Bringing home the HMCS Haida [pics] - GoFuckYourself.com

SilentKnight · 04-25-2006, 10:54 PM

On a very cold, windy and snowy night - the HMS Haida made the trek across Lake Ontario to Port Weller (via the Welland Canal) for a much-needed restoration. The legendary WWII tribal-class Canadian destroyer ship had been purchased by the City of Hamilton as a tourist exhibit, and had been towed by 3 massive tugboats to the dry dock facilities at Port Weller for the refit.

I was one of about 40-50 people that frosty night down at Lock 1 of the Welland Canal when the Haida first entered the canal and made its way through the lift-lock. And despite the worst conditions possible for photography that night (low light, slow-moving ship...snow and wind) - I managed to get a few shots. People in their cars along the canal turned on their vehicle headlights to help light the ship up.

The trip from Toronto (Ontario Place) had been delayed 5 hours due to additional dredging that had to be done in the channel to free the Haida from its longtime berth at Ontario Place.

So I'd waited in my truck (first pic) the entire 5 hours for the chance to get the homecoming shots.

When the ship reached the upper level of the lock, I stood with a group of people along the edge of the canal taking a few more pics - and as the great ship slowly passed by in the cold and snowy night air, everyone broke in to a spontaneous applause and someone shouted out, "Thanks for bringing her home!"

It made the entire 5-hour wait worth every minute.

A year or more later, after the rebuild was finished and the Haida towed to Hamilton, I drove my two daughters over to see the ship on opening day - and we were among the first aboard when they opened at noon.

While taking photos that day - I met an oldtimer standing alone near the big guns at the bow of the ship who was among the very first crew that sailed the North Atlantic on the Haida's maiden voyage after its launch. He'd driven up alone from Michigan that morning just to see his old ship again on opening day. I stood there captivated for a solid 20 minutes while he told me stories of what it was like standing watch on the open bridge during winter in the North Atlantic. I was so totally honoured and humbled to stand there listening to this vet share his experiences - a moment I'll never forget.

Some shots...

Haida approaches in the distance - I'd left my truck lights on hoping to light it up a little as it passed.

Haida is towed into the lock.

The ship emerges from the lock above. From here they took a sharp left turn and towed it in to the drydock area.

Opening Day (Hamilton, Ont.)

Downtime · 04-25-2006, 10:59 PM

that's badass, awesome shots!!!

kmanrox · 04-25-2006, 11:07 PM

guys use queen elizabeth as your queen still?

the Shemp · 04-25-2006, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmanrox

guys use queen elizabeth as your queen still?

yes, its amazing isnt it...

SilentKnight · 04-25-2006, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmanrox

guys use queen elizabeth as your queen still?

They put her face on the 'toonie' ($2 coin)...with a polar bear on the flip side. So we say Queen Elizabeth's on one side - with a bear behind.

gecko · 04-25-2006, 11:39 PM

Great snap shots

ssp · 04-26-2006, 01:07 AM

Are you very patriotic? Why would you wait 5 hours for that?

Screaming · 04-26-2006, 01:14 AM

Nice guns man.

xclusive · 04-26-2006, 01:16 AM

very nice shots, Thanks for the share.

reynold · 04-26-2006, 01:24 AM

wow. that was fucking awesome. I'd love to jump aboard.

2HousePlague · 04-26-2006, 01:26 AM

Great journalism.

2hp

SilentKnight · 04-26-2006, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssp

Are you very patriotic? Why would you wait 5 hours for that?

Several reasons. Firstly, the ship was scheduled to arrive by late afternoon...so I'd gotten down to the canal early to find the best place to get some shots. No one knew what the delay was - so after waiting a few hours it would have been a total waste of time to simply leave. It would've been a bitch had I found out the next day that I'd left half an hour before it arrived.

And patriotism is part of it, too...sure. The Haida is a significant and historical part of our heritage. I had relatives who served in the Canadian navy and in the merchant marine during WWII...and myself served in the Armed Forces.

