# Canada sends navy ships to New Orleans to help **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 3, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903 "2005-09-03T16:36:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/21 "2005-09-04T06:38:20Z")
Wow, it’s good I came back here. I meant no offense by saying “once again … etc”. I used that expression because I mentioned another example of Canada helping the US. (the hostage crisis). Maybe, I should have said “as always”. (but I thought my intent was pretty clear). And if that’s not enough, wasn’t the last sentence in my posting an indication of my favorable¹ opinion of Canada ? > [@](#): > > - > > It’s good to know that Canada can always be counted on to do the right thing.\* And geez as if I haven’t been misunderstood enough, **Mama Tiger** , how did my posting make you think of the song “Battle of New Orleans”? I didn’t quote any lines from it. (then again, I only know the Johnny Horton rendition and maybe, unbeknownst to me, I inadvertently quoted the “Nitty Gritty Dirt Band”). Anyway, my thanks go to the Great White North. ¹ Please, I do not want any responses such as “Wolf, you only have a favorable opinion? Why, isn’t it _highly_ favorable?” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/22 "2005-09-04T07:58:15Z")
> [@flash hobo](#): > > Canada has a _navy_? > > Cool. I believe in the old Jimmy Carter Administration, they invited the **Swiss Navy** to a military exercise. Much hilarity ensued. But congrats to Canada! ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/23 "2005-09-04T08:20:59Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I believe in the old Jimmy Carter Administration, they invited the **Swiss Navy** to a military exercise. Much hilarity ensued. I think that was William Jennings Bryan when he was Secretary of State. Thank you, Canada. Memphis is over 300 miles from New Orleans, and we’ve got over 10,000 refugees in town, with more projected to arrive and some large number expected to stay here. I can’t imagine what the scene is like down there; here’s an [account from one Memphian who just got back](http://pulpfaction.blogspot.com/2005/09/postcard-from-apocalypse.html). Help from our northern neighbors is very much appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/24 "2005-09-04T09:13:02Z")
I, for one, welcome our Canadian Overlords. It’s aboot time, too. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/25 "2005-09-04T15:08:00Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > > [@Canadjun](#): > > > > The Sea King’s are in quite notoriously bad shape and need some large number of hours (I forget the quote) of maintenance for each hour they are in service. Replacing the Sea King’s has been a significant political football up here for quite some time. > > All military aircraft require lots of maintenance relative to their flying hours. The Sea King is ancient, but as long as they’re properly maintained they are real workhorses. **Johnny** , the usual ratio of fly-time:maintenance given in news articles about the Canadian Armed Forces Sea Kings is 1 hour of fly time to 30 hours of maintenance. Is that a normal ratio? In addition, there have been a series of accidents with Sea Kings in Canada. For example, a couple of years ago the military decided to fly one from somewhere in Western Canada to somewhere in eastern Canada. If I remember correctly, the flight took close to a month, and there were more forced landings due to malfunctions than planned landings. It spent several days at a base in Manitoba, waiting for parts. Overall it was on the ground more than it was in the air. The other recent episode that sticks out in my mind was about a year ago. The CAF were sending a frigate over to join the patrols in the Persian Gulf that Canada has been maintaining since 9/11, as part of the Canadian operations in Afghanistan. The frigate had a landing pad for Sea Kings and having a helicopter that could patrol the waters and return to the ship was a major part of the operation’s planning. Before the ship ever pulled out of Halifax, the Sea King assigned to it crash-landed on the heli-pad, damaging both the Sea King and the ship. Deployment was delayed to fix the ship, and it eventually sailed without a copter, drastically reducing the ship’s effectiveness in patrolling its assigned area. One standard joke is that the CAF no longer classifies Sea Kings as helicopters. Now, they’re considered an assemblage of parts flying in close formation. Sea Kings aside, I’m sure the four ships will come in handy, and I’m very pleased that our government is sending them to help our good neighbours. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/26 "2005-09-04T15:48:15Z")
We have three coasts, you know, people. Why the heck wouldn’t we have a navy? (Oh, and ask the Spanish about our navy/coast guard - it’ll be interesting to hear all that Spanish swearing. 😃 ) As for the political boondoggles regarding Canada’s Armed Forces, I’m a freakin’ pacifist and I completely support having a properly funded and supplied Armed Forces. Good grief, you politicians. Think about something other than getting re-elected for once, would you? ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/27 "2005-09-04T16:02:59Z")
