BC Shipping News - July-August 2018

Tanker Traffic: Twelve truths about tanker traffic

Technology: Wärtsilä’s wireless charging system

Ferries: Corrigan’s focus now on worldwide ferry industry

BC SHIPPING Commercial Marine News for Canada’s West Coast.

Volume 8 Issue 6

NEWS

www.bcshippingnews.com

July / August 2018

Industry Insight Lance Bracewell Bracewell Marine Group

B.C. Shipyards The busy pace continues

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BC SHIPPING

CONTENTS July / August 2018 Volume 8 Issue 6

NEWS

Cover Story

26

42 FERRIES

Corrigan’s focus now on worldwide ferry industry

45 TECHNOLOGY 7

EDITOR’S NOTE

8

IN BRIEF

12

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

By Jane McIvor

18

Industry traffic and news briefs The three Rs of business: Relationships, reputation, respect Lance Bracewell, Bracewell Marine Group Throughout his 30-plus-year career, Bracewell has earned the repuation of being a fair businessman whose biggest priority is to see his customers “float away on their boat happy.”

HISTORY LESSON

King of the River The story of Captain William Irving

By Lea Edgar

48

LEGAL AFFAIRS

50

MARITIME SECURITY

20 SHIPBUILDING

ABCMI workshop looks to increase work for B.C. shipyards

By Alex Rueben

24

B.C. SHIPBUILDING

26

B.C. SHIPYARDS

Honouring B.C.’s legendary shipbuilding industry

By Cameron Cathcart Busy pace continues for B.C.’s shipyards

37 TUGS

12

Wärtsilä’s wireless inductive energy transfer from shore to vessel storage system

By Mark Keneford

National historic significance of tugboats celebrated

38

TANKER TRAFFIC

A primer on competitive procurement

By Jason Hicks A strong, secure and engaged maritime future

51 TECHNOLOGY

New joint company sees Consilium expand its presence in Canada

38

Twelve truths about tanker traffic

By Robert G. Allan

On the cover: The SS Master (photo: BC Shipping News); above: Seaspan’s Victoria Shipyards (photo: courtesy Seaspan); right: a tanker berthing at Westridge Terminal (photo frm the archives of Dave Roels); left: Lance Bracewell (photo: BC Shipping News)

July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 5

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July / August 2018 Volume 8/Issue 6

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Proud member of: 300 – 1275 WEST 6TH AVENUE, VANCOUVER, BC V6H 1A6 T: 604-893-8800 / F: 604-708-1920 E: JANE@BCSHIPPINGNEWS.COM 6 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

International Sailor’s Society Canada

EDITOR’S NOTE

Photo: Dave Roels

The ties that bind

W

elcome to our annual review of B.C.’s shipyard activity. So why, you may ask, is there not a photo of a shipyard on the front but rather the almost-100-year-old SS Master tugboat? A few reasons...

First, the SS Master represents not just the tug industry, but B.C.’s shipbuilding industry as well. Built in 1922 for Captain Herman Thorsen at the Beach Avenue Shipyard in False Creek, the SS Master encapsulates the history of B.C.’s shipyards. It is a testament to an industry that has thrived in some years and waned in others but, overall, has persisted to become what we see today. If you’ve ever toured the Master, you’ll appreciate the skill, craftmanship and pride of the pioneers of B.C.’s shipyard industry.

Second, I couldn’t let the occasion of the Government of Canada’s recognition of the historical (and economic) importance of tugs slip by without highlighting this important designation. Check out page 37 for the details but suffice to say that Rob Allan’s remarks during the ceremony hit home: not only has British Columbia’s economic development relied wholeheartedly on the tug industry, but indeed, without tugs, the world would be a very different place.

And third, even if we did figure out a way around the use of tugs for the movement of trade, B.C.’s maritime industry would be a fraction of its current size. This interdependence on one single sector demonstrates the connectivity we each have within this industry. Think of the many

jobs that rely on servicing and supplying tugs — too many to list but the numbers are in the thousands.

So yes, I’m a big fan of the SS Master.

It’s enduring presence on our coast should be a reminder to all that B.C. is very much a coastal province (some politicians would benefit from remembering this), with all that this statement connotes. Our reliance on the ocean, lakes and rivers of this province defines us, provides us with a means to enjoy life and, for many, a way of life itself.

One last note: the Metro Vancouver Naval Monument Society are planning a monument in North Vancouver to honour the many men and women of B.C.’s shipbuilding industry. Read Cam Cathcart’s article on page 24. Definitely a worthy cause.

— Jane McIvor

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July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 7

INDUSTRY TRAFFIC

GCT Deltaport welcomes the ONE Commitment

A

s a long-time partner of Japan’s Ocean Network Express (“ONE”), GCT Canada is pleased to welcome the carrier’s first magenta container vessel at the country’s flagship terminal, GCT Deltaport. Operating in the Transport High Efficiency (THE) Alliance on its PN2 Asia-North America mainline service, the call represents the maiden voyage for the rebranded ONE Commitment to Canada following the merger of NYK Line, Mitsui OSK, and “K” Line on April 1, 2018.

As one of three THE Alliance services calling GCT Deltaport, the consortium will benefit from the Global Container Terminals’ recent $300-million investment that doubles intermodal capacity on its existing footprint to nearly 1.9 million TEUs, improving big ship surge capacity and further improving cargo velocity.

“For over a quarter century, we have had deep relationships with NYK, MOL, and “K” Line to provide strong, reliable, and efficient service at the Vancouver Gateway,” said Chris Ng, GCT Canada’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “With the carriers’ transition to ONE and its participation as part of THE Alliance well into its first year of cooperation, we are pleased to contribute to the continued expansion of the consortium’s enhanced service network.”

“Canadian Pacific is proud to deliver for ONE and service Global Container Terminals,” said Jonathan Wahba, Vice President, Intermodal & Automotive Sales and Marketing for CP. “We look

forward to many years of collaboration and to enabling growth for ONE in Canada and the U.S.” “We are pleased to welcome the ONE Commitment to the Port of Vancouver on her maiden voyage,” said Peter Xotta, Vice President, Planning and Operations at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. “We look forward to working with GCT and CP to enable the superior experience that shipping lines like Ocean Network Express have come to expect from Canada’s largest and most diversified port.”

The ONE Commitment is the first magenta vessel in the Southeast China-South China-Taiwan-Tacoma-Vancouver-Japan rotation, and returns every seven weeks to GCT Deltaport.

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NEWS BRIEFS

ComNav launches new P4 Autopilot

W

ith over 30 years of autopilot steering knowledge, marine automation pioneer ComNav has launched the all-new P4 Autopilot, an adaptive autopilot system designed for all vessel types.

Featuring a large 5.7-inch display, the ComNav P4 autopilot was built for effortless operation and intuitive control with easily accessible, customizable parameters for commercial fleets, fishing boats, yachts and tugs. The P4 is equipped with ComNav’s legendary Intelligent Steering Technology or ‘IST,’ the autopilot learns steering responses automatically and continually improves its performance as it completes its route.

