CSS Acadia is a historic Canadian research vessel with a rich service record spanning over five decades. Originally constructed in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, and launched on 8 May 1913, Acadia was designed by Canadian naval architect R. L. Newman for the Hydrographic Survey of Canada. She measured 170 feet 9 inches (52.04 meters) in length, with a beam of 33 feet 7 inches (10.24 meters) and a draught of 19 feet (5.8 meters). Her displacement was approximately 1,050 long tons (1,070 tonnes). The ship's propulsion system consisted of two coal-fired Scotch boilers feeding a triple expansion steam engine that powered a single screw, enabling a maximum speed of 14 knots. Constructed with reinforced steel, Acadia was equipped for ice operation, with additional steel plating and strengthened framing to navigate Canada's northern coast. Her interior featured crew cabins with mahogany and oak paneling, brasswork, and wooden carvings of provincial coats of arms. Originally, the ship carried two masts and a single funnel, and she was armed during her naval service with a 4-inch (102 mm) gun forward and a 12-pounder aft. Acadia's service history includes extensive hydrographic and oceanographic surveys along eastern Canada, including pioneering work in Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. She was the first Canadian ship fitted with wireless telegraphy in 1913, later adding equipment such as a gyrocompass and echo sounder. She played a significant role during both World Wars—serving as HMCS Acadia in WWI, participating in patrols, convoy escort, and experiments with anti-submarine kite balloons, and again in WWII as a patrol and gunnery training ship. Notably, Acadia is the only vessel still afloat that was present during the 1917 Halifax Explosion. After her decommissioning from military service in 1945, she returned to hydrographic work and later became a museum ship. Declared a National Historic Site in 1976, she is moored at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. Acadia remains significant as a symbol of Canadian maritime history, scientific achievement, and resilience, and is the last surviving ship that served in both World Wars and survived the Halifax Explosion.

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