CCGS Penac

Last updated

History
Coastguard Flag of Canada.svgCanada
NamePenac
NamesakePenac means "fair winds" in the Saanich
Operator Canadian Coast Guard
Port of registry Ottawa, Ontario
Builder British Hovercraft Corporation, Cowes, England
Yard number820572
Launched1984
Acquired2004
Commissioned2004
Decommissioned2017
HomeportCCG Hovercraft Base Richmond, BC - Pacific Region
Identification
StatusDecommissioned
General characteristics
Type BHC AP1-88/BHT-130 hovercraft
Tonnage456  NT
Length25.4 m (83 ft 4 in)
Beam11.2 m (36 ft 9 in)
Propulsion2 × Deutz BF 12L513 diesel engines
Speed45 knots (83 km/h; 52 mph) maximum
Endurance1 day
Complement7

CCGS Penac was a Canadian Coast Guard AP1-88/100 air cushioned vehicle (ACV) or hovercraft and was based at CCG Hovercraft Base Richmond, British Columbia. The primary missions of Penac was search and rescue off the British Columbia Coast. The vessel was initially constructed in 1984 by the British Hovercraft Corporation for use as a passenger vessel in Copenhagen, Denmark as Lommen with Scandinavian Airlines (abbreviated SAS in the livery) and renamed Liv Viking just before the service began. Sold in 1997 after a bridge eliminated the vessel's need, the hovercraft was sold to Hovertravel for service on the Solent. However, the ACV never entered service and was acquired by the Canadian Coast Guard in 2004. Renamed Penac, the hovercraft remained in service until 2017.

Contents

Description

Penac was a BHC AP1-88/BHT-130 hovercraft, later designated by the Canadian Coast Guard as Type 100. [1] In civilian service the vessel was initially constructed of marine grade aluminium powered by four Deutz air-cooled marine diesel engines, using two for lift and two for propulsion. This design provided lower servicing costs than the gas turbines usually installed on ACVs as well as lower noise pollution. In a ferry role, the hovercraft measured 24.5 metres (80 ft 5 in) long with a beam of 11 m (36 ft 1 in) with capacity for 81 passengers with their luggage carried in containers to either side of the cabin. Passenger access was through a door to the rear of the superstructure. [2]

After reconstruction for the Canadian Coast Guard the ACV measured 25.4 m (83 ft 4 in) long with a beam of 11.2 m (36 ft 9 in) and constructed of aluminium. [3] Penac had a fully loaded displacement of 46.2  t (45.5 long tons ) [1] and was assessed at 456  net tonnage  (NT). [3] The hovercraft was powered by two Deutz BF 12L513 diesel engines creating 785 kilowatts (1,053  hp ) and two MTU 12V 183TB32 diesels creating 1.25 megawatts (1,680 hp) sustained [1] turning two controllable pitch propellers and bow thrusters. [3] This gave the vessel an initial maximum speed of 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph), [1] though this was later reduced to 45 knots (83 km/h; 52 mph) with a cruising speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). [3] Penac had a cruising range of 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) and could stay at sea for one day. The vessel was crewed by seven, including two officers. [3]

History

Constructed for passenger service by the British Hovercraft Corporation at Cowes, England in 1984, the vessel was originally named Lommen for service by Scandinavian Airlines between Copenhagen Airport, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden. [4] The ACV made the journey from England to Denmark under its own power taking five days. To maintain the hovercraft, a 1,845 m2 (19,860 sq ft) facility was constructed at Malmö adjoining a quay with a floating pontoon for docking. The facility was granted the status of an international airport. Lommen was renamed Liv Viking just before the hovercraft service began on 14 June. The hovercraft began developing mechanical problems soon after entering service, resulting in their pull from service for six weeks while the issue was sorted. The 1984/1985 winter was one of the coldest suffered by the region leading to Øresund freezing over and preventing other fast ferries from operating. The hovercraft, capable of travelling over ice, continued in service. [5]