The P4 has automatic Sea State adjustment for reliable course holding in all weather conditions. With proportional rate control, the innovative unit supplies a gentle and smooth response at fast cruising speeds. The adaptable ComNav P4 provides precise track steering with NAV Mode and now has a new adaptive towing feature Superior in its class, the ComNav P4 includes a number of pre-set turns.

Adjustments can be made on the fly, port and starboard dodge buttons help avoid collisions. Thruster assist provides dead-ahead slow or station keeping.

Fully compatible with most onboard instruments and steering systems, the new ComNav P4 is Network autopilot that employs NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 input/output ports. The P4’s Auto Setup automatically detects and calibrates steering drive unit and compass, which streamlines installation and commissioning. The autopilot is compatible with 360° Azimuth Drives, thrusters, and conventional rudder steering applications.

The ComNav P4 is built to withstand the planet’s harshest conditions and is waterproofed to the highest IP67 standards. Extended three-year warranty is standard.

NIBC/VTF scholarship awarded

O

n May 26, 2018, the BC Branch of the Nautical Institute held its Annual General Meeting. Following the meeting a presentation was made to Ben Murray, a student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Marine Campus. The award was presented on behalf of the Vancouver Transportation Founda- Branch Chair Angus Fedoruk AFNI (L), and Branch Vice-Chair Captain Raman Mangat AFNI (R) present tion, and it was accompanied by the award to Cadet Ben Murray (M). financial assistance of $2,000.

Three other awards of $2,000 each were also provided by the Vancouver Transportation Foundation, however, the students were at sea.

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July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 9

NEWS BRIEFS

Top Camosun student wins 2018 nautical training award

T

Photo: Allan Shook, Camosun College

his year’s Thermopylae Club Watchkeeping Mate Award of Excellence was presented May 29 to David Rutherford at the trades awards ceremony of Camosun College School of Trades & Technology, Victoria.

The award goes to the Watchkeeping Mate program student who receives the highest aggregate marks on the Transport Canada examinations that year. “Rutherford was our top student in the Nautical Department,” says Rick Worrall, Camosun instructor and member of the Thermopylae Club. “He has a broad understanding of the marine industry and has worked at several of the B.C. Ferries operations. He is presently based on Hornby Island.”

Students in Camosun’s nautical training program learn current technologies and the leadership skills needed in work as officers, including captains of fishing, domestic and international vessels.

The award is co-sponsored by B.C. Ferries and the Thermopylae Club of Victoria. The club was formed in 1932 by a small number of retired seafaring men of all ranks, some of whom had served in the tea clipper Thermopylae. Support of merit awards for maritime studies is part of the club’s mandate.

Photo above:

Camosun College School of Trades & Technology awards ceremony 29 May 2018: (left to right) Captain Morteza Peivast, Program Leader, Nautical Department; 2018 Watchkeeping Mate program award winner David Rutherford; co-presenters Captain Fred Fowler for B.C. Ferries and Michael Derry for the Thermopylae Club of Victoria.

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NEWS BRIEFS

Historic Artificial Reef Project for Powell River

T

he Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) is pleased to announce the sinking of the first of four surplus vessels as an artificial reef in Powell River, B.C. The sink date of the first barge — YOGN-82 — is planned for the morning of Saturday, June 23, 2018, just following BCSN’s print date.

The ARSBC, which has sunk more ships and aircraft than any other non-profit group in the world to create marine habitat, has worked and consulted with Catalyst Paper for the sinking of the first vessel. In addition to the letters of endorsement from the Tla’amin Nation (Sliammon), the Regional District of Powell River and the City of Powell River, approvals have now been granted by the responsible federal government agencies.

The breakwater vessels are all American Second World War surplus which were purchased over time by the mill. Constructed from cast reinforced concrete, they have survived afloat and have been part of Powell River’s seascape acting as a breakwater system to protect the mill’s log pond and foreshore. Ranging from 109 to 128 metres long, and weighing between 6,000 to 8,000 tons, these historic relics are the last of their kind afloat anywhere in the world. Consequently, this project has the potential to become a significant scuba dive tourism attraction for the City of Powell River.

ARSBC President Howie Robins believes this exciting new project will build on the organization’s successful record of accomplishment in converting ships into productive long-term reef habitat. “This will be the most unique and creative marine habitat project ever undertaken by our Society. The challenge will be to place up to four of these large vessels in a group formation

at variable depths ranging from 25-35 meters. Divers of all skill levels seek novelty, and this will be a dive back into maritime history for adventure divers worldwide” said Mr. Robins.

Sink day details:

The sinking of YOGN-82 is scheduled to occur on Saturday, June 23 between 11:00 and 12:00 noon. For safety, all watercraft will be required to maintain a distance of 1,500 feet from the hulk and the area will be patrolled to ensure that this safe distance is maintained.

Preceding the sinking, the command tug boat will sound 12 short whistle signals, followed by a two-minute interval before a final warning signal. After the sinking, the area will remain closed to the public for 36-48 hours, allowing the ARSBC technical divers to survey the wreck site.

Background on the YOGN-82

The YOGN-82 was built by Concrete Ship Constructors, National City, California, and was the 16th of 22 barges built between 1942 and 1944. She was launched in 1944 for use by the US Navy as a tanker barge. The name stands for YO (Yard Oiler), G (gasoline storage) N (not self propelled) and she is 375 feet in length, 56 feet wide and has a depth of 38 feet. With 12 cargo tanks, her capacity was 10 million litres of fuel (63,000 US Barrels).

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT

The three Rs of business: Relationships, reputation, respect Lance Bracewell Bracewell Marine Group

F

or Lance Bracewell, owner of Bracewell Marine Group, relationships are the cornerstone of good business. Throughout this 30-plus-year career, Bracewell has earned the reputation of being a fair businessman whose biggest priority is to see his customers “float away on their boat happy.” With one of the few yards on the B.C. coast with the ability to do all of their own custom manufacturing, including its own winches, shafts, and bearings, the Bracewell name is one that carries a great deal of respect in the industry.

BCSN: I usually ask first for career steps and then for company background but in your case, the two are too intertwined. So tell me about Bracewell — the man and the company.

LB: My career in boat building started with Cooper Yachts in 1980. I was the production manager with 135 staff for eight years there before starting out with my own personal businesses — Bracewell Enterprises, Bracewell Woodcrafts and then Bracewell Boatworks which was a small repair and custom-build facility.

Vessels built during that time included two 56-foot vessels, one with aluminum and another with fibreglass; a 65-foot 12 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

Photo: BC Shipping News

Throughout this 30-plus-year career, Bracewell has earned the reputation of being a fair businessman whose biggest priority is to see his customers “float away on their boat happy.” fibreglass catamaran; a number of fibreglass vessels ranging in size from 22 feet to 86 feet including two 54-foot, one 75-foot custom Pacesetters and a custom 86-foot offshore vessel.

In 2003, I purchased Sea-Tec Fabricators which came with a fully outfitted machine shop and a 150-ton travelift. Up to that point, my main focus had been on pleasure craft but this allowed me to offer repair services for commercial fishing vessels and tugs as well as build new steel and aluminum vessels.

