"The submarine support vessel MV Carolyn Chouest, under
charter by the Navy's Military Sealift Command,
is joining the Navy ships involved in the search and
recovery operations at the crash scene of EgyptAir Flight 990"
Posted on 10/09/2004 11:42:01 AM PDT by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
HALIFAX (CP) - A more powerful American navy tug took over the towing of a disabled Canadian submarine Saturday, moving up its expected arrival in Scotland to late Sunday. The tug Carolyn Chouest tied its tow lines to the HMCS Chicoutimi on Saturday, replacing the smaller British tug, the Anglian Prince, that made slow progress around the stormy northern tip of Ireland on Friday.
"It's larger, faster and safer," Commodore Tyrone Pile, head of the Atlantic fleet, said of the American vessel during a news conference Saturday.
Previously, navy officials predicted the salvage operation would not get the sub to the port of Faslane, Scotland until Monday at the earliest.
As of Saturday, the sub was about 275 kilometres from Faslane.
The Chicoutimi, a diesel-power sub, was immobilized off the coast of Ireland on Tuesday after a fire damaged electrical cables and left nine crewman suffering from smoke inhalation.
One sailor, Lt. Chris Saunders, of Halifax, N.S., died of his injuries during his transfer to an Irish hospital. Two others taken to hospital are now recovering from their ordeal.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Paul Martin will be in Halifax for the return of Saunders' body. A military funeral for Saunders, the first Canadian submariner to die on duty in almost 50 years, will be held in the port city Wednesday.
The larger American sub has the capability to tow the submarine at a top speed of nine kilometres per hour. It was previously being towed at a speed of less than six kilometres, about as fast as a brisk walk.
Navy officials said the weather at sea improved greatly on Saturday. But they maintain the danger is not over for the crew remaining on board the submarine.
"It has been a real team effort but it is not over," said Vice-Admiral Bruce MacLean, commander of the Canadian navy.
"This is a very fragile time."
Tugs towing and accompanying the stricken submarine must manoeuvre it through the narrow waters between Scotland and Ireland.
At that time, the British Royal Navy will impose a four-kilometre exclusion zone to protect the submarine's progress.
Poor weather hampered the towing operation that began late Thursday. In addition, two of the lines attached to the submarine snapped and, in another incident, a crewman had to be rescued after he fell from the deck of the sub into the ocean.
The submarine had been drifting in heavy seas since the fire broke out Tuesday during its maiden voyage to Canada from Scotland.
Twenty-one crewmen, including the six who suffered smoke inhalation, have been transferred to RFA Argus, a British resupply ship in the area.
About 20 of the sub's crew had already been taken to the Royal Navy ship for showers, hot food and to contact family by cellphones and e-mail.
Another Victoria-class submarine, HMCS Windsor, has been recalled to Halifax from a patrol off the Atlantic coast and was expected to arrive in Halifax harbour Saturday afternoon.
A portion of Windsor's crew will head overseas to replace those on Chicoutimi. The entire crew of the stricken sub will return to Canada by late next week.
candadian military unable to do anything under its own power, must be pulled along by the more powerful US.
The Americans had to come in to save the Canadians? You don't say!
I sure hope we send them a bill...
LOL that was a zanker for the day!
Once again, the U.S. does the heavy lifting for Canada.
Seriously... if the situation were reversed, do you think the Canadians would come to our assistance? They'd probably conditionally require that we leave Iraq first.
That's got to be embarrassing for those north of the border, particularly considering the disdain they've shown for Americans lately.
The word on the street is they tried to light off the boilers not realizing it was diesel and didn't need steam.
What do I have to do to get you into a sub today? Did I mention our no money down, 90 days same as cash deal? Another country has been looking at this one, but I like you, and I'd rather see you in it.
Now THAT'S a tug......
Canucks should have walked out. The dealer would have chased them with his real "final offer." This does work with cars.
AGAIN. The USA to the rescue again. Anyone taking bets on how much thanks we will get for it??
do these good men a favor:
tow them to a US sub base and offer them US citizenship and a commission in a real Navy.
Just like we should have done with the great Canadian snipers that got abused by their own...
Approximately 40% of Canadians would thank us.
This is funny. Those pukes in Canada don't mind dealing with us "morons" when they need something. They've been living under our umbrella of defense forever. I'm surprised they even bothered to buy subs, broken down or otherwise.
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