However, the hovercraft was no longer needed after the opening of the Øresund Bridge, and the ACV was taken out of service and laid up for three years. Liv Viking was sold to Hovertravel in mid-1997 for service on the Solent. The vessel never saw service for Hovertravel and was instead sold on to Canada. [4] [6]

After being purchased by the Government of Canada in 2004 Liv Viking underwent a significant refit completed by Hoverwork Ltd. on the Isle of Wight, England and rebuilt to Canadian Coast Guard specifications. [7] The ACV was renamed Penac, which means "fair winds" in the language of the Saanich people. [3] Penac was based at CCG Hovercraft Base Richmond, British Columbia - Pacific Region and entered service with the Canadian Coast Guard in 2004. The ACV used primarily for search and rescue on the British Columbia Coast. [3] [7] In 2010, Penac was deployed to rescue the crew and passengers of a sailboat that was sinking due to adverse weather conditions. The hovercraft rescued four people from the water but suffered significant damage to its skirt. [8]

Penac was replaced by the newer CCGS Moytel. Penac's lack of facilities lead to the vessel's replacement as the Canadian Coast Guard sought a more versatile ACV. [9] Penac's lack of versatility was brought to the fore when the other, larger, ACV assigned to British Columbia, CCGS Siyay, was sidelined for nearly a year in 2015–2016 due to a refit. [10] Penac was taken out of service in early 2017, renamed Hovercraft 2017-01 and awaiting disposal. [3] The vessel was posted for sale in 2019 [8] and sold to Gino Leblanc and Theo Gene Albert of Caraquet, New Brunswick-based Northeast Diving Ltd. [11] In early 2023, the vessel was transported by cargo ship from British Columbia through the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. [12] Then it began its journey from Florida to New Brunswick under its own power. On 17 June 2023, the hovercraft was deliberately run ashore in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, after a 0.91-metre (3 ft) tear developed in the vessel's skirt while travelling from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia. The craft was later repaired and had set off for Portland, Maine en route to Nova Scotia. [13] In late June 2023, Penac completed its journey to Caraquet, New Brunswick. [14]

See also

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Saunders 2009, p. 112.
  2. Classic Fast Ferries, pp. 10–12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Canadian Coast Guard.
  4. 1 2 "Hovertravel". Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  5. Classic Fast Ferries, pp. 12–13.
  6. Classic Fast Ferries, p. 16.
  7. 1 2 "Canadian hovercraft stand ready to go places other vessels cannot". Professional Mariner. 28 February 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  8. 1 2 Bremner, Peter (29 June 2019). "Former Coast Guard hovercraft could be yours for $750K". CTV News. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  9. "New Canadian Coast Guard Hovercraft Arrives". Marine Link. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  10. Baker, Rafferty (16 May 2016). "Canadian Coast Guard's Siyay hovercraft returning to service". CBC News. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  11. Bush, Chris (9 May 2023). "Former coast guard hovercraft hangs out at Nanaimo beach before trip to Atlantic". Vancouver Island Free Daily. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  12. Schofield, Madison (17 June 2023). "Hovercraft Makes Landfall On Town Neck Beach". The Enterprise Sandwich. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  13. "Hovercraft suffers gash, beaches itself in New Hampshire". AP News. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  14. Farley, Sam (1 July 2023). "N.B. man is proud owner of a hovercraft, thanks to the Canadian Coast Guard". CBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2023.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hovercraft</span> Air cushion vehicle

A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and various other surfaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Coast Guard</span> Government agency

The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and icebreaking, marine pollution response, and support for other Canadian government initiatives. The Coast Guard operates 119 vessels of varying sizes and 23 helicopters, along with a variety of smaller craft. The CCG is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, and is a special operating agency within Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

CCGS <i>Henry Larsen</i>

CCGS Henry Larsen is a Canadian Coast Guard Improved Pierre Radisson-class icebreaker serving in the Newfoundland and Labrador region and based in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Entering service in 1988, Henry Larsen is the fourth ship and of an improved design over the rest of the ships in her class. The ship operates in the Arctic Ocean during summer months.