Over the following eight years, I expanded further with Bracewell Yacht Sales, Camano Yachts and Poplar Island Marine Holdings. In addition to representing the Pacesetter line produced

by Bracewell Boatworks, we produced 31 and 41-foot fibreglass vessels under Camano Yachts and sold the 41-foot molds to Bracewell Shanghai Yachts. When I acquired Poplar Island Marine Services in 2008, it allowed me to expand even further into the commercial side of repairs.

In 2011, I brought all companies together and created Bracewell Marine Group. One of our first jobs under the new structure was a catamaran for Marine Harvest Canada, built to DNV (now DNV GL) specifications. We have also built two 48-foot tugs for Ledcor and have a labour agreement with ITB Marine to provide welding on their two new pusher tugs.

All of the work on those is being built to Lloyd’s Register specifications and all of the trades are LR-approved as well. And of course, we continue to be quite busy with ongoing boat repair and construction projects.

More recently, we’ve started offering our own winches, shafts and bearings — a part of the business that has seen good growth.

BCSN: What made you expand beyond the pleasure craft industry and into the commercial sector?

LB: I saw an opportunity to provide services for both and felt it was good to have the diversity of business. In fact,

INDUSTRY INSIGHT it was the commercial side that kept us going when the pleasure craft market fell apart in 2008. The recession had a significant impact on the industry. Today, all of the other pleasure boat builders — save perhaps for Coastal Craft and Campion — only do refits and repairs.

BCSN: Tell me more about now offering winches, shafts and bearings?

LB: We started designing winches a few years ago with Greg Williams from Mercury Launch. They are custom built and superior to anything else on the market.

We started the shaft business in the fall of 2016. It was a bit of a struggle at the start but we’re seeing growth now.

Everything is stocked here — we have shafts stocked here from three-quarters to six inches. We also keep complete Michigan bearing supplies in stock.

BCSN: I understand you’ve also decided to be more active and manage operations yourself.

LB: Yes, that’s correct. Chris Christiansen, our General Manager, retired on June 7. Rather than find a replacement,

Photo: BC Shipping News

Family affair — Lance with daughter (and Office Manager) Kristina Bracewell.

...it was the commercial side that kept us going when the pleasure craft market fell apart in 2008. The recession had a significant impact on the industry.

I decided to step back into the position. I’ll be working with Jason Evans, our Yard Foreman, and Matt Lyth, who runs the machine shop, and my daughter Kristina who is the Office Manager. While she’s

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Photo: Bracewell Marine Group

Bracewell began offering custom-built winches a few years ago — since then, the business has grown considerably. our customers. They are the foundation of our business and I love to see a boat float away from the dock with a happy customer. I do whatever it takes to accomplish that.

14 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

Now that I’m back in the management position, I’m more in control. I know what’s going on in the yard — I can walk around, talk to the employees and engage the customers. If something comes up, I

have the knowledge and experience to deal with it on the spot — perhaps find a more efficient way to solve a problem that saves time and money or make a decision right away to avoid delays.

BCSN: I’d like to turn now to some of the trends we’re seeing in the shipyard industry in B.C. First, let’s talk about labour.

LB: There used to be over 5,000 people employed in shipyards in B.C. and today it’s a fraction of that. Trying to find skilled labour can be an issue. The demographic in this industry is aging and there’s a gap between experienced tradespeople and apprentices. It’s difficult to find, for example, machinists who have been trained on more than just CNC machines.

There are shortages in other areas — painting crew, sandblasters and woodworkers, for example. One of the ways we’re tackling this is to train from within.

We’re fortunate to have a number of young welders and mechanics who are eager to upgrade their skills and we’re able to train them to our standards.

At Bracewell, employees are like family. Over the years that I’ve had my

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Photo: BC Shipping News

Bracewell operates out of Shelter Island Boatyard on the Fraser River. At present, the yard is full. own business, I have had as many as 15 or 20 staff (and still have two) that used to be with me at Cooper Yachts. The experience we bring to the table allows us to

find solutions that can be more efficient or more cost-effective for the customer but it’s just as important to encourage younger people to enter the industry.

BCSN: How has the safety regime for yards changed over the years?

LB: There are more regulations now, of course, which has led to a greater focus on

July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 15

INDUSTRY INSIGHT For a while, there was a lot of patchwork being done on the older vessels but now, as owners are busier and realizing they need better equipment, we’re seeing more refits. safety practices. Everyone must be trained on working within confined spaces or on fire safety; and they must be certified to operate a forklift and work with cranes. There are also procedures and practices that must be followed to ensure safer workplaces.

While safety is of utmost importance in the yard and we follow all of the regulations regarding safety gear, hearing tests, insurance, etc., there is an associated cost that ultimately has to be passed on to clients.

BCSN: I imagine environmental regulations have increased costs as well.

LB: Yes, absolutely. There are permits, recycling and disposal costs, annual fees and a carbon tax to be able to run some of our machinery. It also increases labour costs because it takes longer — we have to do a lot more now when we’re sandblasting or pressure washing. Dust must be contained and shipped to a disposal site; the cast-off from pressure washings must be contained, processed to meet certain levels and then disposed of through the sewage system; rubber, paint, oil, etc., all must be recycled properly.

All of these add to the bottom-line cost. As long as everyone follows the same set of rules and sees the same costs, then fair

About Bracewell Marine Group

E

stablished in 2011, Bracewell Marine Group offers a wide array of services for owners of commercial and pleasure vessels up to 120 feet. With a 10,000-squarefoot machine shop, 15 acres of yard and access to Shelter Island’s 200-metric-tonne travelift, Bracewell is well known for its expertise in the construction of new vessels, fabrication, mechanical and hydraulic repair, electrical and electronics repair, painting and custom woodworking with extraordinary craftsmanship.

In 2016, Bracewell began offering custom-made winches, shafts and bearings. These new in-house products have provided an additional level of service to allow customers convenient, cost-effective and efficient alternatives to off-the-shelf products.

For more information about Bracewell Marine Group: www.bracewellmarinegroup.com.

16 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

enough. It’s also important for the customer to understand how these extra costs factor into their project.

BCSN: What are some of the other trends you’ve seen?

LB: One thing I have noticed is the acquisition of local manufacturing companies. And as larger, often foreign companies assume control, ordering online has become the norm and personal relationships have all but disappeared. In this industry, 90 per cent of the equipment can’t be bought “off the shelf” and it has become really difficult to meet with local representatives to work on specifications. That’s one of the reasons why we do as much as we can in-house.

About Lance Bracewell

L

ance graduated from BCIT after a four-year apprenticeship in Joinery. He spent three years travelling from Vancouver to Alaska on a commercial fishing vessel before coming ashore to work as Production Manager for Cooper Yachts.

In 1989, Lance launched Bracewell Enterprises and constructed two 56-foot vessels, one in aluminum and another in fibreglass as well as molds for the Camano 31. Through Bracewell Woodcrafts, a cabinet shop with highend product clients throughout B.C. and California, he built a 65-foot fibreglass catamaran before selling the company to focus on Bracewell Boatworks, a small repair and custom-build facility. Under Bracewell Boatworks, Lance built fibreglass vessels ranging in size from 22 to 75 feet. The yard also undertook numerous repairs and refits on a large range of vessels.

