed between the ships and the angle of contact from the damage, or is that constructed from examination of recorded data? Am I correct in assuming there are three sets of data to be correlated - the sea state and direction of the wave movement and wind and the heading and speed of both ships?

I'll bet a whole bunch of big navy words will get trotted out in the next few days.

 

[Towards_the_gap]

Question: Will the drivers (helmspersons???) have their 404's taken away and have to give a 5 minute safety talk before driving the boat again?

 

[Good2Golf]

Perhaps some of our colleagues from the Senior Service could give some general (not looking for judgements as to what may have happened between PRO and ALQ) information on how large warships go about towing each other?  Thanks in advance.

Yours, aye.
G2G

p.s. AIS shows PRO making a good 12 knots back home, about 6 hrs from dockyards, so mechanically she seems to be okay.

 

[George Wallace]

Question: Will the drivers (helmspersons???) have their 404's taken away and have to give a 5 minute safety talk before driving the boat again?

Would a SBC be necessary as well?






Safe Backing Course

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Perhaps some of our colleagues from the Senior Service could give some general (not looking for judgements as to what may have happened between PRO and ALQ) information on how large warships go about towing each other?  Thanks in advance.

Yours, aye.
G2G

p.s. AIS shows PRO making a good 12 knots back home, about 6 hrs from dockyards, so mechanically she seems to be okay.

From recollection, a tow approach is conducted with one ship dead in the water, simulating an engineering casualty.  The other ship makes a very shallow, very close approach to the bow of the first ship, with the aim of ending up stopping just in front of the first vessel so that towing gear can be hooked up.

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

From cbc.ca

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/08/31/canada-warship-collision-hmcs-algonquin.html

"Two Canadian warships are returning to port in Esquimalt, B.C. after colliding during manoeuvres while en route to Hawaii."

 

[Old Sweat]

From recollection, a tow approach is conducted with one ship dead in the water, simulating an engineering casualty.  The other ship makes a very shallow, very close approach to the bow of the first ship, with the aim of ending up stopping just in front of the first vessel so that towing gear can be hooked up.

Is not that supported by the relatively minor damage from the collision to the hanger on ALQ as if PRO had been moving at any sort of speed, she could/would have caused more damage and might even have sunk ALQ?