Anticosti-class Minesweeper

The Anticosti-class minesweepers were a class of minesweepers that served with the Canadian Forces from 1989 onwards.

The class consisted of three former oil rig supply vessels, the Jean Tide, the James Tide and the Joyce Tide. They were acquired by Maritime Command (MARCOM) and commissioned in May 1989 with the Jean Tide becoming HMCS Anticosti (MSA-110), James Tide becoming HMCS Brier (MSA-111), and the Joyce Tide becoming HMCS Moresby (MSA-112).

Prior to conversion to mine-sweeping training ships, HMCS Anticosti, HMCS Brier, and HMCS Moresby deployed on initial ships' training exercises on the east coast of North America. Later, Anticosti played "orange force" to the USCG's "blue force" in and around the waters of the states of New York and New Jersey, USA. Anticosti also carried the flag on deployments to the west as far as Kingston, Ontario, to the east of St. John's, Newfoundland, and to Freeport, Bermuda in the south.

After conversion, the Anticosti-class was used for minesweeping training in preparation for the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel Project, what would later become the Kingston-class of minesweepers in the early 2000s. During the early through late-1990s, the Anticosti-class tested various technologies that would be used on the Kingston-class vessels.

Specifications

 * Type: Minesweeper
 * Service Period: 1989-Present
 * Characteristics:
 * Length: 191 feet 3.26 inches (58.3 meters)
 * Beam: 43 feet (13.11 meters)
 * Draught: 17 feet (5.18 meters)
 * Displacement: 1,076 tons (2,200 tons deep load)
 * Crew: 24
 * Propulsion: 4 x Nohab Polar diesels (4,200 bhp), 2 shafts, Kort nozzles, auxiliary propulsion = 1 x 550 bhp azimuth bow thruster
 * Speed: 13.5 knots (25 km/h)

Unit Run

 * HMCS Anticosti (MSA-110) - former MV Jean Tide
 * HMCS Brier (MSA-111) - former MV James Tide
 * HMCS Moresby (MSA-112) - former MV Joyce Tide