In 2003, Lance purchased Sea-Tec Fabricators with a full machine shop and 150-ton travelift. The acquisition allowed him to expand into repair services for commercial fishing vessels as well as construction of new steel and aluminum vessels. He completed a custom 86-foot offshore vessel in 2007 with a steel hull and fibreglass superstructure.

Between 2004 and 2011, Lance created additional companies: Bracewell Yacht Sales to represent the Pacesetter line produced by Bracewell Boatworks; Camano Yachts which, in addition to purchasing the assets of Camano Marine, produced a wider variety of 31 and 41-foot fibreglass vessels; and Poplar Island Marine Holdings which focused on repair for tugboats.

In 2011, Lance created Bracewell Marine Group Ltd. by joining the workforce and assets of Bracewell Boatworks, Poplar Island and Sea-Tec Fabricators. One of their first jobs was to build a working catamaran for Marine Harvest Canada, followed by two 48-foot tugs for Ledcor.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Related to this — no one is stocking equipment anymore. It has to be ordered in and will usually take a few weeks. For fishermen and tug operators, that means more downtime with less revenue coming in.

BCSN: What about trends in the local tug and fishing fleets?

LB: The tug fleet is old but we are seeing some new ones being built which is lowering the overall average age. For a while, there was a lot of patchwork being done on the older vessels but now, as owners are busier and realizing they need better equipment, we’re seeing more refits. Same with the fishing vessels — that fleet is quite old as well.

One trend I am seeing is more activity from the U.S. The exchange rate works in our favour and we’re getting a lot of return visits from American operators. They benefit from a tax exemption as well if they take the boat directly out of the country. There are also American companies purchasing local fishing boats and modifying them — we’ve changed two vessels into squid boats recently and I know of a third that is being considered.

BCSN: What about new builds? Are owners still going offshore?

LB: Companies were going to China for new builds but it looks like that trend is changing. China is not as cheap as it was once thought — by the time you factor in shipping costs and the 25 per cent duty plus travel and supervision costs, we’re able to meet the price. And we can offer better quality and quality control.

We’re actively looking to build a new vessel and we do know of some potential projects coming up.

BCSN: There is some discussion within the industry that collaboration amongst the shipyards might open the door for building bigger vessels here on the West Coast — for example, BC Ferries. Do you have any insights on that?

LB: I would love to see the industry come together for something like that.

This is a very competitive industry and an initiative like that would require very strong leadership that could, among other things, determine how the work gets allocated.

The Association of BC Marine Industries held an information-gathering workshop recently so I know it’s being investigated. I don’t know what stage

Companies were going to China for new builds but it looks like that trend is changing. China is not as cheap as it was once thought... they’re at or how long that process will take though. It would be nice to see some of the business that goes offshore come back to locally owned businesses so I hope a strategy can be developed.

As it stands now, B.C. yards are limited in their capacity to be able to do the big vessels. In addition to labour costs and availability, yards are challenged for space. The encroachment of residential developments is impacting on the desirability of having a shipyard as a neighbour so expansion on existing footprints is very limited.

BCSN: What does the future look like for Bracewell — both the man and the company?

LB: I’d certainly like to see the business continue to grow. Everything I’ve wanted to do in this business, I’ve basically accomplished and at some point, I’ll want to retire but we’re not there yet. I’m still enjoying myself.

We have a good reputation with a lot of mutual respect and high regard for our services. I think that stems from focusing on, and valuing, the relationships we have with both customers and staff. BCSN

July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 17

HISTORY LESSON King of the River Photo: Dave Roels

The story of Captain William Irving

By Lea Edgar Librarian & Archivist, Vancouver Maritime Museum

W

illiam Irving is known as one of British Columbia’s most famous pioneers. He created and maintained a successful steamship company before the province even existed. Through cunning, but also sound business practices, he turned the Fraser River into a money-maker and became one of the wealthiest residents of the burgeoning province.

William Irving was born in Annan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland in 1816. At the age of 15, he began his long maritime career aboard the Helen Douglas bound for New Brunswick. By 19 years old, he was first mate on the brig Tuscanny. He travelled primarily between the East Coast of America and Europe but decided to move to the West Coast in 1849. He settled in Portland and became part owner of the aptly named barque Success. He had a fruitful business in the Oregon and California lumber trade.

In Portland, he met and married Elizabeth Dixon. At this time, the government gave land to young married couples and they received 320 acres each in the City of Portland. To this day there remains a suburb there called Irvington.

Through cunning, but also sound business practices, he turned the Fraser River into a money-maker and became one of the wealthiest residents of the burgeoning province.

While in San Francisco, William purchased his first small steamer in 1851 called Eagle and brought her back to Portland. This essentially started the steamboat era in Oregon. Despite his success, Elizabeth missed him on his long absences from home while travelling up to Victoria and down to San Francisco.

Consequently, William decided to sell Success and focus more closely on the local river trade.

With the Fraser River Gold Rush in full swing, in 1859, the Irving family moved to Victoria and lived there for five years.

While William never chased gold himself, he did see an opportunity to make money transporting the prospectors. At this point in time he became interested in the steamers Colonel Moody and Governor Douglas.

Governor Douglas was the first sternwheeler built in B.C. Irving then took his first trip to Yale from New Westminster in the Colonel Moody in 1861.

Yale townsite with the William Irving sternwheeler in the foreground, ca. 1868. City of Vancouver Archvies, item number AM1376-: CVA 3-4.

18 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

William Irving was not alone in the Fraser River steamer trade. Many men saw the opportunity to make their fortunes and this brought about vicious price wars and races between the steamers. In fact, one of Irving’s rivals, Captain S.B. Jamieson of the Yale Navigation Co., was killed when the boiler blew on the Fort Yale.

Irving was on board that fateful day. He offered to take the helm so that Jamieson could take a break. Jamieson laughed and refused to give control over to one of his rivals. In his haste, Jamieson overloaded the boiler and it exploded. His body was never found.

Irving, having survived the Fort Yale, knew better than to participate in the dangerous races and built his business on a reputation of safety and luxury. In fact, he was still able to charge $1.00 a trip to Yale while his competitors were forced to lower the fare to $0.25. This earned him the nickname “King of the River.”

In 1862, dissatisfied with the vessels he owned, Irving sold his steamers and built the sternwheeler Reliance. This ship was much superior to his previous vessels. At this time, he also shifted the focus of the company to the New Westminster to Yale run. In 1865, he improved on Reliance’s design and built the 283-ton sternwheeler Onward. By 1864, he decided to move his family to New Westminster. There he built a fine home — now the Irving House heritage site — overlooking the harbour. William Irving was very involved in local matters and government in New Westminster. Eventually, however, he had to step away to tend to his thriving business, the Pioneer Shipping Company. On August 28, 1872, William Irving died at the age of 56. His son John then took over the business.

