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HMCS Yellowknife scaffolded for repair in Victoria

The HCMS Yellowknife, a coastal patrol vessel whose home port is at the docks of Canadian Forces base Esquimalt, B.C., is scaffolded and expected to undergo refurbishment.

David Sproule, a former Yellowknifer and current resident of Victoria, captured a photograph of the ship that bears Yellowknife's name at the shipyard. Sproule is a retired member of the military, having spent 18 years in the regular force and several years in the reserve army.

The HMCS Yellowknife patrol vessel is currently scaffolded in the Point Hope Harbour in Victoria. The ship will undergo some repairs and upgrades during the winter months before being relaunched.
photo courtesy of David Sproule

Sproule said that every five to 10 years the ship is enshrouded in the harbour to receive upgrades for several months before being relaunched.

Over the winter, it is expected the vessel will be sanded and repainted, and workers will upgrade the ship's engines. Inspecting the equipment onboard and updating ship software are also common components of refurbishment.

The vessel is 55.3 metres long and 11.3 metres wide. It weighs 970 tonnes. It was christened on June 5, 1997.

It celebrates Yellowknife's imagery with a crest  that depicts a raven holding a miner's powder knife to symbolize gold mining.