The Canadian Coast Guard = the lap of luxury

This newsbit came up in this week’s Canadian Sailings Magazine. An interesting article. I guess this is becoming a trend for retired Canadian Coast Guard ships. With the Narwal previsouly converted to the Bart Roberts, now these two, there hope for the Bartlett yet, well after another 30 years of service, since there is no plans for replacement, and it would take that long for the government to do anything about it.

New life for old vessels
Former coast guard ships to be transformed into luxury yachts in Italy

An Italian company will breathe new life into two former Canadian Coast Guard vessels. Exploration Commercial Charter Yachts of Livorno will transform the Simon Fraser (pictured and Tupper into luxurious motor yachts that will be available for charter. The two vessels were sold to the Italian firm through Crown Assets Disposal.

The Fraser, built at Burrard Dry Docks in Vancouver in 1959, was sold for $251,000. It was decommissioned in March 2003. The Tupper, decommissioned in November 1999, was built in Quebec and sold for $199,969.

The two ice-class vessels will undergo multimillion-dollar facelifts that will see changes to their superstructure and interiors, which will be transformed into lavish accommodations.

The Fraser underwent general maintenance and was ads seaworthy at the Woodside dock in Dartmouth, N.S. She left for Livorno Italy on March 1.

The Fraser’s No snow tour of duty was in 2000- She escorted the RCMP vessel SL Roch ll/Nadon when it reenacted Me 1940-42 expedition through the Northwest Passage.

John Attersley of Quay Marine Associates Inc. of Dartmouth said the work at the Woodside dock was basically to bring the vessel back to life. “We did some overhaul work on the auxiliary engines and tested the propulsion systems.* he said. “We took her out on 24-hour trials and mechanically she performed very well.”

Capt. Umberto Mazzella, the ship’s master, said he expected it would take about 20 days to reach

Italy by way of Bermuda.

He anticipated the work on the ship would take nearly two years to complete at a cost of about US$8 million to $10 million. The vessel will be used for very exclusive charters, and certainly only for the few who can afford them, he said. An ice-class ship, the vessel could be used for adventure-type charters to the Arctic and Antarctic.

The price to charter the vessels is expected to be quite substantial.

The owners of the Simon Fraser have another company that charters a vessel called the Giant, a former Russian ice-class tug. That luxury motor yacht charters for $300,000 a week.

Attention now shifts to the Tupper, which has been renamed Caruso. The ship will also undergo general maintenance before sailing to Italy.