Campbell River News

HaiSea Marine, majority owned by Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, is celebrating the official naming and blessing of its new floating operations facility – which will be the home base for its fleet of three full-electric and two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled tugboats.The new facility, named Zewén, is a floating operations and maintenance building purpose-built and designed to withstand the extreme tidal range in the Kitimat region. It features a large workshop…

Canada's BC Ferries announced Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen Shipyards Group has been selected to build its four new hybrid electric Island Class vessels.Damen, the same shipbuilder that built BC Ferries’ previous six Island Class ferries between 2020 and 2022, will construct the vessels in Romania, after its bid was selected from among several proposals received from around the world. No Canadian companies bid for the build program, BC Ferries said.The agreement is a design-build…

Vernon, B.C. based Bryton Marine Group, parent company to a group of aluminum boatbuilding firms, announced it has hired Stuart McVitty as chief operating officer.McVitty will be responsible for developing performance goals and long-term operational plans as well as maximizing efficiency through extensive process analysis and intercompany collaboration. He will work with the CEO Byron Bolton and the senior management team to implement the strategic vision and values of the company.Family…

BC Ferries’ new Island Class ferry arrived late last week in British Columbia, Canada, having departed Damen Shipyards Galati yard in Romania on May 19.The vessel, temporarily named Island 3, arrived under its own power, after a 64-day, approximately 10,700 nautical miles transatlantic journey. The Island Class are battery-equipped ships designed for future full electric operation. The ships are fitted with hybrid technology that bridges the gap until shore charging infrastructure and funding becomes available in B.C.

BC Ferries’ newbuild program continues with the launch of its fifth Island Class hybrid-electric ferries last Thursday at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. When in operation, the yet-to-be named vessel will be one of two assigned to the Nanaimo Harbor – Gabriola Island route.Work will continue on the new ferry until scheduled sea trials in June. Following sea trials, the vessel will be delivered to Point Hope Maritime in Victoria in late 2021 for final preparations. Two-ship service is scheduled to begin on the Nanaimo Harbour – Gabriola Island route by early 2022…

Corvus Energy reports it has been selected by Damen Shipyards to supply the energy storage system (ESS) for four new battery-hybrid ferries for BC Ferries.BC Ferries placed a repeat order with Damen Shipyards Group for four Damen Road Ferries 8117 E3 design—known by BC Ferries as the 'Island Class' vessels. The diesel-electric hybrid ferries are prepared for fully battery-powered, zero-emissions operation in the future. Until electrical charging systems are in place, the ferries…

SCHOTTEL said it secured an order to provide propulsion units for four 81-meter hybrid-electric road ferries ordered by Canadian operator BC Ferries from Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania.Captain Jamie Marshall, Vice President, Business Development and Innovation at BC Ferries, said, “We’ve had positive experiences with SCHOTTEL azimuth thrusters in our Salish Class ferries, and opted for the German manufacturer for our Island Class as well. The propulsion system is efficient…

Canadian ferry owner and operator British Columbia Ferry Services Inc (BC Ferries) has made a further order of four additional electric-battery hybrid Island Class vessels from a major European shipyard.The ferry corporation announced that Damen Shipyards Group of the Netherlands has been awarded the contract to build the new vessels.Project cost for the four latest Island-class vessels is about $200 million, including financing and project-management.According to a release, BC Ferries’ procurement process resulted in 18 bids from international shipyards, with a shortlist of nine shipyards invited to participate in the detailed bidding process.

The Bolton Marine Group has acquired Daigle Marine, one of the nation’s leading commercial boat builders. Founder, Steve Daigle and co-owner, Bob Kristmanson have completed the private sale of Daigle Marine to The Bolton Marine Group.As a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bolton Marine Group, Daigle Marine, based in Campbell River, will operate as a separate company with the continuity of the management team, highly skilled work force and physical facilities. As Managing Director, Torry Wannenwetsch will lead the entity. Steve Daigle and Bob Kristmanson will remain active in the business through a transition period.Founded in 1985, Daigle Marine is a respected custom aluminum boat builder.

Canadian ferry owner and operator BC Ferries has issued Requests for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) for the procurement of five new vessels to replace its aging fleet.The competitive bidding process is open to local, national and international shipyards, including consortiums, and BC Ferries encourages local and national companies to bid on these projects.The first RFEOI is for the procurement process for the construction of four 81-metre Island Class ferries, each with a capacity of 450 passengers and 47 vehicles. The expected delivery date for the first two of these vessels is in 2020, with the following two ships delivered in 2021.The second RFEOI is for the construction of one 107-metre Salish Class vessel with a capacity of 600 passengers and 138 vehicles.

Volvo Penta allows operators to save on fuel, cut emissions and most importantly – get the job done, in a wide array of conditions and mission sets. Volvo Penta of the Americas is delivering fuel efficiency, reducing emissions and raising performance as it powers U.S. and Canadian vessels with modern diesel engines, Jens Bering, product management head of the Virginia-based operation said last month. The company, a supplier of marine and industrial engines, is part of Volvo Group in Stockholm, Sweden.

Port of Vancouver inform of the welcome given to the 'M/V Alam Sinar' commanded by Capt. Arturo A. Lobigas of the Philippines on the bulk carrier's recent maiden voyage arrival in the United States. Lobigas and his 19-member Filipino crew were welcomed to Vancouver by representatives from Pacific Northwest Ship and Cargo, and Port of Vancouver USA. The Port says that the Class NKK bulk carrier M/V Alam Sinar was built in Japan in 2014. and is owned by Grace Ocean Private Limited and operated by Malaysian Bulk Carrier.

Port Metro Vancouver has previewed 2 new harbour patrol vessels currently under construction at local shipyard, Campbell River’s Daigle Welding & Marine. The new vessels will provide continuous marine surveillance with early incident detection and activity tracking. Peter Xotta, Port Metro Vancouver’s Vice President of Planning & Operations spoke about the announcement saying, “This is an exciting day for Campbell River. Under construction in Campbell River, the new vessels will also utilize parts from a number of local suppliers including North Vancouver’s Jastram Engineering Ltd.…

Technology, The Aluminum Association, Inc. Aluminum has been used in the marine industry for more than 100 years because of its light weight and ease of fabrication combined with good corrosion and fatigue resistance. However, for much of the past 30 years, fiberglass has been the material of choice of North American boatbuilders, particularly for higher-volume production lines. Competitively priced compared with boats made from most other materials, fiberglass boats can also be made from standardized molds that reduce their construction time and labor. Aluminum alloys, which are specified for marine use, offer many benefits, though, too.

The Times Colonist has reported that the final piece of funding needed to start construction of a multimillion dollar Campbell River in Vancouver cruise ship terminal was announced Wednesday, clearing the way for new business for the region's ports in the fall and winter. Federal funding of $9 million will go toward constructing the pier and some dredging, said Stephen Owen, minister of western economic diversification. Chief Bob Pollard, of the 600-member Campbell River band which owns the land being developed, said other major funding includes $3.75-million from the province, close to $1.5 million from the municipality of Campbell River and nearly $1 million from the band. The first phase of the facility will cost about $16 million, Pollard said.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has reported that the Campbell River Indian Band in British Columbia is receiving $200,000 in federal funds and $100,000 in provincial funds to support development of a cruise ship port to create jobs and tourism revenue.