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HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180
Gate
Vessel
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HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180
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Laid down: 16 May 1950
Launched: 22
Nov 1950
Commissioned: 05
Dec 1951
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Paid off: 31
Mar 1996
Fate:
Sold to private interests. Sunk as an artificial reef 29 Apr 2004
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Built by George T. Davie &
Sons Ltd., Lauzon, Que, Porte St. Jean was commissioned on 05 Dec
1951. Named after the gate of the
French fortifications at Quebec City and Louisbourg, they were
designed specifically to operate the gates in anti-submarine booms,
but served primarily as training vessels in peace-time. Porte St.
Jean was paid off on 31 Mar 1996.
Specifications on completion:
Displacement: 420 tons full load, Length: 125 ft, Beam: 26.3 ft,
Draught: 13 ft, Speed: 11 kts, Complement: 3 officers, 20 men,
Armament: 1-40mm. The 40mm was later removed.
From Shipfax by Mac Mackay:
PORTE ST JEAN ended up at the Derecktor Shipyard in the Fort Lauderdale FL area of Dania
Beach, and may have been owned by the yard's founder, the late Robert
Derecktor. After his death in 2001 work on converting the ship to a yacht
was suspended. One photo has been located showing the work in progress, with
the deckhouse removed and the start of a new flying bridge type wheelhouse.
On April 29, 2004 the ship was taken to sea and sunk as an artificial fish
reef and dive site. Tracing the ship was difficult because it had been
renamed (perhaps unofficially) Miss Dania Beach. Its location is in Broward
County at 26 degrees 08.605 minutes N x 80 degrees 05.502 minutes West in 71
feet of water. A plaque on shore points to the Bob Derecktor Memorial Reef.
Photos
and Documents Ship's
company photos The
Ship's Bell
RCN
Memories: Adrift on Lake
Ontario
Commanding Officers
Cdr Leo Ian MacDonald - dates of
command unknown
Lt Norman W. Fox-Decent, RCN(R) -
1963
Lt Norman W. Fox-Decent, RCN(R) - 1964
In memory of those who have crossed the bar 
They shall not be
forgotten
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Cassidy,
William J.
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Clark,
Howard V.
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Coolen,
Douglas C.
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Cottenden,
Harry R.
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Curry,
Donald G.
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Denomey,
David R. E.
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Donnelly,
Thomas M.
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Fox-Decent,
Norman
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Frizzell,
Wayne
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Hamilton,
Murray W. F.
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Harrison,
Jean-Guy
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MacDonald,
Leo I.
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Manzer,
Robert B. C.
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Mays, Andrew
D.
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Muir, John
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Wilkinson,
Donald W.
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Former Crew Members
Butler, Rick
Gagnon, Pierre Paul - Summer 1971
King,
T. Michael, OS (NR)
McLeod,
Ken, RM
Medford, Gary - 1965
Photos and
Documents
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HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180 - undated
DND / RCN PHOTO |
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Articles
on the summer training cruise on the Great Lakes by HMCS PORTE ST
JEAN, HMCS PORTE ST LOUIS and HMCS SCATARI
The Windsor Star, Sat., 11 Jul 1964
Courtesy of Ken McLeod |
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Page 4 continuation of the above article
"The Navy's In"
The Windsor Star, Sat., 11 Jul 1964
Courtesy of Ken McLeod |
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HMCS Porte St Louis 183 ahead, HMCS PORTE ST JEAN
180 foreground
UNTD Training Cruise May 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Bridge of HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180 (foreground), followed
by HMCS PORTE ST LOUIS 183 and HMCS SCATARI 514
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Gary Medford climbing out of the hatch on HMCS PORTE ST JEAN
180, May 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Gary Medford posing in Forward Mess of HMCS PORTE ST JEAN
180
Behind the ladder is the hatch to the Main Mess
where the hammocks are slung
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Deck evolution, HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May
1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Main Mess, HMCS
PORTE ST JEAN 180, with space
for a dozen or so hammocks, one of which is still slung. Officer
Cadet A. Hoole, Winnipeg closet to ladder
The Rope ladder connects with the round hatch
in the picture below
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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UNTD Officer Cadets Pete Crocker, R. French, H.
(Hubey) Hillier all from Newfoundland
The hatch in front of them leads down to the
Main Mess deck (see photo above)
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Officer Cadets D. (Hinker) Hicks (left) and Pete
Crocker both from Nfld in forward mess, HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180,
which contained a few bunks
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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M. Holland (front) , Victoria and D. Hicks,
Nfldin forward mess (with bunks), HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Gary Peak, Winnipeg and A.
Brown, Victoria peel potatoes while cooky inspects Fort Henry,
Kingston, ON.
HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May
1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, Kingston, ON, May 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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L-R: J.Hearn, Nfld; Jones,
GaryMedford, Montreal; I. Keighley, BC on the quarterdeck of
HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, Kingston, ON, May 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Breakfast in the Main Mess, HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Lunch in the Main Mess, HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May 1965. Note the
mik bars for slinging your hammock (mik)
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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FN practice on HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May 1965. Target being towed
by HMCS PORTE ST LOUIS 183
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Upper deck area on HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, May 1965. Lt Wooten
facing hatch
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180 alongside HMCS CATARAQUI,
Kingston, ON, Jun 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Cook hamming it up in the galley on HMCS PORTE ST JEAN
180, Jun 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, Great Lakes, Jun 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Yeoman on the quarterdeck, cook with his back
to the camera, HMCS PORTE ST JEAN 180, Jun 1965
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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Anchor windlass compartment on HMCS PORTE ST JEAN
180
From the collection of Gary Medford
Courtesy of Gary Medford |
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HMCS PORTE ST LOUIS and HMCS PORTE ST JEAN
visit Rochester, NY, USA
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Sat., 04
Sep 1965
Courtesy of Ken McLeod |
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HMCS PORTE STE LOUIS 183 and HMCS PORTE STE
JEAN 180
Gate Vessels Visit Picton
The Picton Gazette, 12 Jul 1967
(1)
Two Naval Vessels to Lake Ontario Cement Dock - Picton Gazette 07
Jul 1967 (2) Ships Visit Is Huge Success - The Picton Gazette,
12 Jul 1967 (3) HMCS PORTE ST JEAN and HMCS PORTE ST LOUIS Open
to Visitors - The Picton Gazette, 14 Jul 1967
Researched
by / Courtesy of John Lyons
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Pierre Paul Gagnon from HMCS DONNACONA on board HMCS
PORTE ST JEAN for Summer training - 1971
Courtesy of Pierre Gagnon |
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Article on the MV Miss Dania Beach (formerly
HMCS PORTE ST JEAN) being sunk as an artificial reef off Dania
Beach, Florida
Source: Facebook page for "M/V Miss Dania
Beach Artificial Reef" |
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