The Canadian Coast Guard has accepted two new channel survey and sounding vessels (CSSVs) into the fleet.
The ships, CCGS Jean Bourdon and CCGS Helen Irene Battle, will support the ongoing commitment to ensure the safety of mariners in Canada as they serve as the platform for the Canadian Hydrographic Service’s Channel Survey Program.
As informed, the home port for the new CSSVs will be in Mont-Joli, Quebec; however, they will operate within the St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Isle-aux-Coudres.
All aboard! We’re excited to introduce our two new Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels, CCGS Helen Irene Battle and Jean Bourdon, who joined our fleet and will support the Canadian Hydrographic Service’s Channel Survey Program. Come take a tour! Read more: https://t.co/FlGkKtUXGk pic.twitter.com/lOuVCleSiu
— Canadian Coast Guard (@CoastGuardCAN) November 8, 2018
The 11.95-meter-long CSSVs were made in Canada by Ontario-based Kanter Marine as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy small vessel construction program. They will have a maximum speed in excess of 20kts and have a crew of four.
These vessels are expacted to enhance the capability of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as other departments and agencies, to monitor and observe marine and environmental conditions. In addition, the new CSSVs will be able to assist with a number of activities related to search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement, emergency response, and natural disasters, as well as supporting ecosystems and fisheries science in the region.
These two new vessels will replace the two current CSSVs, CCGS F.C.G. Smith and CCGS GC 03, operational in the St. Lawrence waterway, which have been in operation for an average of 37.5 years and are nearing the end of their lifespan.