CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk Begins Sea Trials

The Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) new Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV), CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk, has commenced sea trials this week in North Vancouver. The vessel, which is a Polar Class 6 vessel, with a displacement of 5,058t, and measuring 88 meters in length and 17.6 meters in width, is undergoing testing after final outfitting, installation, and commissioning work at Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards following its launch in August 2024.

Sea trials are a crucial phase in the shipbuilding process, serving as the final major testing phase before delivery. Specialists from Seaspan, the Canadian Coast Guard, and major equipment suppliers will conduct full-scale exercises on the West Coast to test the performance of key systems and the vessel’s seaworthiness. These tests ensure that all systems, including mechanical, electrical, hydraulics, scientific, communications, navigation, and safety systems, are fully operational and meet design specifications.

Upon completion of sea trials, CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk will be prepared for delivery to the Canadian Coast Guard by the end of the summer. The vessel will then sail to the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax, NS, where it will be based.

The OOSV will serve as Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s primary oceanographic science platform, equipped for habitat management, marine surveys, and scientific research on ocean currents and the seabed. Additionally, the vessel will support the Canadian Coast Guard in operations such as Search and Rescue.

This milestone follows several other significant shipbuilding achievements at Seaspan in the past six months, including the launch of HMCS Protecteur and the commencement of construction on the CCG’s new heavy Polar Icebreaker.