Three Ships In 15 Months Demonstrates World-Class Capacity And Capability, And Accelerating NSS Momentum
VICTORIA – Seaspan Shipyards officially delivered the third state-of-the-art Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV) to the Canadian Coast Guard. The CCGS John Cabot is the third OFSV delivered by Seaspan Shipyards in the last 15 months and completes the first full class of large vessels under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). CCGS John Cabot will now join her sister ships already in service, CCGS Capt Jacques Cartier and CCGS Sir John Franklin.
OFSV3 Sea Trials
The ultimate milestone in the shipbuilding process, delivery of this third OFSV caps a string of achievements with this vessel. The Seaspan Shipyards team together with suppliers and our customer logged dozens of first-ever accomplishments as they developed innovative approaches to successfully launch and complete the ship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On July 3, the CCGS John Cabot was launched in Vancouver by Dr. Bonnie Henry at 97% complete, a rare accomplishment that exceeded international benchmarks. Sea trials began six weeks later, a time span between launch and sea trials that is also considered best-in-class in the shipbuilding industry.
Traditionally a large public celebration, the official handover of CCGS John Cabot took place at Seaspan’s Victoria shipyard in compliance with strict COVID-19 protocols and attended by a small official party of Coast Guard and Seaspan Shipyards officials. Following a transition period for her new Coast Guard commanding Officer and crew, the CCGS John Cabot will set sail to her home port in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she will support scientific research, search and rescue operations and environmental response.
The completion of the new OFSV class is a proud moment for all 2,700 Seaspan Shipyards employees, including the 1,200 employees who worked on the OFSV class. More than a dozen major partners and more than 450 suppliers and their thousands of employees across the country contributed to these world-class OFSV vessels, and continue to play a key role in shaping a thriving domestic marine industry in Canada.
Mark Lamarre is Chief Executive Officer of Seaspan Shipyards
Consistent with the social and economic objectives of the NSS, Seaspan Shipyards has become a growing economic engine for the domestic marine industry. With more than $1.5 billion contributed to date to Canada’s GDP (Source: Deloitte Socio-economic Impact Study, February 2020), Seaspan Shipyards is rebuilding a marine industrial sector on Canada’s West Coast and generating economic impact across Canada through job creation and contracts with hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses.
As a result of the NSS, Seaspan Shipyards has become one of the most modern shipyards in North America, with a skilled 2,700-person shipbuilding team and the shipyard capacity and purpose-built infrastructure to deliver Canada’s non-combat fleet.
“We are incredibly proud today to deliver CCGS John Cabot, the third Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel and the first full class of ships delivered under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. This delivery is a powerful reminder that shipyards don’t build ships – people do. CCGS John Cabot was completed, launched and delivered during a time like no other and this success is a tribute to the tremendous ingenuity, innovation and teamwork by our employees, suppliers, and Coast Guard partners. It’s also a sign of how the NSS is accelerating industry momentum, enabling us to build not only ships but also a world-class pan-Canadian marine industry supply chain supporting thousands of jobs from coast to coast,” said Mark Lamarre, Chief Executive Officer, Seaspan Shipyards.
Measuring 63.4 metres, the CCGS John Cabot is one of the most advanced and capable ships of its size and type in the world.
The Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV) is fully equipped to support Fisheries and Oceans scientists in the collection and analysis of data on Canada’s marine ecosystems and the impacts of climate change. This floating laboratory features a full suite of state-of-the-art systems, including a deployable sensor-laden drop keel, high-tech fishing trawls and four science labs — a wet lab, a dry lab, an ocean lab and a control lab.