Originally the ship was supposed to arrive at Port Weller during daylight hours...so I had hopes of getting good shots while it was still light. The day went from being a photo-op.....to a quest.

tyler. · 04-26-2006, 07:51 AM

Great shots !

Vasago Reno · 04-26-2006, 09:26 AM

Awesome pics - the write-up was fasinating also. I envy some of the stuff you have the opportunity to photograph all the time.

SilentKnight · 04-26-2006, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasago Reno

Awesome pics - the write-up was fasinating also. I envy some of the stuff you have the opportunity to photograph all the time.

Thanks.

Glad you enjoy'd them.

Vitasoy · 04-26-2006, 09:31 PM

Nice looking pics, once again

SilentKnight · 04-27-2006, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vitasoy

Nice looking pics, once again

Thanks Vitasoy.

Pete-KT · 04-27-2006, 05:23 AM

Thats very nice, SK hit me up on icq please

Quagmire · 04-27-2006, 08:06 AM

I stayed on the Haida a few times at Ontario Place when I was in the Sea Cadets. I don't know if they still let cadet corps do weekend stays on it anymore. Of course that is going back almost 20 years now. Fuck, I'm old.

Manowar · 04-27-2006, 08:09 AM

awesome pics dude

Ian · 04-27-2006, 08:18 AM

Tribal Class were great looking ships. Nice lines. Thanks for taking the time from an ex RCN guy.

marketsmart · 04-27-2006, 08:23 AM

whats up with the guy driving his car in the water...

loverboy · 04-27-2006, 08:26 AM

that's one historic vessel, thanks for sharing mate!

SilentKnight · 04-27-2006, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marketsmart

whats up with the guy driving his car in the water...

Newfies looking for the beer store.

Ace_luffy · 04-27-2006, 08:35 AM

really love those shots..... thanks for sharing dude

hova · 04-27-2006, 09:33 AM

cool pics, interesting read too

04-25-2006, 10:54 PM	#1
SilentKnight Megan Fox's fluffer Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: shooting pool in Elysium Posts: 24,818	Bringing home the HMCS Haida [pics] On a very cold, windy and snowy night - the HMS Haida made the trek across Lake Ontario to Port Weller (via the Welland Canal) for a much-needed restoration. The legendary WWII tribal-class Canadian destroyer ship had been purchased by the City of Hamilton as a tourist exhibit, and had been towed by 3 massive tugboats to the dry dock facilities at Port Weller for the refit. I was one of about 40-50 people that frosty night down at Lock 1 of the Welland Canal when the Haida first entered the canal and made its way through the lift-lock. And despite the worst conditions possible for photography that night (low light, slow-moving ship...snow and wind) - I managed to get a few shots. People in their cars along the canal turned on their vehicle headlights to help light the ship up. The trip from Toronto (Ontario Place) had been delayed 5 hours due to additional dredging that had to be done in the channel to free the Haida from its longtime berth at Ontario Place. So I'd waited in my truck (first pic) the entire 5 hours for the chance to get the homecoming shots. When the ship reached the upper level of the lock, I stood with a group of people along the edge of the canal taking a few more pics - and as the great ship slowly passed by in the cold and snowy night air, everyone broke in to a spontaneous applause and someone shouted out, "Thanks for bringing her home!" It made the entire 5-hour wait worth every minute. A year or more later, after the rebuild was finished and the Haida towed to Hamilton, I drove my two daughters over to see the ship on opening day - and we were among the first aboard when they opened at noon. While taking photos that day - I met an oldtimer standing alone near the big guns at the bow of the ship who was among the very first crew that sailed the North Atlantic on the Haida's maiden voyage after its launch. He'd driven up alone from Michigan that morning just to see his old ship again on opening day. I stood there captivated for a solid 20 minutes while he told me stories of what it was like standing watch on the open bridge during winter in the North Atlantic. I was so totally honoured and humbled to stand there listening to this vet share his experiences - a moment I'll never forget. Some shots... Haida approaches in the distance - I'd left my truck lights on hoping to light it up a little as it passed. Haida is towed into the lock. The ship emerges from the lock above. From here they took a sharp left turn and towed it in to the drydock area. Opening Day (Hamilton, Ont.)

