Fresh paint on the decks, a wooden top to handrails, salmon on the menu: The crew of HMCS Algonquin is putting the final touches on what will be the flagship in this weekend's fleet review.
On Saturday, the Algonquin will host Gov. Gen. Micha脙芦lle Jean and about 300 other dignitaries, including foreign admirals and diplomats.
Time is ticking away -- one ship, the Japanese destroyer Atago, is already sitting across Esquimalt Harbour. Most others are expected to arrive today between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Even as the pressure to prepare for the fleet review weighs, however, many on board have their sights set on the mission that follows.
"One of the focal points for the fleet review is to prepare these ships as they head off to participate in the largest military exercise in the world, which is RIMPAC," Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile said.
RIMPAC is shorthand for Rim of the 91原创 Exercise. Held every other year near Hawaii, the exercise brings together dozens of ships, submarines and aircraft and thousands of personnel for more than a month of exercises.
The Algonquin and HMCS Calgary will sail Monday to take part.
After weathering the TV cameras on a media tour of the Algonquin Monday, Lt. Esther Earhardt's eyes lit up at the mention of RIMPAC.
"Oh yes, it's very exciting," she said. "We're looking forward to it very much."
Earhardt's post is in the ship's windowless operations room, where sailors sitting at green-lit screens relay vital information to the ship's commander. In battle, she would help keep track of underwater contacts and offer advice on what action to take.
At RIMPAC, she'll get the rare chance to take on real submarines.
"We have targets and other things we can test," she said. "But actually working with a submarine is amazing training."
It's more than just training -- in an event involving 14 navies, bragging rights are on the line.
"The submarine captains really enjoy taking pictures of surface ships through the periscopes and then putting them up during the debrief," she said.
The Algonquin will test also its skills at everything from boarding suspect ships to shooting down enemy aircraft and running blockades, said the ship's captain, Cmdr. Angus Topshee.
It's a long way from playing host to VIPs during Saturday morning's fleet review.
"That's a very high-profile event," Topshee said. "The focus is really on putting on the best show, the best possible face for Canada for four hours. After that, we come in, we strip down everything ... and then we sail on the Monday at 10 o'clock for four and a half months."
Those months will take Algonquin to RIMPAC in Hawaii, but also to Mexico, Chile and Guatemala before the vessel returns at the end of October.
Topshee said the mission is meant to live up to its name, Operation 91原创 Amistad -- "amistad" is the Spanish word for "friendship."
But, he added, diplomacy is just one of the 91原创 navy's mandates.
"My ship right now is at 10 days' notice to respond to any contingency or crisis anywhere around the world," he said. "Our role is to be the flagship and we would command the 91原创 response."
