Canadian Coast Guard Takes Delivery of Two SAR Lifeboats

The Canadian Coast Guard on Monday marked the delivery of the 13th and 14th search and rescue lifeboats: the CCGS Gabarus Bay and the CCGS Chedabucto Bay. The vessels were built by Hike Metal Products Ltd from Wheatley, Ontario and Chantier Naval Forillon from Gaspé, Quebec, respectively.

The CCGS Chedabucto Bay will be stationed in Clark’s Harbour, Nova Scotia while the CCGS Gabarus Bay will be stationed in Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador.

In 2018, Gaspé, Quebec’s Chantier Naval Forillon and Wheatley, Ontario’s Hike Metal Products Ltd were awarded the construction of four new search and rescue (SAR) lifeboats each, building on the existing contract awarded in 2015 to build six SAR lifeboats each. The total value of the contracts for the SAR lifeboats is $180 million.

These Bay Class SAR lifeboats are specifically designed, equipped and crewed to respond to SAR incidents at sea. These self-righting vessels can operate up to 100 nautical miles from shore, maintain a maximum 30 minute state-of-readiness, and are typically ready to respond the moment an alert is received. The vessels are also equipped to assist in marine environmental response operations to reduce the impacts of marine pollution incidents.

“These high endurance search and rescue vessels help us keep our waters safe for mariners,” said Mario Pelletier, Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard. “These vessels allow the Canadian Coast Guard to deliver critical services in the Atlantic region.”

The delivery of the CCGS Gabarus Bay and CCGS Chedabucto Bay marks another milestone for the construction and delivery of a total of 20 SAR lifeboats under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), the Government of Canada’s long-term, multi-billion-dollar program focused on renewing the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy fleets.

Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said, “With the completion of the CCGS Gabarus Bay and CCGS Chedabucto Bay, the National Shipbuilding Strategy delivered top of the line Canadian-built vessels to the Canadian Coast Guard. These vessels demonstrate the Government of Canada’s priority to renew the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, protect seafarers in our waters and advance good-paying jobs constructing ships right here in Canada.”

To date, 24 small vessels have been delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard as part of the small vessels construction pillar under the NSS. This includes delivery of 14 SAR lifeboats, two channel survey and sounding vessels, seven hydrographic survey vessels and one coastal research vessel.