RCMP ''Nadon'' is a Commissioner-class high-speed patrol vessel previously operated by the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
's Marine Division. The vessel, designed by
Robert Allan Ltd.
Robert Allan Ltd. is Canada's oldest privately owned consulting Naval Architectural firm, established in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1930. Their experience includes designs for vessels of almost all types, from small fishing boats to ocean- ...
and built by Shore Boat Builders, is an aluminium-hulled
planing catamaran, capable of speeds of up to .
''Nadon'', named after
Maurice Nadon Maurice Jean Nadon (July 8, 1920 – December 21, 2009) was the 16th Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, serving from January 1, 1974 to August 31, 1977.
Nadon was born in Mattawa, Ontario
Mattawa is a town in northeastern Ontario, ...
, the
RCMP Commissioner between 1974-1977, was stationed at
Nanaimo,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, and responsible for patrolling the of coastline between the United States border and the Mid Coast, north of
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
.
In 2000 ''Nadon'' was temporarily renamed ''St. Roch II'' in order to recreate the 1950 voyage of the RCMP schooner ''
St. Roch'' around the North American continent. The voyage began at
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
on 1 July 2000, and involved navigating the
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...
around the northern coast of Canada as far as
Halifax. She was accompanied by the Coast Guard ship , as a support vessel.
''St. Roch II'' also carried out a search for a reported wreck from
Sir John Franklin's expedition of 1845. Using a Kongsberg/Simrad SM2000 forward-looking sonar she completed a survey west of Grant Point on the
Adelaide Peninsula
Adelaide Peninsula (''Iluilik''), ancestral home to the ''Illuilirmiut'' Inuit, is a large peninsula in Nunavut, Canada. It is located at south of King William Island. Its namesake is Queen Adelaide, consort of King William IV of the United Kingd ...
. An area of of previously uncharted sea floor was searched, but found nothing, and a survey by shore parties of the unnamed island southwest of Grant Point, and the northwestern point of Grant Point itself found nothing definitive.
The ''St. Roch II'' then continued down the eastern seaboard of the U.S., across the Caribbean to transit the Panama Canal before returning to Vancouver in December. The voyage was a joint project of the RCMP and the Vancouver Marine Museum to raise funds to help maintain and preserve the original ''St. Roch''.
Having reverted to her original name ''Nadon'' continued in service with the RCMP until its recent decommissioning.
References
External links
* {{cite web , url= http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/VE0NWP/MainPage.htm , title=Voyage of Rediscovery thru the Northwest Passage , work=Canadian Radio Amateur
Royal Canadian Mounted Police