HMCS Oriole to depart on year-long trip to celebrate Canada's 150th

The oldest and longest serving ship in the Royal Canadian Navy will set out on a year-long journey to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday.

HMCS Oriole will leave Victoria next week for a Tall Ships Regatta in Quebec and the Maritimes this summer.

The 1920’s boat and its 20-person crew will sail 18,000 kilometres down the west coast of the U.S. and Central America, through the Panama Canal and to Bermuda.

The convoy will then head back up the east coast to Atlantic Canada.

HMCS Oriole will visit 10 Canadian cities in four provinces from June to August.

Following its Atlantic tour, the sailboat will go in for a maintenance re-fit in Halifax to upgrade its electrical system.

It will return to Esquimalt in the spring of 2018.