CCGS W.E. Ricker[note 1] was a Canadian Coast Guard offshore fisheries research vessel. The ship was originally constructed as the commercial fishing trawler Callistratus, but was purchased by the Government of Canada in 1984 and converted to a fisheries research vessel and renamed W.E. Ricker. The vessel entered service with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in 1986 and was transferred to the Canadian Coast Guard in 1995 after the two fleets were amalgamated. The ship was assigned to the West Coast of Canada and was decommissioned on 14 March 2017.

History
NameCallistratus
BuilderNarasaki Senpakukogyo Limited, Muroran, Japan
Yard number922
In serviceDecember 1978
IdentificationIMO number7809364
FateSold 1984 to Canada
Canada
NameW.E. Ricker
OperatorCanadian Coast Guard
Port of registryOttawa, Ontario
Acquired1984
Commissioned1986
Decommissioned14 March 2017
HomeportPatricia Bay, British Columbia
IdentificationCG2965
StatusBeing dismantled - November 2022 to February 2022
General characteristics
TypeFisheries research vessel
Tonnage
Length58 m (190 ft 3 in)
Beam9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Draught4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
PropulsionDiesel Akasaka AH 40 – 6 cyl engine
Speed11.5 knots (21.3 km/h)
Range6,000 nmi (11,000 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h)
Endurance50 days
Complement20

Design and description edit

W.E. Ricker was of a commercial stern fishing trawler design and was 58 m (190 ft 3 in) long overall with a beam of 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in) and a draught of 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in).[1][2] The ship was propelled by one controllable pitch propeller driven by one Akasaka AH40 six-cylinder geared diesel engine, creating 1,863 kW (2,498 hp). W.E. Ricker also had one Perkins 2430 emergency generator.[2] This gave the vessel a maximum speed of 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h). The research vessel had a fuel capacity of 290.00 m3 (63,790 imp gal) of diesel fuel, a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) and could stay at sea for up to 50 days. The ship had a complement of 20, composed of 9 officers and 11 crew with 17 spare berths.[1][2]

Service history edit

The ship was ordered from Narasaki Senpakukogyo Limited at their yard in Muroran, Japan with the yard number 922. The vessel was completed in December 1978 as Callistratus.[3] The vessel was used as a factory trawler by the Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co-operative Association participating in emerging North Pacific fisheries (North Pacific hake, turbot and rockfish) resulting from the extension of Canada's exclusive economic zone to 200 nautical miles (370 km) offshore.[4] The vessel was purchased in 1984 by the Government of Canada for conversion to a fisheries research vessel in Pacific waters.[3] The ship entered service with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in 1986, renamed W.E. Ricker, for William Edwin (Bill) Ricker, a former chief scientist of the Fisheries Research Board who developed a mathematical model used for fish population dynamics.[2][5]

In 1995, in an effort to combine tasks, administration and making savings in both ships and funds, the Fisheries and Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard fleets were merged under the command of the Canadian Coast Guard. W.E. Ricker was given the new prefix CCGS as a result.[6] The vessel continued to be used for fisheries research in Pacific waters.[1] In September 2009 the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced invitations for contracts to replace several of the Coast Guard's research vessels, including W.E. Ricker.[7] The ship was taken out of service on 14 March 2017 due to lack of seaworthiness. W.E. Ricker was put up for sale for scrap only due to the vessel's poor condition.[2]

On 4 August 2020, a contract was awarded to Canadian Maritime Engineering Ltd. to dispose of W.E. Ricker.[8] The dismantling is being completed at the Canadian Maritime Engineering Ltd Nanaimo B.C. Division.[9][10] The contract has a completion date of the end of February 2022.[10] During disassembly a worker was seriously injured by a falling beam.[11]

References edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ CCGS stands for Canadian Coast Guard Ship

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b c Maginley & Collin 2001, p. 234.
  2. ^ a b c d e "CCG Fleet: Vessel Details – CCGS W.E. Ricker". Canadian Coast Guard. 4 February 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Callistratus (7809364)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co-operative Association". University of Victoria. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  5. ^ Maginley 2003, p. 258.
  6. ^ Maginley & Collin 2001, p. 119.
  7. ^ Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (26 November 2011). "Canada's Shipbuilding Industry to Design New Canadian Coast Guard Vessels" (Press release). marketwired.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  8. ^ Government of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada (22 April 2020). "Former CCGS W.E. Ricker - Vessel Disposal (F7044-200238/A)". buyandsell.gc.ca. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  9. ^ "About CME West Coast". Canadian Maritime Engineering. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  10. ^ a b Rawnsley, Alex (24 November 2021). "Decommissioned Coast Guard ship being dismantled at Nanaimo marina". NanaimoNewsNOW. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  11. ^ NanaimoNewsNOW Staff (10 March 2022). "Worker seriously injured while tearing down ship on Nanaimo's waterfront". NanaimoNewsNow. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022.

Sources edit

External links edit