Sea Trials Begin for Canada’s New Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel Built by Seaspan

Seaspan Shipyards has commenced sea trials for the CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk, Canada’s new state-of-the-art Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV). The vessel, built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), departed from Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards this week to begin its final phase of testing before delivery to the Canadian Coast Guard.

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20 june 2025   |   09:15   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. Seaspan Shipyards

Sea trials are the culminating step in the shipbuilding process, designed to rigorously evaluate vessel performance and the functionality of onboard systems. Over the coming weeks, teams from Seaspan, the Canadian Coast Guard, and major system suppliers will conduct full-scale exercises off the coast of British Columbia. The goal is to verify seaworthiness and ensure the ship’s mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, scientific, navigation, communications, and safety systems perform to specification.

Upon successful completion of sea trials, the vessel will be delivered later this summer to the Canadian Coast Guard. It will then sail to its home port at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

- The start of sea trials marks an exciting milestone in the construction of our new Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel and reflects our continued commitment to advancing marine research and environmental stewardship, said The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries.

- The Naalak Nappaaluk will equip the Coast Guard with world-class capabilities to support scientific missions for decades to come, added The Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement. - It also underscores the economic and industrial benefits of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

The Naalak Nappaaluk is a Polar Class 6 vessel, 88 metres in length and 17.6 metres wide, with a displacement of 5,058 tonnes. It is equipped to accommodate up to 60 personnel and is purpose-built for fisheries science, seabed and ocean current monitoring, habitat management, and marine surveys. It will also support core Coast Guard operations such as search and rescue.

- For shipbuilders, watching a vessel head out to sea for the first time is a moment of immense pride, said Leo Martin, Senior Vice President of Programs at Seaspan Shipyards. - The Naalak Nappaaluk is the most advanced science vessel ever built by Seaspan and represents another milestone proving that Canada's shipbuilding industry is thriving and capable of delivering complex, mission-critical vessels.

The start of sea trials follows a string of key program milestones at Seaspan in recent months, including the launch of the Joint Support Ship HMCS Protecteur and the start of construction on the Canadian Coast Guard’s new Polar Icebreaker. Since 2012, Seaspan’s shipbuilding activities have contributed over $5.7 billion to Canada’s GDP and sustained more than 7,000 jobs annually, according to Deloitte.

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Kanadyjska Straż Przybrzeżna okręt badawczy Seaspan Shipyards próby morskie CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk

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