HMCS Fortune (MCB 151)
| History | |
|---|---|
 Canada
| |
| Name: | Fortune |
| Namesake: | Fortune Bay |
| Builder: | Victoria Machinery Depot, Victoria |
| Laid down: | 24 April 1952 |
| Launched: | 14 April 1953 |
| Commissioned: | 3 November 1954 |
| Decommissioned: | 28 February 1964 |
| Identification: | MCB 151 |
| Fate: | Sold into mercantile service. Refitted as charter yacht MV Edgewater Fortune. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Bay-class minesweeper |
| Displacement: | 390 tons (412 tons deep load) |
| Length: | 152 ft (46 m) |
| Beam: | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Draught: | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 shafts, 2 GM 12-cylinder diesels, 2400 bhp |
| Speed: | 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Complement: | 38 |
| Armament: | 1 x 40mm Bofors |
HMCS Fortune was a Bay-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy. Named for Fortune Bay, located in Newfoundland, the vessel served in the Royal Canadian Navy for ten years before being sold for commercial purposes. Renamed MV Edgewater Fortune she saw service as a commercial yacht.
Initially named Belle Isle,[1] Fortune was laid down 24 April 1952 by Victoria Machinery Depot at Victoria and launched 14 April 1953.[2] The minesweeper was commissioned on 3 November 1954[3] with the hull identification number 151.[2]
Design
The Bay-class were designed and ordered as replacements for the Second World War-era minesweepers that the Royal Canadian Navy operated at the time. Similar to the Ton-class minesweeper, they were constructed of wood planking and aluminum framing.[4][5]
Displacing 390 tons, or 412 tons deep load, the minesweepers were 152 ft (46 m) long with a beam of 28 ft (8.5 m) and a draught of 8 ft (2.4 m).[4][5] They had a crew of 38 officers and ratings.[note 1][4]
Propulsion and armament
The Bay-class minesweepers were powered by two GM 12-cylinder diesels creating 2400 bhp driving two shafts. This gave the ships a maximum speed of 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph).[5] The ships were armed with one 40mm Bofors and were equipped with minesweeping gear.[3][4][5]
Service
After nine years of naval service, including acting as the flagship of the Second Minesweeping Squadron during the Cuban Missile Crisis,[6] Fortune was decommissioned on 28 February 1964.[3] Placed up for auction by the Crown Assets Corporation,[7] the ship was then sold into mercantile service. She was initially known as Greenpeace Two and used in an unsuccessful attempt to stop nuclear testing in the Aleutians in November 1971.[2] The vessel was then refitted as the charter yacht MV Edgewater Fortune[3][8] and is now used for short cruises along the coast of British Columbia. She is also occasionally used for fishing, and is commonly used for school trips to learn about the wildlife on the coast, and in the water.
References
- Notes
- ↑ Gardiner and Chumbley claim the crew was 40.
- Citations
- ↑ Colledge, p.245
- 1 2 3 Macpherson and Barrie, p.273
- 1 2 3 4 "Bay class (MM/PB) Minesweeper/Patrol Boat". Hazegrey.org. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 Macpherson and Barrie, p.271
- 1 2 3 4 Gardiner and Chumbley, p.49
- ↑ Haydon 1993, p.272.
- ↑ Canadian Shipping and Marine Engineering News, Volume 37. Maclean Publishers, Toronto, Ontario, 1965. p.31.
- ↑ Canadian News Facts, Volumes 5-6. Marpep Publishing, Toronto, Ontario, 1971. p.719.
- Bibliography
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
- Gardiner, Robert and Stephen Chumbley. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland USA: Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
- Haydon, Peter Trevor (1993). The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis: Canadian Involvement Reconsidered. Toronto, Ontario: Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies. ISBN 978-0-919769-64-9. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
- Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). Warships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-2002 (3 ed.). St. Catharines: Vanwell Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-55125-072-1.
External links
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