HMCS Nootka was a Fundy-class minesweeper serving in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1938 to 1945. Built on the West Coast of Canada, her construction was ordered in August 1937, with her keel laid down on February 1, 1938, by Yarrows Ltd. in Esquimalt, British Columbia. She was launched later that year on September 26 and commissioned into the navy on December 6, 1938. The vessel measured approximately 163 feet (49.7 meters) in length, with a beam of 27.5 feet (8.4 meters) and a draught of 14.5 feet (4.4 meters). Displacing around 460 long tons (470 tonnes), Nootka had a complement of 3 officers and 35 ratings. Her propulsion system consisted of a single shaft driven by a vertical triple expansion steam engine powered by a one-cylinder boiler, producing between 850 and 950 indicated horsepower, which enabled a maximum speed of 12 knots (22 km/h). She carried a coal capacity of approximately 180–196 long tons. Armament included a single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV gun mounted forward on a raised platform, complemented by two 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons, and later equipped with 25 depth charges for anti-submarine warfare. During her service, Nootka was initially assigned to Esquimalt, performing local patrols. With the outbreak of WWII, she remained on the West Coast until March 1940, when she transferred to the East Coast, joining the Halifax Local Defence Force. From Halifax, she conducted local patrol and minesweeping duties around Halifax Harbour for the duration of the war. In 1943, she was renamed HMCS Nanoose to free her original name for a new destroyer. After the war, she was paid off in July 1945 at Halifax, laid up, and later sold in 1946 to Chinese interests, where she was converted into a commercial tugboat named Sung Ling. Her maritime service ended when her registry was deleted in 1993, marking the end of her operational life.

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