04-25-2006, 10:59 PM	#2
Downtime Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: May 2004 Location: America. Posts: 7,320	that's badass, awesome shots!!! __________________ #27024067

04-25-2006, 11:39 PM	#6
gecko ****** Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 21,846	Great snap shots __________________ [email protected]

04-26-2006, 01:14 AM	#8
Screaming I can change this!!!!! Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 18,972	Nice guns man. __________________

04-26-2006, 01:16 AM	#9
xclusive Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 35,218	very nice shots, Thanks for the share. __________________ I support MediumPimpin.com / Shemp's Outlawtgp.com /

04-25-2006, 11:07 PM	#3
kmanrox aka K-Man Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Gutter Posts: 29,292	guys use queen elizabeth as your queen still?

04-26-2006, 01:07 AM	#7
ssp Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,990	Are you very patriotic? Why would you wait 5 hours for that?

04-26-2006, 01:24 AM	#10
reynold Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Global Traveler Posts: 51,271	wow. that was fucking awesome. I'd love to jump aboard.

04-26-2006, 01:26 AM	#11
2HousePlague CURATOR Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: the attic Posts: 14,572	Great journalism. 2hp __________________ tada!

04-26-2006, 07:51 AM	#13
tyler. Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,653	Great shots !

04-26-2006, 09:26 AM	#14
Vasago Reno So Fucking Banned Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 483	Awesome pics - the write-up was fasinating also. I envy some of the stuff you have the opportunity to photograph all the time.

04-26-2006, 09:31 PM	#16
Vitasoy GFY HALL OF FAME DAMMIT!!! Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 58,202	Nice looking pics, once again __________________ [email protected]

04-27-2006, 05:23 AM	#18
Pete-KT Workin With The Devil Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: West Bloomfield, MI Posts: 51,532	Thats very nice, SK hit me up on icq please

04-27-2006, 08:06 AM	#19
Quagmire Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Stinkin' up your bathroom Posts: 6,490	I stayed on the Haida a few times at Ontario Place when I was in the Sea Cadets. I don't know if they still let cadet corps do weekend stays on it anymore. Of course that is going back almost 20 years now. Fuck, I'm old. __________________

04-27-2006, 08:09 AM	#20
Manowar jellyfish Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 71,528	awesome pics dude

04-27-2006, 08:18 AM	#21
Ian Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 1,259	Tribal Class were great looking ships. Nice lines. Thanks for taking the time from an ex RCN guy.

04-27-2006, 08:23 AM	#22
marketsmart HOMICIDAL TROLL KILLER Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sunnybrook Institution for the Criminally Insane Posts: 20,419	whats up with the guy driving his car in the water...

04-27-2006, 08:26 AM	#23
loverboy When it rains, it pours Industry Role: Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 20,609	that's one historic vessel, thanks for sharing mate!

04-27-2006, 08:35 AM	#25
Ace_luffy www.creationcrew.com Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: CREATIONCREW.COM CREATIONCREW.COM CREATIONCREW.COM CREATIONCREW.COM CREATIONCREW.COM CREATIONCREW.COM Posts: 12,111	really love those shots..... thanks for sharing dude __________________ ++ Adult and Mainstream Websites Designs \| 10 banners for only $50 \| html5 Banners ++ email : [email protected] Telegram : https://t.me/creationcrew \| HTML5/Responsive Site - Div/CSS - ElevatedX - NATs - Wordpress

04-27-2006, 09:33 AM	#26
hova Traffillionaire Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: ICQ:209371571 Posts: 22,430	cool pics, interesting read too __________________ http://traffillions.com/ Sign up and get lifetime revshare on your traffic