HMCS Chaleur (hull number MCB 164) was a Bay-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy, serving primarily during the Cold War era. The vessel was constructed to replace older minesweepers from World War II and shared design similarities with the Ton-class minesweepers, featuring a hull made of wood planking and aluminum framing. Displacing approximately 390 long tons (400 tons) at standard load and up to 412 long tons (419 tons) at deep load, the ship measured 152 feet (46 meters) in length with a beam of 28 feet (8.5 meters) and a draught of 8 feet (2.4 meters). It had a crew complement of 38 officers and ratings. Powered by two General Motors 12-cylinder diesel engines driving two shafts, the Chaleur delivered a maximum speed of 16 knots (about 30 km/h) and a range of 3,290 nautical miles (6,090 km) at 12 knots. Its armament consisted of a single 40 mm Bofors gun, supplemented by minesweeping gear essential for its primary role. Laid down on 20 February 1956 by Marine Industries in Sorel, Quebec, the ship was launched on 11 May 1957 and commissioned on 12 September 1957. Named after a bay between Quebec and New Brunswick, Chaleur was transferred to the West Coast of Canada after commissioning, where it served with Training Group Pacific. In 1972, the class was re-designated as patrol escorts, and the vessel continued in service until it was paid off on 18 December 1998. Following decommissioning, the ship was sold for scrap in 1999. Initially, it was partially dismantled and towed to California for complete scrapping. However, the salvage yard was found to be operating illegally, leading to delays. The vessel eventually ended up in California’s Delta at Herman and Helen’s Marina outside Stockton. Due to legal complications and a lack of maintenance, the hull sank in 2021. Its refloating and removal began in July 2025 at a cost of approximately $8 million USD. The HMCS Chaleur remains a notable example of Cold War-era Canadian naval engineering and maritime service.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.