My first major deployment on Annapolis was WESTPLOY/RIMPAC 1990. We were one of the four Canadian warships to visit Vladivostok. The first Western ships allowed in the port since World War II. "Vlad" was amazing and it was truly an eye opener to see behind the iron curtain after a life time of being taught about the "Red Menace" The people were incredibly hospitable and we learned much about each others cultures in the short time we were there.
From Vlad we went to Pusan Korea, then Hong Kong. Our next stop was Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. On the way there, we encountered a boatload of Vietnamise refugees that we took onboard the Tanker (HMCS Provider) and were taken to safety in Provider's next port of call. I actually participated in the rescue as one of the divers in the rescue boats! I was shocked to see the condition of these poor souls who had been adrift for some time with no food or water after weathering a very bad storm. After Malaysia we stopped in Guam where I got to do some of the best diving of my career and actually did a little swimming with a very large sea turtle. The water was so clear there... I could look up from 80 feet down and see people swimming around the hull of the charter boat. From Guam it was off to Hawaii where we would start phase II of this trip, RIMPAC.
RIMPAC is a multi-national exercise held every other year in Hawaii with Navies from USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other countries participating. It was here that we really proved what CANTASS was all about and how it was going to change the way the Canadian Navy and in fact the world, did ASW.