VANCOUVER MARITIME MUSEUM When speaking about William Irving, one should not fail to mention his son, John. A B.C. pioneer in his own right, John started his career at the age of 16 and, by 20, was in command of the Onward. Under his management, the company acquired more steamers to grow the fleet to include Lillooet, Hope, Glenmore, Onward and Royal City. The competition on the river continued to be fierce but John always seemed to come out on top. In 1874, he acquired the William C. Hunt in direct competition on the Victoria run with the Hudson’s Bay Company steamer Princess Louise. John also built the Elizabeth J. Irving (named after his mother) in 1881 and it was the finest steamer on the Fraser. She cost $50,000 to build. Tragically, she caught fire on only her second run to Hope Landing and was destroyed. She was also not insured. Despite these setbacks, John bought out Hudson’s Bay Line and consolidated it with his company to create the Canadian Pacific Navigation Company in 1883. The company operated many steamers, including one named after John’s father, the William Irving. He also created the Columbia and Kootenai Steam Navigation Company with fellow associates in 1890. John Irving was very interested in the Yukon and founded the John Irving Navigation Company. He ran it until 1900 when he sold it to the White Pass Railway Co. In 1901, Canadian Pacific Navigation Company was taken over by the Canadian Pacific Railway and became the basis of the B.C. Coast Steamship Service.

William and John Irving both operated some very successful steamship businesses on the waterways of British Columbia. In a province that was largely wild and without roads, the Irvings helped

Steamer Onward on the Fraser River, ca. 1862. City of Vancouver Archives item number AM54-S4-1---: A-6-164. make the land more accessible, allowing for expansion into what was then unknown and untamed territory. Without such entrepreneurs, B.C. would surely not have the success we see today.

Lea Edgar started her position as Librarian and Archivist for the Vancouver Maritime Museum in 2013. She can be contacted at archives@vanmaritime.com.

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www.johnhorton.ca (604) 943-4399 / john@johnhorton.ca July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 19

SHIPBUILDING

ABCMI workshop looks to increase work for B.C. shipyards

By Alex Rueben

Executive Director, Association of BC Marine Industries

O

n May 9, 2018, the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI), in partnership with BC Ferries (BCF), hosted a roundtable discussion on the topic of building ferries in British Columbia. This engaging dialogue explored how to create the conditions for greater involvement of B.C. companies in new vessel construction and what might be the parameters around competitive new construction.

In attendance were representatives from shipbuilding, labour, ship design, classification societies, marine supply, law firms, financial institutions and other stakeholder sectors in the marine industry.

The roundtable featured a number of presentations by BCF including their construction plan over the next 10 years, technology trends to be considered, the BCF procurement process, design & build requirements and a perspective from the Canadian Ferry Association.

Attendees were invited to enter into an open discussion after each presenta11 - 4 tion and were subsequently asked to offer constructive and practical ideas for the greater involvement of B.C. companies in the competitive construction of BCF vessels.

At the outset of the meeting, Mark Collins, CEO BCF, emphasized that: • BCF does not prefer to build ferries outside of Canada — in fact, they would very much like to build their future fleet in B.C. if it were possible to build the ships competitively (with foreign shipyards) so as to be a good deal for ferry users. This has not always been possible and thus, continues to be a challenge.

• BCF does not discourage consortiums from bidding on BCF work, in fact, consortium bids are welcomed and occur on a regular basis.

• BCF does not fashion its procurement process to exclude Canadian shipyards, as its contracts mirror BIMCO 20 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

The fleet construction plan for BCF has an ambitious agenda as it strives to restructure its fleet from 17 classes of vessels to five over the next 15 years. newbuild contracts — an industry contract standard that is similar to normal Canadian construction practice.

It also quickly became clear that Seaspan Shipyards, with its three shipyards, has no ability to take on near-term construction for BCF given its commitment to the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) for the next six to eight years. The plan, once the initial seven vessels assigned to Seaspan Shipyards under the NSS have been built, is to take on other work along with building more vessels for the federal government. Thus, Seaspan Shipyards cannot take the lead on a full build program but might consider participating in other elements of BCF construction and outfitting through participation in a consortium of companies.

The fleet construction plan for BCF has an ambitious agenda as it strives to restructure its fleet from 17 classes of vessels to five over the next 15 years. This means the construction of as many as 12 vessels in the next 10 years, including the two currently being constructed by Damen Shipyards Group, with the following near-term milestones: An additional four minor 47 Class shuttle ferries with diesel/electric hybrid propulsion. A Request for Proposal (RFP) for the construction of these vessels is planned to be issued in 2018. The RFP will be preceded by a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEOI) and a Request for Prequalification (RFPQ). The first two of these double-ended vessels are currently being built by Damen Shipyards Group at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania and are expected to enter service in early 2020. There may eventually be as many as eight to 10 Minor 47 vessels in this class within the fleet.

One additional Salish Class ferry with dual-fuel (LNG) diesel propulsion. The RFEOI, RFPQ and RFP for the construction of this vessel are planned to be issued in 2018. The first three vessels of these 138 AEQ vessels were built by Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdansk, Poland.

Up to five major Coastal Class ferries with LNG fuel and/or hybrid propulsion.

The RFEOI, RFPQ and RFP for the construction of these vessels are planned to be issued in 2019. The first two of these vessels are expected to enter service in 2023.

There may eventually be as many as eight vessels in this class within the fleet with the RFP for two to three more anticipated in 2026.

The roundtable discussion produced a number of approaches, ranging from getting the products of B.C. companies installed on foreign-built vessels to having the entire vessel built in B.C. shipyards.

These are summarized below along with a number of ‘ideas’ that might be considered moving forward.

Using B.C. suppliers

BCF maintains a ‘Makers List’ of preferred vendors through its supply chain management system which shipyards, that are awarded a build contract, are encouraged to use. The suppliers on this list work directly with the Prime Contractor in installing their respective products on newly constructed vessels. There are already instances where B.C. companies are working with foreign shipyards — for example, EMCS Industries’ anti-fouling Noxx system and Corvus Energy’s lithium ion battery ESS are being installed on ferries being built by Damen.

Ideas that came out of the session included having BCF specify the products

SHIPBUILDING of B.C. companies where it makes sense to do so from a total life-cycle cost and maintenance-support perspective; encouraging B.C companies to get on the ‘Makers List;’ and getting interested and eligible B.C. companies to work together, perhaps form a consortium and travel overseas to make representations, with BCF support, to foreign shipyards. Another consideration suggested was to have BCF shape their procurement process to favourably weight bids with more content from B.C. companies.

Competitive bidding

For small shipyards in B.C., the cost of submitting a competitive bid is prohibitively expensive and presents a barrier to participating in the BCF procurement process. In the existing process, a shipyard would have to make a significant investment in engineering and design in order to qualify to bid and the design/ build approach is the default. This is specifically to limit risk to ferry users yet it does drive up shipyard costs as they are expected to partner and deal with design houses if they don’t have their own design

capability. Thought needs to be given to reducing this hurdle for small yards in order for them to compete in the bid process with larger foreign yards.