CCGS <i>Sir Wilfred Grenfell</i> Canadian Coast Guard vessel

CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell is a Canadian Coast Guard vessel based in Victoria, British Columbia. Designated an "Offshore Ice Strengthened Multi Patrol Vessel", the former offshore supply vessel is named after the medical missionary in Labrador, Sir Wilfred Grenfell. Constructed in 1984–1985, Sir Wilfred Grenfell was purchased by the Canadian Government and converted for Coast Guard service. In 1994, she played an important role in the fishing conflict known as the Turbot War in the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary</span>

The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary is a Canada-wide volunteer marine association dedicated to marine search and rescue (SAR) and the promotion of boating safety, through association with the Canadian Coast Guard under the auspices of Canada's National Search and Rescue Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griffon Hoverwork</span> British hovercraft designer and manufacturer

Griffon Hoverwork Ltd (GHL) is a British hovercraft designer and manufacturer.

RV <i>Coriolis II</i>

Coriolis II is a Canadian research vessel. She is homeported in Rimouski, Quebec. She is operated by a consortium of five institutions: Institut des sciences de la mer à Rimouski (ISMER), the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), McGill University, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique - Eau, terre et environnement (INRS-ETE) and the Maurice Lamontagne Institute (MLI-DFO). The vessel was constructed in 1990 by Versatile Pacific Shipyards of Esquimalt, British Columbia for the Canadian Coast Guard. Initially named CCGS John Jacobson, the vessel was deployed for search and rescue missions along Canada's coastlines. The Canadian Coast Guard took John Jacobson out of service in 1999 and sold the ship to her current owners in 2001.

British Hovercraft Corporation AP1-88 Medium-size hovercraft

The British Hovercraft Corporation AP1-88 is a medium-size hovercraft. In a civil configuration, the hovercraft can seat a maximum of 101 passengers, while as a troop carrier, it can transport up to 90 troops. When operated as a military logistics vehicle, the AP1-88 can carry a pair of Land Rovers, a Bv202 tracked vehicle and trailer unit or up to roughly 10 tons (10,000 kg) of cargo.

CCGS <i>Siyay</i>

CCGS Siyay is a Canadian Coast Guard Type 400 BHC AP1-88/400 hovercraft based in Richmond, British Columbia. The vessel was ordered in 1996 and launched and entered service in 1998. The hovercraft is predominantly used for servicing navigational aids and search and rescue duties.

CCGS <i>Sipu Muin</i> Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft

CCGS Sipu Muin is a Canadian Coast Guard Type 400 AP1-88 air cushion vehicle (ACV) or hovercraft based at CCG Hovercraft Base Trois-Rivières in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The vessel was launched and completed in 1998 and entered service the same year. Sipu Main is predominantly used for icebreaking, search and rescue, and for servicing navigational aids in the Lower Saint Lawrence River and St. Lawrence Seaway.

CCGS Waban-Aki was a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft based at CCG Hovercraft Base Trois-Rivières in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. It was a Type 200 AP1-88 air-cushioned vehicle (ACV) and sister ship to CCGS Sipu Muin. Its name is derived from the First Nations term Wabanaki meaning "people of the dawn". The hovercraft decommissioned in 2010 and was replaced by CCGS Mamilossa. The primary missions of Waban-Aki were icebreaking and performing search and rescue missions in the Saint Lawrence River and its navigable tributaries. Occasionally Waban-Aki performed navigation aid maintenance.

CCGS <i>Pierre Radisson</i>

CCGS Pierre Radisson is the lead ship of her class of icebreakers. Constructed and operated by the Canadian Coast Guard, the vessel is based at Quebec City on the Saint Lawrence River. The ship was constructed in British Columbia in the 1970s and has been in service ever since. The vessel is named for Pierre-Esprit Radisson, a 17th-century French fur trader and explorer.

