CCG Adds OFSV to its Fleet

Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) has completed Delivery of Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Capt. Jacques Cartier, the Canadian Coast Guard’s newest state-of-the-art Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV), the second OFSV delivered by Seaspan.

"The milestone in the shipbuilding process took place exactly five months and two days after the delivery of her sister ship, the CCGS Sir John Franklin. These two ships are the first large vessels delivered under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the Government of Canada’s plan to renew the federal fleet with ships built in Canada for Canadians," said a press note.

In addition to major partners like Thales Canada who are responsible for the vessel’s Electronic Systems and Vard Marine, Seaspan’s Platform Design partner, more than 600 Canadian small and medium-size companies and their thousands of employees across the country contributed to this world-class vessel.

Measuring 63.4m, the CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier is one of the most advanced and capable ships of its size and type in the world.

Fully equipped to support Fisheries and Ocean scientists in the collection and analysis of data on Canada’s marine ecosystems and the impacts of climate change, the vessel features a full suite of state-of-the-art systems, including high-tech fishing trawls and four science labs — a wet lab, a dry lab, an ocean lab and a control lab.

The OFSV also has a deployable drop keel, loaded with a wide array of sensors to support the vessel’s research mandate.

From its home port in Atlantic Canada, the CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier will also support search and rescue operations and environmental response. A third OFSV under construction at Seaspan Shipyards is structurally complete and on schedule to be delivered in August 2020.

CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier meets or exceeds international shipbuilding standards. It launched at over 90 percent complete and was delivered to Canada with significantly improved production durations when compared to the CCGS Sir John Franklin.

“We are incredibly proud to deliver the CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier, our second Offshore Fisheries and Science Vessel, to support the critical work of the Canadian Coast Guard and Fisheries and Oceans scientists," said Mark Lamarre, Chief Executive Officer, Seaspan Shipyards.

He added: "At Seaspan we know that building ships requires you to build more than ships. You need to build a workforce, an industry, a supply chain, and strong partnerships. Built in Canada for Canada, the Capt. Jacques Cartier is the accomplishment of many. So thank you and congratulations to the Canadian Government and especially our Canadian Coast Guard partners; to the engineers and naval architects who designed her; to the skilled tradespeople who built her; and to the Canadian companies from coast to coast who contributed parts and expertise.”