Ideas include: having BCF, where they own the intellectual property, provide existing design drawings and specifications of the new ferries (Salish, Minor 47), to the B.C. yards free of charge; asking BCF or the BC Government to help fund the development of bid packages by B.C. shipyards or consortiums; or, for the major Coastal Class vessels, asking BCF to hire a design agent and have the design put together and then passed to local shipyards to give them a running start and save the cost of developing the design. This last point raised the question of risk in the form of mitigation of liquidated damages.

Another idea discussed was for BCF to draw out the schedule for delivering newly built ferries to accommodate the build capacity of smaller B.C. yards. A number of factors which influence timing would need to be considered and addressed for this to happen, including project costs, milestone payments, interest payments, etc.

Competitive challenges

Even if BC shipyards are helped to overcome the challenges presented in the existing BCF procurement process, there remain significant hurdles to being competitive with foreign yards — lower wage costs, lower social cost conventions (health and safety), production efficiencies achieved through high volumes of work, subsidies and trade protectionism of overseas yards.

Yet there are ways to make some of the construction and outfitting of BCF a possibility in B.C. shipyards. Attendees discussed the possibilities of B.C. shipyards teaming up with a foreign shipyard to create a consortium that would see the rough build (steel components/hulls) of the vessels conducted in the foreign yard where it is cost-effective to do so and then the outfitting, systems integration, and set-to-work of the vessels done in B.C. Examples where relationships already exist include the current contract between Meridian Marine Industries and Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. to carry out warranty work on the three Salish Class vessels built in Poland; and Point Hope Maritime Shipyard’s

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July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 21

Photo: BC Shipping News

SHIPBUILDING

Ideas generated at the session included using the example of Meridian Marine’s contract with Remontowa Shipbuilding for warranty work. modules built in B.C. (superstructure). The management and oversight of the build would be carried out by an Engineering, Procurement, Construction Management (EPCM) consortium to train, maintain and guarantee the supply of labour as well as labour cost stability.

The group also suggested that the economic impact of construction in B.C.

contract with Damen Shipyards Group to provide technical and warranty support for the minor 47 Class vessels being built in Romania.

Another possibility could be to create a consortium with B.C. and foreign yards that is a combination of local and offshore fabrication using a mix of offshore modules (i.e., hull and propulsion blocks) and

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should be given greater consideration.

It is estimated that every dollar spent on new construction in B.C. translates into somewhere between 1.8 and 2.3 dollars of economic benefit in B.C. and Canada.

The argument being that if these build contracts are awarded to foreign companies, those benefits stay in another country. While BCF agreed with the concept, they do not want to see the premium for this benefit borne by ferry users (through increased fares) alone and would require public policy decisions on the part of the federal and provincial governments. This could be in the form of subsidies for shipyards through funding for the adoption of new technologies, the adoption of new automated build capabilities and practices, support for the development, training and cross-skilling of highly skilled workers, support for the development of Canadian supply chains, and tax incentives.

Overall, there is a need to increase the competitiveness of the B.C. industry.

While the entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and technical know-how exists, it needs to be harnessed in collaboration between shipyards, design houses, suppliers, financial lending institutions and other stakeholders including the provincial government. Relying solely on BCF to stimulate shipbuilding in B.C. is the wrong mechanism to do this — it has been tried four times since 1960 and each time the industry has down-scaled after the build programs ended. Other countries have programs and incentives to support their shipbuilding sectors because they have decided that this has to occur as a matter of strategic national policy — they wish this sector to exist and flourish — Canada has not done this beyond the NSS and its two designated yards.

In summary, a real desire was expressed by the B.C. industry to be involved in the construction of new vessels. In addition to identifying challenges, this roundtable discussion revealed a number of ideas that can be considered moving forward.

Alex Rueben is a marine engineer by trade, having spent 35 years in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Following retirement from the RCN, Alex built and operated the Industrial Marine Training and Applied Research Centre, now known as the Camosun Coastal Centre. Alex can be reached at alex@abcmi.ca.

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B.C. SHIPBUILDING

Honouring B.C.’s legendary shipbuilding industry

By Cameron Cathcart

C

urious how projects get started.

Many have a definite purpose.

Others, the result of a dream. The shipbuilding monument project began with a question: why isn’t there something tangible on the Vancouver waterfront to salute the legacy of B.C.’s proud and illustrious shipbuilding industry? That question got a few people thinking in 2010.

The Metro Vancouver Naval Monument Society was formed, and the concept of a memorial began to take shape. The idea was to position a statue of a Second World War shipyard worker on the North Vancouver waterfront. But, that hectic period of non-stop shipbuilding also included thousands of women, along with navy personnel acting as advisors. It was clear that all three had to be represented in a shipbuilding monument. The next step was to engage a sculptor.

The artist chosen was Norm Williams who had recently completed the

...why isn’t there something tangible on the Vancouver waterfront to salute the legacy of B.C.’s proud and illustrious shipbuilding industry? monument to B.C.’s fishing industry and its workers situated outside the old Steveston Cannery, now the Gulf of Georgia National Historic Site in Richmond, B.C. His first task was to develop a maquette, or model, showing the three statues in various poses within the parameters of a single monument.

Mr. Williams has since created the Roger Neilson and Pat Quinn statues located at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Unfortunately, the initial flurry of excitement for a shipbuilding monument began to wane at this time and for several years the project suffered an overall lack of enthusiasm. That changed in 2017 when the Naval Officer’s Association of BC (NOABC) announced plans to mark

its 100th anniversary at a fall 2019 conference in North Vancouver. This sparked renewed interest by the Society and the monument project was revived in earnest.

By now, project costs had increased substantially and it was obvious the final price for the shipbuilding monument would be much higher than originally contemplated back in 2010. Also, urban renewal had changed the old Burrard Dry Dock site at the North Vancouver waterfront with the area that now includes an art gallery, a new hotel, a residential complex, public market, restaurants, boardwalk and a public pier.

The Society now had to re-engage with the City of North Vancouver to determine where the monument could be located on

North Vancouver’s Burrard Dry Dock , along with neighboring North Van Ship Repairs, built close to one-third of Canada’s wartime Victoria ships.

Photo courtesy of the North Vancouver Museum and Archives 24 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

B.C. SHIPBUILDING

Wartime women shipyard workers at Burrard Dry Dock.

Photos courtesy of the North Vancouver Museum and Archives

the revitalized waterfront. Meanwhile, the North Vancouver Arts Advisory Committee, along with the North Vancouver Museum and Archives, were consulted for artistic design and historical accuracy of the sculpture components. These were approved, and the City endorsed the project, agreeing that the monument be located east of the new pier on the North Vancouver waterfront boardwalk.

The building of vessels on the British Columbia coast has a long history. Well before European contact, coastal Indigenous people built large, sea-going dugout canoes for fishing, whaling, transportation and war. The first ship built on the B.C. coast by Europeans was at Friendly Cove, now Yuquot, in Nookta Sound in the early 1790s.

As European settlement took hold in the late 1800s, various types of vessels were built by B.C. shipbuilders over the years such as deep-sea sailing ships, paddle wheelers, lake ferries, tugs, fish boats and the occasional pleasure craft. It wasn’t until after the Second World War that U.K.-built passenger ships, used for West Coast service, began to be phased out and replaced mainly by vessels built in B.C. shipyards.