CCGS Simon Fraser was a buoy tender operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The vessel entered service in 1960 with the Department of Transport's Marine Fleet, before being transferred to the newly formed Canadian Coast Guard in 1962. The buoy tender served on both coasts of Canada and was used for search and rescue duties along the West Coast of Canada. The ship was loaned to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2000 and transited the Northwest Passage, circumnavigating North America in the process. The ship was taken out of service in 2001 and sold to private interests. In 2006, the vessel reappeared as a yacht using the same name.

CCGS <i>Martha L. Black</i> Canadian icebreaker

CCGS Martha L. Black is the lead ship of her class of light icebreakers of the Canadian Coast Guard. The ship was built in 1986 in Vancouver, British Columbia by Versatile Pacific Shipyards Limited as part of the CG Program Vessels. The vessel was mainly designed as a high-endurance, multi-tasked boat. Most of her duties are along the St. Lawrence River and St. Lawrence Seaway as she is able to handle the ice thickness there.

CCGS <i>Vincent Massey</i> Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker

CCGS Vincent Massey is an icebreaking anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS) converted to a medium class icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard. She was originally built as Tor Viking for Trans Viking Icebreaking & Offshore AS in 2000 and has also traded under the name Tor Viking II. The vessel was sold to Canada in 2018 and was initially expected to enter service in summer 2020 following a refit. However, the conversion work was delayed and the vessel was delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard in October 2022 and dedicated to service in September 2023.

CCGS <i>Sir Humphrey Gilbert</i> Icebreaker launched in 1959

CCGS Sir Humphrey Gilbert is a former Canadian Coast Guard light icebreaker and buoy tender that was later sold to a private owner and renamed Polar Prince. The ship entered service with the Department of Transport Marine Service in 1959 and transferred to the newly created Canadian Coast Guard in 1962, active until 2001. The icebreaker was sold to private interests in Newfoundland and renamed Polar Prince, sitting mostly idle until resold in 2009 to GTX Technology Canada Limited for service in the Arctic Ocean as a commercial icebreaker. In 2017, the vessel was temporarily rechristened Canada C3 and used for a high-profile voyage around Canada's three maritime coasts as part of the nation's 150th anniversary. In November 2021, the ship was purchased by Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Service Ltd, a joint venture between Horizon Maritime and the Miawpukek First Nation and chartered for educational and research expedition use.

CCGS <i>Kopit Hopson 1752</i> Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker

CCGS Kopit Hopson 1752, formerly CCGS Edward Cornwallis, is a Martha L. Black-class icebreaker of the Canadian Coast Guard. She serves as a light icebreaker and buoy tender on the East Coast of Canada. Entering service in 1986, the vessel is homeported at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The vessel was originally named after Lieutenant General Edward Cornwallis, a British Army officer and founding governor of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Due to the controversial history of the vessel's initial namesake, the ship was renamed in consultation with indigenous peoples, to commemorate Jean-Baptiste Cope under his Mi'kmaq name, British Governor Peregrine Hopson, and the year of the peace and friendship treaty created by former Governor Edward Cornwallis.

CCGS Mamilossa is a Canadian Coast Guard Hoverwork AP1-88/400 Air Cushioned Vehicle or hovercraft based at CCG Hovercraft Base Trois-Rivières, QC. The hovercraft was their first built in the UK, the CCGS Sipu Muin and CCGS Siyay were built under license by Hike Metal Products of Wheatley, Ontario, Canada. She is the largest hovercraft exported by British shipbuilders.

CCGS <i>Moytel</i>

CCGS Moytel is a Canadian Coast Guard air cushioned vehicle or hovercraft and is based at CCG Hovercraft Base Richmond, British Columbia, on Sea Island. The primary mission of Moytel is to provide search and rescue services for British Columbia.

References