Save Cutter 7

THE STORY OF "CUTTER 7"

Generations of sea cadets have spent their summers on Vancouver Island's summer cadet camp at HMCS Quadra. A defining aspect of this summer experience has been exposure to the traditions of Canadian naval history and culture.

One of the most important of these traditions has been the opportunity to serve as part of the "Ceremonial  Crew" of a small vessel called a cutter.  At HMCS Quadra, the ceremonial cutter was called Cutter 7. It, along with its crew, were used whenever dignitaries and VIP guests were visiting Quadra.

Cutter 7 has not always been a ceremonial cutter. It also served, for many years as the cutter used by the Practical Leadership course cadets on their five-day outward bound expeditions around the interior waterways of Vancouver Island.  When in this deployment, it was commonly called the "PL Cutter".

Today, Cutter 7 is days away from being sold as surplus by the Government of Canada. We, the alumni of HMCS Quadra, want to preserve this important symbol of our personal and naval histories.

We are seeking to, first, purchase Cutter 7 and to have her stored on Vancouver Island.  A number of options for interim and longer-term storage are being investigated including storage with the Navy League Branch in Comox and at a private residence in Victoria.

Our ultimate goal is to have Cutter 7 restored to her former glory and to either have her situated, cared for, and displayed at one of Canada's naval heritage facilities or used operationally by Canada's youth.

The bidding on Cutter 7 closed on March 1, 16:40 ET. We need your help in this campaign today. 

Current state the inside hull of Cutter 7

PROJECT BUDGET  

- Purchase bid (suggested) on GC Surplus:  $2,000 

- Transportation costs (from HMCS Quadra to Victoria): $500  

- Storage and pre-restoration costs: $2,500

- Restoration fund (this fund will be established to hold funds for this use until a restoration plan has been approved): $15,000

WITHDRAWAL PLAN

GoFundMe is holding onto our contributions and taking good care to ensure that when they are withdrawn that they are withdrawn to be used as described in the project budget. When we are ready to withdraw these funds, our Withdrawal Plan is as follows:

1. As an interim measure (to meet the withdrawal timelines of GoFundMe), we have established a joint bank account at TD Canada Trust. The bank account is in the names of Lori Buchart and Vincent Duckworth. This account has been set up as an AND account meaning that both Lori's and Vincent's signatures are required for all withdrawals, transfers, or cheques. 

2. Our immediate plan is to withdraw the full balance (currently $15,000) from this GFM campaign and deposit it into the  TD Canada Trust Account as above. Approximately $3,200 of these funds will be used to reimburse Gordon Cave for the purchase, transportation, and interim storage of Cutter 7.  The remaining $11,800 will be available for other moves (i.e. a possible move to and from Quadra for display at the Quadra Alumni Weekend in August) or other near-term costs related to the Cutter 7 project. The bulk (in excess of $10,000 currently) will be held in trust for the restoration of Cutter 7.

3. Once we have a permanent financial solution (i.e. a Trust or Society), we will transfer these funds immediately to the permanent financial solution. Note: We can only withdraw funds from the Go Fund Me campaign into one account which is why all withdrawals will first go to the TD Canada Trust Joint And Account established above.

CUTTER 7 PHOTOS

The following photos have been graciously supplied by members of HMCS Quadra's Alumni. If you have not seen them before, I encourage you go view them. If you have not been convinced that this cutter is worth saving up to this point, these photos might just help you change your mind. 






HOW WE WILL THANK AND RECOGNIZE OUR DONORS

- All donors will be added to the Cutter 7 Preservation Initiative newsletter

- Donors of $500 or more will be recognized as "Coxswains of Cutter 7" and, once Cutter 7 is fully restored, will be listed as such on a brass plaque within Cutter 7 and on any descriptive narrative or developed literature associated with Cutter 7 

- Donors of between $100 and $499 will be recognized as "Boatswains of Cutter 7" and, once Cutter 7 is fully restored, will be listed as such on any descriptive narrative or developed literature associated with Cutter 7

- All donors up to $99 will be recognized as "Crew of Cutter 7" in any literature developed in the course of the preservation of Cutter 7

THE "BIG MOVE"

On March 7, Gord Cave, Dave Conconi, Alan Keene, and others, undertook to move Cutter 7 from HMCS Quadra to an interim storage location near Comox/Courtney. Below are some pictures from the move.