HMCS Cape Breton history question

[nadwidny]

I thought I would end the hijack of the Rivtow thread as I have some questions for the Navy types about the Cape Breton -

23 years in the Navy and a lot of the sailors I know call it "the Cape". Maybe "Wedivebc" would know better as he once bunk on the ship as a young sailor about 50 years ago

A question comes to mind for Dave. I know that Dave bunked on the Cape Breton as did Lorne from The Dive Outfitters. Since the ship was was basically just a floating bunkhouse at that time, were you or anyone else officially assigned to the Cape Breton or was it just a place to sleep?

One thing HMCS Cape Breton as she was call in the old days, but I soon as she's was decommission she lost her title of HMCS. So when diver call HMCS Saskatchewan that wrong, it's the Saskatchewan. Only ship lost in battle keep their HMCS title, HMCS Esquimalt or British ship like HMS Hood etc.

OK! end of lesson.

Good point and one that we frequently forget. Could you also explain the difference, if any between "paid off" and "decommisioned"? The Cape Breton was paid off ~1964 but was still used by the navy until the late '90s. Would she still have had HMCS designation during that time? I think not since pictures of her from the 50's show the designation "100" painted on her side but photos from her last days show "FMG".

 

[jsf35]

Brian,
The Cape Breton was used by the Fleet Maintenance Facility as a "floating workshop" after her service was done. It housed a lot of the shops until a permanent land based building was completed. If a ship is "paid off" or "decommissioned" it means the same thing, retired from service. The Cape was called FMF Cape Breton (for Fleet Maintenance Facililty) while used in this regard. She was HMCS Cape Breton while in service.

Cheers,
Scott

 

[MarkH]

And the present land-based group of buildings in the Esquimalt dockyard is still called "FMF Cape Breton". And on the East coast in Halifax, their maintenance facility is called "FMF Cape Scott". I'm assuming it's named after another of the same class of ships.

 

[Hyper-limits]

Hi Brian

I never bunk on her, but I work on board for about 10 months. I worked in the woodshop and the plate shop. The ship was use a repair facility and many young sailor usually from reserve units bunk on board during the summer month.
The FMG designation stand for Fleet Maintenance Group later on the name change to FMF. One of my first job on board was to repair the upperdeck, which was cover with wood like many of the ship of the days. One good thing about working on her and other older ships (steamers) is that I have a very good knowledge of their layout.

Al

 

[Hyper-limits]

And the present land-based group of buildings in the Esquimalt dockyard is still called "FMF Cape Breton". And on the East coast in Halifax, their maintenance facility is called "FMF Cape Scott". I'm assuming it's named after another of the same class of ships.

Correct.

 

[wedivebc]

Can't add much to the wisdom here except to say when FMG was in its heyday there was a foundry on bottom deck with a shipwright metal ,a welding shop and a mutipupose metal cutting and shaping machine called a buffalo. Above that was a a machine shop with a giant lathe. I had a bell that was cast in the foundry back in the 70s and we were going to put it on the wreck as a tribute to a lost friend but Divers Choice boat was recently burglaraized and the bell was stolen along with a ton of other stuff.
The Cape also housed a sailmakers shop and an electronic and electrical workshop below the cafeteria. I worked in the foundry for a while and I was employed in the machine shop for a while. I also assisted in the rebuild of one of the old Vivien diesel generators after if threw a rod. That was an experience.

 

[nadwidny]

...a foundry on bottom deck with a shipwright metal ,a welding shop and a mutipupose metal cutting and shaping machine called a buffalo...

Holy cow. That must have made for a very warm area of the ship. Is this the part forward of the bridge with the big square access that goes down about 3 or 4 decks from the main deck?

. I had a bell that was cast in the foundry back in the 70s and we were going to put it on the wreck as a tribute to a lost friend but Divers Choice boat was recently burglaraized and the bell was stolen along with a ton of other stuff.

Scubaboard won't let me post how I feel about that.

The Cape also housed a sailmakers shop and an electronic and electrical workshop below the cafeteria. I worked in the foundry for a while and I was employed in the machine shop for a while. I also assisted in the rebuild of one of the old Vivien diesel generators after if threw a rod. That was an experience.

Why a sailmakers? Did they actually do work on sails or was this an old name for a modern trade?

One part of the ship that I like is the operating room, with what I believe is the autoclave still there. My wife shudders when I show her video of how small an area it is. Was that in use at all as an OR or any sort of medical treatment area after the Cape Breton's seagoing life ended?

It must be quite a kick for all of you who worked on her to dive her.

 

[wedivebc]

Holy cow. That must have made for a very warm area of the ship. Is this the part forward of the bridge with the big square access that goes down about 3 or 4 decks from the main deck?




Why a sailmakers? Did they actually do work on sails or was this an old name for a modern trade?

One part of the ship that I like is the operating room, with what I believe is the autoclave still there. My wife shudders when I show her video of how small an area it is. Was that in use at all as an OR or any sort of medical treatment area after the Cape Breton's seagoing life ended?

Yes the foundry and machine shop were below the hatch just forward of the bridge. If you go down to the bottom deck and swim forward about midships you will see the trunking of the large smoke hood that removed the hot gasses from the foundry. They had some pretty big fans so it wasn't too hot.
In the navy there was an item known as a rabbit. It comes from the pre war days when the sailors made very little money and to feed their families they would pilfer a rabbit or two to take home. The expression came to be used for anything that was taken or used for non-navy purposes. Although the sailmakers officially supported the HMCS Oriole (a sail powered ship still flying the navy ensign) and made all sorts of canvas tool bags and covers for things etc. They spent much of their time making "rabbits" which I am sure they traded for bottles of strong spirits.
The sick bay area was used when I was there. When a ship went into drydock they would move their offices, galley, sickbay etc onto the Cape. So the sickbay, although I don't recall any surgical procedures being performed was in use by ship's medics, or tiffys as they were called to dispense aspirin and antacids (known as pusser smarties) for after one of those rancid lunches they served from that galley, coincidently on the same deck as sickbay.