M/V ''Christmas Seal'' was a Canadian medical ship operating in

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

from 1947 until 1970. Formerly a United States

air-sea rescue Air-sea rescue (ASR or A/SR, also known as sea-air rescue), and aeronautical and maritime search and rescue (AMSAR) by the ICAO and International Maritime Organization, IMO, is the coordinated search and rescue (SAR) of the survivors of emergenc ...

vessel during World War II, she later served as an oceanographic research platform before sinking in 1976.

Ship history

The vessel was built by the Casey Boat Building Company Inc., of

Fairhaven, Massachusetts Fairhaven (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The town shares a harbor wit ...

, in early 1943, as a Design 235 U.S. Army Air Force

crash rescue boat Crash Rescue Boat is a name used in the United States to describe military high-speed offshore rescue boats, similar in size and performance to motor torpedo boats, used to rescue pilots and aircrews of crashed aircraft. During World War II th ...

, and designated P-102. As the largest of the crash boats the Design 235-class were equipped with emergency medical facilities which could accommodate up to 23 people, which the crew of 12 were all cross-trained to operate. Under the name USCB ''Shearwater'', the United States Crash Boat operated from the

Naval Air Station Argentia Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941 to 1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Canadian province, Ne ...

until 10 September 1947, when she was purchased by the Newfoundland Tuberculosis Association for US$5,000 and converted into a floating clinic. Since the purchase of the boat was funded by the sale of

Christmas Seal Christmas seals are labels placed on mail during the Christmas season to raise funds and awareness for charitable programs. They have become particularly associated with lung diseases such as tuberculosis, and with child welfare. Christmas seals ...

s, she was renamed M/V ''Christmas Seal''. From 1947 the vessel sailed to isolated

outports An outport is the term given for a small coastal community in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador other than the chief port of St. John's. Originally, the term was used for coastal communities on the island of Newfoundland, b ...

on the coast of Newfoundland, screening residents for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

, which was a leading cause of death on the island. Under the command of Captain

Peter Troake Peter Troake, (June 16, 1908 – December 10, 1997) was a mariner, born in Durrell, Twillingate, Dominion of Newfoundland. He was captain of the and recipient of the Order of Canada for his work in the improvement of welfare in Newfoundland th ...

from 1950, the ship was fitted to provide

chest X-rays A chest radiograph, called a chest X-ray (CXR), or chest film, is a Projectional radiography, projection radiograph of the chest used to diagnose conditions affecting the chest, its contents, and nearby structures. Chest radiographs are the most ...

, and also carried out vaccinations for TB and

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

, and tested for

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

. Doctors, nurses, technicians, and health educators staffed the vessel in addition to the operating crew The ship also provided general health education in the form of leaflets, talks and film shows, as well as providing emergency medical evacuations. A measure of the success of ''Christmas Seal'' can be seen in mortality rates; in 1947 there were 500 deaths from TB in the province, in 1958 it was 64. By 1970, the decline in rates of infection, and the improvements in road access on the island, meant that the services of ''Christmas Seal'' were no longer required. She was sold to a

Lewisporte Lewisporte is a town in central Newfoundland, Canada, with a population of 3,288. It is situated in Burnt Bay which opens on to the Bay of Exploits. Lewisporte has a deep water port and related facilities that serve many communities in the re ...

man who later chartered her to the

Bedford Institute of Oceanography The Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) is a major Government of Canada ocean research facility located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. BIO is the largest ocean research station in Canada. Established in 1962 as Canada's first, and currently la ...

. On the morning of 13 May 1976 ''Christmas Seal'' sailed from Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, but after three hours suffered an explosion in her engine room. The coast guard and several nearby ships responded to their

mayday Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiza ...

signal, and the crew of eight were rescued, with only one man slightly injured. The ship burned and eventually sank. In 2006 wood salvaged from ''Christmas Seal'' was contributed to the construction of the

Six String Nation Six String Nation is public art and history project conceived by Jowi Taylor and centred around a steel-string acoustic guitar built from a variety of artifacts collected by Taylor representing diverse cultures, communities, characters and eve ...

project. Part of that material now serves as kerfing on the interior of ''Voyageur'', the guitar at the heart of the project.

References

External links

M.V. "Christmas Seal" entering Twillingate Harbour

104-Foot Rescue Boat, aka Type I, Design 235, Production Run of 158
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christmas Seal 1943 ships Ships built in Fairhaven, Massachusetts Ships of the United States Army Water transport in Newfoundland and Labrador Shipwrecks of the Nova Scotia coast Maritime incidents in 1976

Ship history

See also

References

External links