Key takeaways:
- Issues had corrosion, premature wear, or mislabelling.
- The CCGS Jacques Cartier sits at the Dartmouth port of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in 2021.
The Canadian Coast Guard says it closely observes issues impacting parts on all three of its new offshore fisheries science vessels.
Two parts — a propulsion shaft tube and valves controlling seawater intake — have required restoration or replacement on coast guard vessels John Franklin, Jacques Cartier, and John Cabot.
The “class-wide” issues had corrosion, premature wear, or mislabelling.
The failure of a third part — a button that controls motor speed — drove a fire onboard the B.C.-based John Franklin and led to a stop-sail order from independent inspectors working on behalf of Transport Canada Marine Safety. The faulty controller, known as a variable frequency drive, was an isolated happening.
The Seaspan Shipyard in Vancouver made the ships at the price of $788 million as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The vessel entered service between 2019 and 2021, offering fisheries science and monitoring in the Pacific and Atlantic.
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“The building of a completely new class of ships is a difficult endeavor. A specific number of challenges with new ships can be anticipated until they reach and keep their normal working service lives,” Lindsey McDonald, a representative for the coast guard, said.
“The Canadian Coast Guard continues to watch this case closely.”
Seaspan report
Seaspan stated the ships are a new class of ship and are highly involved and capable in a report.
“We’re proud to see these vessels functioning well overall,” said representative Jo-Anne Dyer.
“As any new ship enters full operation, there may be some problems that require to be addressed, and we persist in working closely with our client, ready to provide help and assistance if and as needed.”
Source – cbc.ca
