(VICTORIA, British Columbia) — Seaspan Shipyards on Friday officially delivered the third offshore fisheries science vessel (OFSV) to the Canadian Coast Guard. CCGS John Cabot is the third OFSV delivered by Seaspan Shipyards in the past 15 months and completes the first full class of large vessels under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). CCGS John Cabot will now join its sister ships already in service, CCGS Capt Jacques Cartier and CCGS Sir John Franklin.
Delivery of this third OFSV caps a string of achievements. The Seaspan Shipyards team together with suppliers and its 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, CCGS John Cabot was launched in Vancouver by Dr. Bonnie Henry at 97 percent complete. Sea trials began six weeks later.
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 officials. Following a transition period for its new Coast Guard commanding officer and crew, CCGS John Cabot will set sail to its home port in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, where it will support scientific research, search and rescue operations and environmental response.
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.
“Today the government of Canada marks a significant milestone in its commitment to reinvest in the Canadian Coast Guard fleet,” said Bernadette Jordan, minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard. “With the delivery of the CCGS John Cabot, we are ensuring that Fisheries and Oceans scientists and the Coast Guard have a modern platform including the equipment and technology they need to conduct vital scientific research, as well as support Coast Guard programs and services. I would like to congratulate Seaspan Shipyards for their outstanding work and dedication to the completion of the three new offshore fisheries science vessels.”
– Seaspan Shipyards
