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CCGS ''George R. Pearkes'' is a light icebreaker and buoy support vessel in the Canadian Coast Guard. Named for Victoria Cross-winner
The vessel was initially assigned to the Pacific region and then transferred to the Quebec region. In 2004, ''George R. Pearkes'' deployed to the Newfoundland and Labrador region, based at St. John's. The vessel is used for buoy placement, retrieval and monitoring, scientific research, construction programs, search and rescue, icebreaking, and pollution control. In December 2013, the ship was sent to recover oil from the sunken bulk carrier which had sank in 1985 off the Change Islands.
On 20 August 2015, the ship rescued four people and their boat after their engine had failed in Frobisher Bay, from Iqaluit. Responding to the distress call on 19 August, drift ice threatened the rescue and the recovery of the boat and its occupants only took place the following morning on 20 August. ''George R. Pearkes'' returned them to Iqaluit. In March 2016, Canadian Coast Guard trials with the
George Pearkes
Major-general#Canada, Major-General George Randolph Pearkes, (February 28, 1888 – May 30, 1984) was a Canadian politician and soldier. He was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded ...
, the ship entered service in 1986. Initially assigned to Pacific region, the vessel transferred to the Quebec region. ''George R. Pearkes'' was assigned to her current deployment, the Newfoundland and Labrador region in 2004.
Design and description
''George R. Pearkes'' displaces fully loaded with a and a . The ship islong overall
__NOTOC__
Length overall (LOA, o/a, o.a. or oa) is the maximum length of a vessel's hull measured parallel to the waterline. This length is important while docking the ship. It is the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a ship, and ...
with a beam
Beam may refer to:
Streams of particles or energy
*Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy
**Laser beam
*Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles
**Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of and a draught of .
The vessel is powered by is propelled by two fixed-pitch propeller
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
s and bow thrusters powered by three Alco 251F diesel-electric engines creating and three Canadian GE generators producing 6 megawatts of AC power driving two Canadian GE motors creating . The ship is also equipped with one Caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
3306 emergency generator. This gives the ship a maximum speed of . Capable of carrying of diesel fuel, ''George R. Pearkes'' has a maximum range of at a cruising speed of and can stay at sea for up to 150 days. The ship is certified as Arctic Class 2.
The icebreaker is equipped with one Racal Decca
The Decca Radar company was a British manufacturer of radar systems. There were originally two divisions, Marine and Heavy Radar, with separate product lines. The latter was sold to Plessey in 1965, and the term "Decca Radar" normally refers to ...
Bridgemaster navigational radar operating on the I band. The vessel is equipped with a speedcrane capable of lifting up to and a cargo hold. The ship carries a self-propelled barge. ''George R. Pearkes'' has a flight deck and hangar which originally housed light helicopters of the MBB Bo 105
The Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 is a light, twin-engine, multi-purpose helicopter developed by Bölkow of Ottobrunn, West Germany. It was the first light twin-engine helicopter in the world, and the first rotorcraft that could perform a ...
or Bell 206L
A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an intern ...
types, but in the 2010s, the Bell 429 GlobalRanger and Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.
Design and development
Development began in the ...
EPI were acquired by the Canadian Coast Guard to replace the older helicopters. The ship has a complement of 25, with 10 officers and 15 crew. ''George R. Pearkes'' has 26 additional berths.
Service history
The ship was constructed by Versatile Pacific Shipyards Limited at their yard inNorth Vancouver
North Vancouver may refer to:
*North Vancouver (city), a city in British Columbia, Canada
* North Vancouver (district municipality), a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada
* North Vancouver (electoral district), a federal electoral di ...
, British Columbia with the yard number 555. ''George R. Pearkes'' was launched on 30 November 1985 and entered service on 17 April 1986, the first active vessel in the class. The ship is registered in Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Ontario, and homeported at St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.
The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
.
The vessel was initially assigned to the Pacific region and then transferred to the Quebec region. In 2004, ''George R. Pearkes'' deployed to the Newfoundland and Labrador region, based at St. John's. The vessel is used for buoy placement, retrieval and monitoring, scientific research, construction programs, search and rescue, icebreaking, and pollution control. In December 2013, the ship was sent to recover oil from the sunken bulk carrier which had sank in 1985 off the Change Islands.
On 20 August 2015, the ship rescued four people and their boat after their engine had failed in Frobisher Bay, from Iqaluit. Responding to the distress call on 19 August, drift ice threatened the rescue and the recovery of the boat and its occupants only took place the following morning on 20 August. ''George R. Pearkes'' returned them to Iqaluit. In March 2016, Canadian Coast Guard trials with the Schiebel Camcopter S-100
The Schiebel Camcopter S-100 is an Austrian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using a rotorcraft design.
Design and development
Produced by the Austrian company Schiebel, it was developed from 2003 to 2005. With a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of ...
took place aboard ''George R. Pearkes'' off the Atlantic coast of Canada.
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
* *External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:George R. Pearkes, CCGS Martha L. Black-class icebreakers Ships built in British Columbia 1986 ships