HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265)

HMCS Annapolis (DDH 265) was an Annapolis-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy. She was the second Canadian naval unit to carry this name.

Annapolis was laid down on 2 September 1961 at Halifax Shipyards Ltd., Halifax and launched on 27 April 1963. She was commissioned into the RCN on 19 December 1964 with pennant number 265.

Annapolis served most of her career with the RCN, first with Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and later with Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC); while serving with MARPAC she was primarily used as a training ship. In the late 1980s, she was the first warship fitted with a towed array sonar system. In addition, in 1990, she was the first Canadian naval vessel to have a mixed-gender crew.

She was decommissioned from the RCN on 15 November 1996 and placed in reserve. She was paid off in 1998 and stripped of all weapons and sensors before being laid up at CFB Esquimalt.

She was sold to the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia(ARSBC) in 2008. Currently she is being prepared and cleaned by volunteers to be sunk as an artificial reef off Port Graves (Long Bay) on Gambier Island in Howe Sound. It was reported that she would be sunk in 2010. However, as of September 1, 2011, the status of the sinking operation is still uncertain due to objections from environmentalists and local residents of Halkett Bay, where the Annapolis is slated to be sunk. The environmental concerns are toxins from the sunken ship would contaminate the waters although ARSBC claims that Annapolis will be the ‘cleanest ship’ ever sunk. The objections from the local resident, in addition to the potential damage to the waters, are the significant increases in traffic and disruptions to the residents of this secluded hamlet. Environment Canada is expected to inspect the clean-up ship and will submit their opinion to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which has the final authority on the project