In 2018, HMCS SACKVILLE entered the submarine maintenance shed at Fleet Maintenance Facility, CAPE SCOTT at HMC Dockyard in Halifax for badly needed repairs to her hull.

This might not seem to be exciting on the surface, but when you realize SACKVILLE is a Second World War veteran of the Battle of the Atlantic and the last surviving corvette, her refit is historic. The corvettes were designed and built for war use and never intended to serve beyond the war, most of the 269 corvettes built ended their days in the breakers yard, sunk as break walls, while a few were sold into merchant service.

SACKVILLE is the last of her kind and at 77 years old in bad need of repair. The Canadian government stepped up and provided 3.5 million dollars for the work to her hull. A substantial amount considering her original cost to build was just under $700,000 in 1940. The Royal Canadian Navy provided the East Coast, Fleet Maintenance Facility, CAPE SCOTT in HMC Dockyard, Halifax to perform the work at the submarine maintenance shed.

I was fortunate to tour the facility on 30 August 2018 with SACKVILLE’s Commanding Officer Jim Reddy. Below is a series of photos I took during this remarkable tour.

To fit the corvette into the submarine shed, the mast had to removed. This is the crowsnest at the top of the mast, a view not normally seen. (RTL08888)

Truly magnificent! This was my first view of SACKVILLE as we entered the sub shed. (RTL08892)

SACKVILLE’s starboard side Bilge Keel. A simple device to help provide stability to a rolling corvette. Amazingly, this bilge keel and the one on the port side, is still in original condition, never having been damaged or repaired during SACKVILLE’s entire 77 years of service! (RTL08894)

SACKVILLE’s underwater hull requires several patches to strengthen the hull, each one is unique and has to manufactured on site, then fitted to the hull. Above the patches are marks from replacing many of the corvettes interior frames. (RTL08900)

To preserve SACKVILLE’s hull, after patching the existing hull, new steel will be installed over the entire hull below the waterline. The above water section of the hull will remain the same, complete with rivets. This added steel below water will ensure the integrity of the corvettes hull for many decades.

SACKVILLE’s rudder has retained that distinct corvette shape. (RTL08902)

The unique “Duck” stern of the corvette is easily seen with her out of the water. (RTL08904)

SACKVILLE’s distinctive rudder and shaft that once held the screw to the corvette. (RTL08907)

Port side bilge keel and several reinforcing patches below the engine room. (RTL08910)

Every individual frame had to be identified and marked on the exterior of the corvette’s hull. (RTL08912)

SACKVILLE’s bow and anchor. (RTL08914)

To identify weak areas in the corvettes seventy-five year old hull, each plate had to be scanned and the thickness of the steel recorded in thousands of an inch. (RTL08916)

View of SACKVILLE from the fourth deck of the maintenance shed. The facility is designed to fit the RCN’s Victoria class submarines, fortunately it can also hold a corvette. (RTL08923)

During our tour, CBC Atlantic had a team in the repair facility, reporting on the progress of the multi-million dollar refit. (RTL08924)

View of SACKVILLE’s bow and starboard side anchor. (RTL08929)

Many of the interior frames have been replaced, to facilitate this procedure in the engine room, much of the piping and machinery had to be removed and is now on deck. (RTL08933)

SACKVILLE normally kept in a very pusser condition, is now covered in “odds and sods” as the maintenance work continues. (RTL08934)

View of HMCS SACKVILLE from her stern looking forward in the Fleet Maintenance Facility. (RTL08938)

Looking down into SACKVILLE’s engine room the new frames along the outer hull are visible. (RTL088 )

It was an incredible experience to stand on SACKVILLE’s deck while she is inside the shed. View from port side looking forward. (RTL088 )

Deck plan of HMCS SACKVILLE in the Fleet Maintenance Facility, CAPE SCOTT in HMC Dockyard in Halifax. (RTL08917)

SACKVILLE will be coming out of the shed in the next few weeks, but the work will not yet be finished. She will return to the syncro lift and be lifted out of the water later to effect repairs to her keel. The intent is for SACKVILLE to return to the Halifax waterfront and resume her duties as a memorial and museum ship during the summer of 2019.

Badge -FLEET MAINTENANCE FACILITY – CAPE SCOTT

The team at CAPE SCOTT is highly skilled and dedicated in the work they perform, maintaining Canada’s East Coast Fleet. The work they are doing in SACKVILLE is of the highest quality and professionalism.

BRAVO ZULU to the many women and men ensuring SACKVILLE’s preservation!

As you can see the work being performed on SACKVILLE is extensive, the money provided by the Canadian government for her preservation will be quickly used up. The Canadian Naval Memorial Trust (CNMT) that operates SACKVILLE will have to add to the expenses, estimated to be over 4 million dollars when finished.

Yep, That’s me standing under SACKVILLE’s stern. She is big! Photo courtesy of my son-in-law Shawn Greene.

I STRONGLY encourage that everyone becomes a member of the CNMT. No matter where in Canada, or the world for that matter, you can help ensure this truly historic treasure continues to serve many generations to come.

SACKVILLE is an incredible memorial to an entire generation of Canadian sailors!

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