Owen Sound saw two visitors from the Canadian Coast Guard recently. On November 23rd, CCGS Limnos and the smaller Cove Isle came to Owen Sound. Their purpose wasn’t immediately clear, but the Cove Isle’s destination was listed as “NAVAIDS,” suggesting that they may have been here to work on the buoys and other navigational aids. The Coast Guard confirmed for us that both vessels are part of the “Aids to Navigation” program, also noting that they are in the process of transitioning to the decommissioning program.
The Cove Isle is a navigation aid tender based out of Parry Sound that performs a range of duties in addition to managing navigation aids. These roles include support for search and rescue or research operations. Its operations occur mostly on Georgian Bay.
The Limnos is less common on Georgian Bay than the Cove Isle, being based out of the Coast Guard Base in Burlington, ON. Classified by the Coast Guard as a “Mid-Shore Science Vessel,” the Limnos is primarily used for research on inland waters. However, as seen with this visit, the vessel will also carry out work for navigational aids and other purposes as needed.