HMCS Haida
Haida docks in Port Weller
PORT WELLER - The thunderbird
has landed.
The spirit of the mythical west
coast bird and the legendary ship
that embodies it, HMCS Haida,
safely traversed Lake Ontario yesterday to the haven of drydock in Port Weller.
The 60-year-old warship, proudly flying its Second World War battle ensign from the mainmast, made port around 10 p.m., ending her first voyage in more than 30 years. Following a $3.5 million refit the ship is destined for a permanent mooring on Hamilton Harbour next summer.
For a vessel that in her prime was capable of 60 km/ph, her assisted passage was deliberately sedate. With 1,000-horsepower tugs fore and aft, the pace rarely exceeded 7 km/ph in deference to her advanced age and delicate condition.-The pride of the Royal Canadian Navy and a fixture of Ontario Place since 1971, Haida was scheduled to depart it's waterfront lagoon before dawn but was delayed several hours by last-minute dredging to clear a channel to the lake.
Finally, shortly before 1:30 p.m. the dredging barges were cleared and the storied warship was gently backed out the lagoon and turned to face the lake giving Toronto its last look at Canada's most famous fighting ship.
A final salute came from Toronto's fireboat, the William Lyon Mackenzie which blew its whistle and fountained water from every nozzle as her grey eminence, once the scourge of the German Kriegsmarine, glided out through the Western Gap into the lake.
On shore 81-year-old John Harris, a member of Haida's original crew touched the tip of his cap in tribute and spoke for dozens of former crew who turned out to say goodbye. "She was a very good ship then, we were very proud of her."
Asked what he thought of the ship' moving to Hamilton the former code dicipherer said "I'm not happy about it but I think it's the best thing - she's got to be fixed. It's a little bit further but she'll be worth it."
Once out in the open lake with the city skyline fading in the mist and easterly winds blowing up a chop, the illusion was at times a bit spooky. Once with the lead tug pulling off to the side and following tug obscured by Haida, it was - for fleeting moment - possible to imagine she was living ship rather than a delicate museum piece.
Possible to glimpse the ghost of her revered first captain, Harry DeWolf carving a notch into the wooden rail of his open bridge for every enemy ship he sank - in 1944 there were eight notches in seven months.
Although the 32-kilometre crossing was completed without incident, a 14-member crew was on board including a damage-control team equipped with portable generators, pumps and welding equipment to deal with any emergencies. Concern has grown in recent years over the state of ship's hull where, in some extreme places, the original 3/8 inch thick plating has lost nearly 75 per cent of its thickness.
Port Weller Drydock which has the refit contract has given the ship's owner, Parks Canada, two possible repair options - either replacing the worst plates with new welded steel or cladding the entire underwater hull with plating.
Torstar News Service
