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Tall Ship Sailing
Charters, Cruises, and Vacations |
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Her new name became Y340 Patrol Vessel. In 1958 Y340 was transferred to the Danish Home Guard and again renamed, this time MHV.55. In 1976 she was sold at public auction to a Danish civilian. And in 1978 MHV.55 was deleted from the Danish Shipping Registry when sold to the present owner, Peter-Thor Watson. He sailed the Tall Ship Providence from Denmark, to England, down the European coast to the Canary Islands in November 1978, right across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Panama Canal, and up the West Coast of North America. What a trip! In Canada, the Providence was refitted for fishing and charter service.
Over the past 22 years the Providence has earned her keep in many ways: chartered as a scientific platform for gathering Sooke Basin seabed data as a trial run for a new type of sonar, towing barges, fish boats, and even floating homes around on the coast of British Columbia, salvaging small craft, scuba diving charters, as well as exotic offshore voyages to Mexico and the Caribbean. In 1987 an insulated fish hold was installed and the vessel entered into commercial salmon fishing. In 2002, the main decks were replanked with edge-grained, old-growth, British Columbian Douglas fir. The Tall Ship Providence today plays a dual role as a charter sailing vessel and a commercial fish-packing vessel. Specifications:
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rovidence was built in
Denmark in 1903 to fish the North Sea, where she earned her living until 1939. In that year she was
chartered by the Royal Danish Navy for patrol services in the domestic waters of Denmark. During
World War 2, in 1943, the ship was taken over by 
fter arriving
in Victoria, British Columbia in 1979, Providence underwent a major
refit to bring her up to the Canadian Steamship Standards for passenger
vessels. Four double berth cabins, two heads, a shower and a full galley
were installed. In 1984 the sailing rig was completely replaced, including
masts, spars, and all sails. A brand-new dependable diesel engine replaced the old one
in 1995.