CCGS Waban-Aki was a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft (air-cushioned vehicle) based at CCG Hovercraft Base Trois-Rivières in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. It was a Type 200 AP1-88 air-cushioned vehicle (ACV) and sister ship to CCGS Sipu Muin. Its name is derived from the First Nations term Wabanaki, meaning "people of the dawn." The hovercraft was decommissioned in 2010 and replaced by CCGS Mamilossa.
Description
Designated Type 200 by the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), Waban-Aki was an AP1-88 ACV hovercraft with a light displacement of 48.4 tonnes (47.6 long tons). It measured 24.5 metres (80 ft 5 in) in length with a beam of 11.2 metres (36 ft 9 in). The vessel's height with the air cushion inflated was 6.6 metres (21 ft 8 in). Waban-Aki was powered by four Deutz BF 12L513 diesel engines producing 1.6 megawatts (2,100 hp), giving the hovercraft a maximum speed of 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) and a cruising speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The vessel was crewed by four personnel, including three officers.
Construction and career
After developing operational experience with Voyageur, a prototype hovercraft in service with the CCG on the Saint Lawrence River, the CCG sought to replace the aging hovercraft in 1985. In 1986, the British Hovercraft Corporation offered a variant of its AP.1-88 passenger ferry hovercraft design to Canada, which was accepted, and construction began at Cowes, England. The vessel was launched and completed in mid-1987. It was commissioned into the CCG on 15 July 1987 as Waban-Aki. The hovercraft underwent sea trials before arriving in Montreal, Quebec, in August 1987 and began operations in October. Waban-Aki was homeported at CCG Hovercraft Base Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières-Ouest, Quebec, and given the identifier CH-CGC.
Due to the high volume of shipping in the Canadian Saint Lawrence and the requirement to keep shipping lanes open year-round, CCG hovercraft in Eastern Canada were primarily tasked with icebreaking, with secondary tasks such as performing search and rescue missions and navigation aid maintenance. Waban-Aki performed these duties for 22 years before being taken out of service and replaced by CCGS Mamilossa in 2009.
Specifications
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Builder | British Hovercraft Corporation, East Cowes, England |
| Yard number | AP1-88 |
| Launched | 1987 |
| Commissioned | 15 July 1987 |
| Decommissioned | 2010 |
| Home port | CCG Hovercraft Base Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières-Ouest, Quebec |
| Type | BHC AP1-88 hovercraft |
| Displacement | 48.4 t (47.6 long tons) |
| Length | 24.5 m (80 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 11.2 m (36 ft 9 in) |
| Propulsion | 4 × Deutz BF 12L513 diesel engines, 1.6 MW (2,100 hp) total |
| Maximum speed | 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) |
| Cruising speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Complement | 4 |