For most of the 20th century, the North Vancouver waterfront housed the largest shipyard in western Canada, with more than 450 ships launched from the site throughout this period. Opened in 1906 as Wallace Shipyard and re-named Burrard Dry Dock in 1921, tugs and barges for the forest industry, navy vessels, ferries, small cargo ships and icebreakers were launched from this historic location including the St. Roch, the RCMP schooner that achieved fame by traversing the Arctic in both directions in the 1940s.

The busiest and most record-setting activity on the North Vancouver waterfront occurred during the Second World War. Burrard Dry Dock, along with neighbouring North Van Ship Repairs, built close to 250 of Canada’s wartime Victory ships and 50 naval vessels, establishing a reputation for high standards of workmanship. Between 1939 and 1945, more than 14,000 workers were employed in round the clock shifts at Burrard, including 1,000 women, to feed the war effort. The B.C. shipyard was the first in Canada to hire women during the war. They filled the gap while men went to war with jobs ranging from store-keeping to welding.

When the war ended in 1945, shipbuilding in B.C. dropped dramatically and thousands of workers were let go, including all the women hired during the war. But, new contracts slowly picked up as the post-war economy began to surge. These included modern tugs, self-loading log barges, cargo ships, coastal tankers, patrol boats, state of the art icebreakers, arctic oil exploration ships and passenger and railcar ferries. In the 1950s the Royal Canadian Navy also began to modernize its fleet with new destroyers, several of which were built in B.C. shipyards.

Today, two replenishment ships have been ordered by the Royal Canadian Navy, along with a polar icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard. All three vessels are at the final design stage at Seaspan Shipyards in North Vancouver, from which the first of three fisheries research vessels were recently launched. Along with building new ships, for several years cruise ship, ferry and navy vessel repair and upgrading work have been consistent and reliable activities for British Columbia’s shipyards.

Riveters at Burrard Dry Dock.

The shipbuilding monument needs $350,000 to be completed and installed on the North Vancouver waterfront by October 2019.

To meet this challenge the Metro Vancouver Naval Monument Society has launched an appeal for contributions at eight levels that reflect the type of ships built by B.C.’s shipbuilders, ranging from Minesweeper to Victory Ship to Naval Supply Ship, to mention just three.

The monument will consist of three bronze statues that show a male worker using a torch to bend pipes, a female worker taking a break, while a naval petty officer unrolls ship plans. It is designed to engage people, with sculptures positioned at ground level on the walkway east of the North Vancouver waterfront pier.

The shipbuilding monument will salute the legendary British Columbia shipbuilding industry and its workers, and for its support of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Merchant Marine during the Second World War. The project began with a question: why is there no tangible recognition of British Columbia’s proud and illustrious history of shipbuilding?

The answer is the shipbuilding monument, now ready to be launched.

Contributions for The Shipbuilding Monument can be sent payable to the Vancouver Naval Museum & Heritage Society.

Mark your cheque ‘Monument’ and send to PO Box 47050, RPO Denman Place, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E1. Receipts will be issued for $50 or more.

July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 25

B.C. SHIPYARDS

Busy pace continues for B.C.’s shipyards

S

pirits are good in B.C.’s shipyard sector — not one yard reported a downturn in business this past year.

Indeed, evaluations ranged from “steady” to “extremely busy.” Optimism for the coming year is equally positive with the only shadow coming from potential tariffs and trade wars that are causing some businesses to sit up and pay attention.

And while most are finding the crew they need, there were more than a few yard owners and managers who lamented that it’s becoming more and more difficult getting skilled workers when you need them. The good news on that front is the many apprentices being hired at yards like Victoria Shipyards, Vancouver Shipyards, Point Hope and others.

Here’s how the industry made out...

ABD Enterprises

Partners Al Dawson and Burton Dody are busy finishing up the 105-foot aluminum fish packer for James Walkus

Optimism for the coming year is equally positive with the only shadow coming from potential tariffs and trade wars that are causing some businesses to sit up and pay attention.

Fishing Co. in Port Hardy. The Geemia Joye — sister ship to Amarissa Joye, designed

by A.G. McIlwain and classed by Lloyd’s Register — was scheduled to be taken out of the shed on Friday, just shortly after an interview with Dawson. This is the 50th vessel over 50 feet that ABD has built in its 30-year history.

Next on the list is a 70-foot catamaran for Victoria’s Prince of Whales Whale Watching which is already under construction. The Salish Sea Eclipse is based on an order from Prince of Whales’ founder Alan McGillivray. Gregory C. Marshall of Victoria, B.C. was the architect with Transport Canada inspecting. Its delivery date is scheduled for April 2019.

The 94-year-old Dawson reported that, overall, business was progressing along as usual. Employing up to 70 people at one time, he’s never had a problem finding good people in 30 years. “Six of us have been working together for 35 years.”

Allied Shipbuilders

Thanks to a steady stream of commercial work throughout 2017, this past year was a busy one for Chuck Ko at Allied Shipbuilders. “We did major four-year refits on three large tugs — the DD Catherwood, Storm Bandit and Captain Cook,” Ko said, “but what really kept us busy from fall to now was the Laboratory Upgrade on the CCGS Vector and the mid-life refit of the CCGS John P. Tully.

Additional work in the yard has included the rebranding of two of Western Canada Marine Response Corporation barges to their signature blue, orange and white colours; collision repairs on the fishing vessel Ocean Achiever; and fire damage repairs on the fishing vessel Bold Performance, which turned out to be quite a major project,” he said. “What we thought was going to be a minor repair and clean up project in the engine room ended up becoming quite significant, requiring removal and overhaul of all the diesel machinery in the engine room.”

Ko said that he expects the upcoming months to be a little bit slower than the previous year, but should be steady enough to maintain his core work force.

In between jobs, Ko has been trying to finish the major refit started last year on the large drydock. “We’re about two-thirds done and just waiting for some downtime over the summer to finish tank painting” he said, adding that the smaller drydock will be undergoing similar work.

Arrow Marine

Al Dawson with ABD Enterprises stands in front of the nearly completed Geemia Joye.

26 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

With yard activity increasing year over year, Arrow Marine continues to provide repairs and refits to fishing vessels, tugboats and barges plus a variety of other kinds of vessels including yachts, catamarans and charter vessels. One of the largest projects undertaken this year was the complete rebuild of a 45-year-old tugboat. The rebuild included upgrading the entire steering system and building a completely new house for the tugboat that is fully detachable for easy land transport.

Additional news from the yard included plans to build a brand new office in the coming year as well as upgrades to the yard. They have also added a fulltime, fully certified Safety Officer who is leading Arrow’s

B.C. SHIPYARDS

Chuck Ko from Allied Shipbuilders reported on a steady stream of commercial work over the past two years. efforts to attaining their Certificate of Recognition (COR) from WorkSafeBC.

BC Ferries’ Fleet Maintenance Unit

Another refit season has flown by with many vessel maintenance and modification projects. David Sharpe, General Manager, Fleet Maintenance Unit for BC Ferries, reported that the season kicked

off in September with a flurry of activity to prepare the Spirit of British Columbia for her long journey to Gdansk, Poland, to complete her mid-life upgrade (MLU) and conversion to dual-fuel LNG. This involved installing a bow wave break, crew accommodations and a pilot ladder for transiting the Panama Canal.