Even Cuba is sending (or at least offering) aid, it’s nice to see countries can put aside political differences to help out the richest nation. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/28 "2005-09-04T16:26:59Z")
> [@Tuco](#): > > Even Cuba is sending (or at least offering) aid, it’s nice to see countries can put aside political differences to help out the richest nation. Have we actually accepted Cuban aid? And is Iran offering anything? ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/29 "2005-09-04T16:37:43Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Have we actually accepted Cuban aid? And is Iran offering anything? [This](http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-09-02-katrinaworldhelps_x.htm) site says no offer hsa been turned down, though it does say Condoleezza Rice said > [@](#): > > However, she said some offers were being taken up immediately and others “somewhat later,” depending on the needs on the ground. which is fair enough. The UK seems notable in its absence from the list of contributing countries at the bottom of that page. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/30 "2005-09-04T17:53:48Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > then again, I only know the Johnny Horton rendition and maybe, unbeknownst to me, I inadvertently quoted the “Nitty Gritty Dirt Band”. Sorry for the hijack, but the Johnny Horton version will always be the _only_ version as far as I’m concerned. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/31 "2005-09-04T18:50:55Z")
**Rand Mcnally** Damned right !!! The Johnny Horton rendition is the definitive rendition. Anything else is just a pretender to the throne, a false god, (insert appropriate cliché here). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/32 "2005-09-05T01:44:20Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I believe in the old Jimmy Carter Administration, they invited the **Swiss Navy** to a military exercise. Much hilarity ensued. You do know which country won the last America’s Cup yacht races, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/33 "2005-09-05T02:02:45Z")
I’m serious. Even if the Sea King is a rattletrap, I’ll take one if Canada wants to donate to Help The Helicopter-less Pilot Fund, which I am herewith declaring. ‘Don’t let your Sea Kings fall out of the sky! Donate them to a loving home!’ ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/34 "2005-09-11T15:28:10Z")
Update; The first three ships will arrive in Florida tomorrow; the ice-breaker a day or two later. Apparently they had to go a bit out of their way to avoid Ophelia, which slowed them down a bit: [Canadian hurricane relief ships to arrive Monday, unbeknownst to survivors](http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050910/w091064.html). ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/35 "2005-09-11T17:27:38Z")
Hello from Victoria… > [@](#): > > CFB Esquimalt is the headquarters of the Canadian Navy on the West coast. The naval base is located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. Part of its responsibility includes Canadian Forces Maritime and Experimental Test Ranges (CFMETR) at Nanoose Bay. CFB Esquimalt is regularly visited by warships from the U.S. Navy, including submarines. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/36 "2005-09-11T17:31:38Z")
Are these the same Sea Kings as used by the RAF? Because as far as I know these ones have no such reputation for problems, nor is any planning to replace them. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/37 "2005-09-11T17:44:26Z")
I believe so. The problem s that our Sea Kings are _old_ - 30+ years. No matter how good they may have been at one time, they’re worn out. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/38 "2005-09-11T18:30:12Z")
Ah, on further googling, you’re right - the RAF replaced theirs with newer models in the 1990s. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/39 "2005-09-11T21:00:36Z")
that’s about the time this controversy started here - the Tory government of Mulroney announced in the early 90s that they were going to buy new copters to replace the Sea Kings; the Libs defeated them in the 1993 general election; the Libs announced that they were rescinding the contract and would get some other copter, less expensive. 12 years on - still no new copters. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903/40 "2005-09-11T22:38:42Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > that’s about the time this controversy started here - the Tory government of Mulroney announced in the early 90s that they were going to buy new copters to replace the Sea Kings; the Libs defeated them in the 1993 general election; the Libs announced that they were rescinding the contract and would get some other copter, less expensive. > > 12 years on - still no new copters. But a new contract has been signed. Delivery is to commence in ‘08, I believe. Bloody waste of money it’s been; should never have cancelled the Tories’ purchase. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-sends-navy-ships-to-new-orleans-to-help/319903.md?page=3)