HMCS Charlottetown crew proud of leadership role in six-month deployment to Middle East

A group of Islanders held on for dear life Wednesday afternoon as the high-speed boat they were in took a sharp turn and went completely vertical in the water.
White waves crashed into the boat as it made a fast 360-degree turn, then righted itself in the harbour waters.
The passengers got a little wet, but they didn't mind.
They were having the time of their lives as Leading Seaman Michael Murphy showed off the high-speed manoeuvrability of HMCS Charlottetown's rigid-hull inflatable boat (RIB).
The RIB was used during the Charlottetown's recent tour in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.
The crew used it to chase down and board boats filled with illegal cargo and persons with 'ties to terrorism.'
HMCS Charlottetown was given a major leadership role during its deployment on Operation Altair - Canada's naval contribution to the continuing United States-led campaign against terrorism, known as Operation Enduring Freedom.
During its six-month tour, part of the Charlottetown's mission was to lead focused operations dealing with drug and alcohol smuggling rings, Lieutenant Colin Matthews explained to the group of P.E.I. visitors touring the ship where it was docked in Halifax Wednesday.
"We were group commanders and we were essentially telling nine ships from all different nations - the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, Japan, as well as some Australian aircraft - where to go, what to do and the whole planning side of the operations," Matthews said.
Once getting the go-ahead from intelligence, the Charlottetown boarding crew would speed out in their RIBs to apprehend small skiffs or dhows suspected of having drugs or illegal alcohol aboard.
This one of many baseline operations during the tour was quite successful, Matthews said.
"In total we accomplished 19 boardings that resulted in the disposal of illegal cargo with ties to terrorism, and five of those boardings were actually conducted by our own Charlottetown boarding crew."
The Charlottetown also saved 25 people stranded at sea, many of whom were among the growing numbers of people escaping conflict and poverty in Somalia and Ethiopia by making the hazardous journey across the sea to Yemen.
Matthews showed P.E.I. visitors photos of a skiff the ship came upon in these waters. The five people aboard had been adrift with no food or fuel for seven days.
They had also run out of water two days previous to when HMCS Charlottetown found them and came to their rescue.
"We were lucky enough to come across them, because they were in rough shape," Matthews said.
"We were able to give them some fuel, give them some water, some food and send them back to make the last 30 miles of their journey."
Another vessel they encountered wasn't quite so lucky. The two men aboard this barge were the only survivors of seven who had originally set sail on the dhow that had been pulling it.
The dhow capsized with five men aboard, and only the two who had stepped over into the barge to fix something survived.
Master Seaman Chris Hamilton remembers when they brought these survivors aboard.
"A lot of the crew met them when they brought them on board to get them showered and fed," Hamilton said. "We made sure they were secure and happy - some of the crew donated some of their toiletries and things."
The crew's ability to respond to the multitude of different tasks thrown at them during their tour is a feat the crew takes great pride in.
"I think we made a huge impact while we were over there," Leading Seaman Michael Murphy said.
"We helped the people in the surrounding areas and we saved a lot of lives over there and we definitely deterred people from being involved in illegal activity - I think we helped in the big picture."
The crew is looking forward to its two upcoming visits to P.E.I. On Aug. 5, a team of 25 will run across the Island in the annual Run For Wishes in support of the Children's Wish Foundation.
And on Oct. 7, HMCS Charlottetown will sail into its home harbour, where the public will be invited to take a tour of the ship and hear from the crew of about 250 what it's like to live and work aboard a navy vessel.