The Canadian Navy has expressed interest in replacing its Glen class harbour tugs, with more powerful 4,000 bhp ASDs, but I have heard notiung on replacement of their Ville class"Pup" tugs.
These little work horses do a variety of jobs in the HMC Dockyard and are quite adequate despite their modest size and horsepower.
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These little work horses do a variety of jobs in the HMC Dockyard and are quite adequate despite their modest size and horsepower.
1. Merrickville on security rounds today, heading for the DRDC barge in Bedford Basin.
The 365 bhp tugs with single screw and steerable nozzles produce a bollard pull of 7.5 tons from their Cat engines. However they are able to work up under the overhangs of light displacement warships and are very useful. They also perform countless moves of light scows and barges in the Dockyard every day.
Commemorating the names of wartime built Pup tugs, built by Russel Brothers in Owen Sound, they are almost as old as those tugs were when they were replaced. The original Villes were built 1942-45 and retired when the new Villes were built in 1974.
2. Still Life With Tug - Parksville ready to be sent out for refit in 1971. The first generation Villes were built inland by Russel Brothers in Owen Sound, ON, and shipped all over Canada by rail.
3. When retired from Dockyard service the Villes were sold for civilian use or transferred to other duties, such asthe 1976 summer Olympics in Montreal and the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour in Kingston, ON.Mannville got a fresh coat of paint before leaving Halifax for the last time.