On September 12, 2017, along with members of the public, a fond farewell

was made to the Queen of Nanaimo with a celebration of service to commemorate her 53 years of sailing the B.C. coast.

The fall brought a steady line up of refits and safety re-certifications which required all of FMU’s skilled trades — from mechanics, welders, and electricians to lifesaving and ship safety technicians to outfitting and paint, signage and coatings inspectors.

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B.C. SHIPYARDS Queen of New Westminster, and Queen of Alberni. Concurrently, FMU’s trades attended major dry docking refits for the Kwuna, Queen of Coquitlam and Quinsam on the Island and for a quick Queen of Cowichan docking in North Vancouver.

The new year ramped up quickly with the arrival of the Queen of Capilano for a five-week refit and the Spirit of Vancouver Island for re-certification. The Queen of Oak Bay docking and Queen of Surrey refit both included new and improved upper car deck pet areas. The Island Sky, Mayne Queen and Quadra Queen underwent major dry docking refits in the spring, as well as the Northern Expedition. The Salish Eagle, Salish Raven and Salish Orca underwent warranty and other maintenance work at the yard throughout the year. FMU’s tradespeople also attended the Coastal Renaissance, Coastal Celebration and Coastal Inspiration as each refitted remotely at dry dock and at BC Ferries’ terminals. In late spring, Sharpe and his team responded to an incident on the Queen of Cumberland to install a new davit and return her to service as soon as possible.

In May, Sharpe was pleased to report that the yard hosted a tour of the site for participants of the Green Marine GreenTech Conference held in Vancouver. To close the season, the Spirit of British Columbia was welcomed back to undo modifications made for her transatlantic journey. The Spirit of British Columbia returned to carrying passengers in early June, newly improved and more efficient. The vessel is now operating on natural gas, which reduces BC Ferries’ environmental footprint and fuel costs. As FMU’s hardworking and skilled tradespeople take some

The refit season flew by for BC Ferries’ Fleet Maintenance Unit. long-deserved down time, they are already looking forward to next year. It is anticipated to be similarly full with the Spirit of Vancouver Island’s MLU and 22 vessel refit projects.

Bracewell Marine Group

It’s been a good year for Lance Bracewell and the team at Bracewell Marine Group. “I’d say more than the previous year and we expect the coming year to be just as busy or busier,” he said during an interview for this month’s Industry Insight (see page 12).

With a number of boats filling the yard to capacity at present, Bracewell has projects at various stages on the go for the Pacific Mariner, the Revolution, the CT Titan and the Bellisima, to name just a few. Work ranges from sponson replacements, hull plating and new rubber for the CT Titan, to total refits for the Pacific Mariner and Marine Harvest’s Revolution. The Bellisima, in the yard for the past two years after sinking near Pender Harbour, was just about complete at the time of writing.

With access to Shelter Island’s 200mt travelift, Bracewell has been pushing hard to get Shelter Island’s President, Terry McPhail to invest in a 300mt travelift. “We would more than double our business,” he said.

Having recently ventured into the custom-build winch market which is seeing great interest from other yards and customers, Bracewell has also expanded his services to include shafts and bearings. Business on all three has been “growing significantly,” especially with better pricing, reduced lag times and ability to customize more easily with customers’ input right on the shop floor.

28 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

B.C. SHIPYARDS When asked about upcoming work, in addition to a number of vessels coming in for CSIs, there will be two years’ worth of work from gooey duck boats as well as potential conversions of West Coast fishing boats into squid boats for an American fishing company. Bracewell also noted he was actively working on getting at least one newbuild, “but that one has the customer holding off until certain government decisions are made.”

Daigle Welding

It’s been a very busy year for Steve and the team at Daigle Welding and Marine, more so than last year. The seemingly never-ending list of newbuilds at various stages of construction includes a 53-foot sport fishing cruiser, designed in-house and soon to be launched; two 43-foot landing craft destined for the Indian Government; two 12-passenger water taxis; and a 33 and 34-foot cruiser with work soon to start on a deluxe (“all the bells and whistles”) 34-foot sport fisher.

As if that weren’t enough, Daigle commented on a continual stream of repair work coming in all the time. “We’ve become

Daigle’s shop is seeing a seemingly endless list of newbuilds. specialists in repairs for boat owners who took shortcuts that didn’t work out so well,” he said, adding that another was coming in that evening by barge.

One issue that Daigle is watching closely is the tariffs and retaliatory measures as trade between Canada and the U.S. becomes strained. “We’ve already seen a 37-foot cruiser be put on hold until there’s some resolution,” he said. “Because of

the aluminum tariff, Canada is imposing a tariff on recreational boats as of July 1.

There is concern that the U.S. will reciprocate in kind which could seriously impact on our U.S. market.”

When asked about other trends, especially in the labour market, Daigle noted that, while he has very little turnover, finding skilled people is becoming more and more difficult, including aluminum

July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 29

B.C. SHIPYARDS Bingham reported); and refits for both of EGD’s caissons.

As per Joe O’Rourke’s update for Victoria Shipyards, reconstruction work on the South Jetty is progressing. The conQueen of Oak Bay and Salish Eagle; an tract has been awarded to a joint venture assortment of fishing vessels, barges and between SPAL General Constructors and even a cruise ship or two.

Fraser River Pile and Dredge, and compleUpcoming dockings of note include tion is set for November 2019. The new more BC Ferries and Royal Canadian jetty is to be constructed with 300 piles Navy vessels plus New Zealand Navy and 400 precast elements, and will feature frigates HMNZS TE KAHA, and HMNZS large fenders, crane pads and higher load TE MANA, the cruise ships Ruby Princess limits on the deck. and Emerald Princess and vehicle carrier Also as per O’Rourke’s report, EGD the MV Midnight Sun. is working with BC Hydro to construct The Government of Canada-owned and install a new high voltage transmisfacility continues to undergo major infra- sion line from the Esquimalt Sub-station structure improvements. Bingham listed a to the Esquimalt Graving Dock. This will number of key projects in various stages result in a dedicated electrical supply for of progress. Essential for flooding and the facility that can be further upgraded removing water from the drydock, the in the future. three main dewatering pumps have now In addition to improvements to infrabeen completely refurbished. Projects in structure, Bingham noted that a new 80-ton progress include the replacement of the Grove rough-terrain rubber-tired crane had main (north) substation (“the 37-year-old been purchased and a new steel-hulled high- and low-voltage transformers are workboat, being built by Ocean Pacific 1/4pg BCSN.qxp_1/2 pg horz 6/6/18 10:12 AM Page 1 nearing the end of theirNA service life cycle,” Marine, will be on site by summer 2018.

EGD is working with BC Hydro to construct and install a new high voltage transmission line from the Esquimalt Substation to the Esquimalt Graving Dock. welders, fabricators and riggers. “And if you do find the right person and they have to relocate to Campbell River, they have a difficult time finding a residence.

Campbell River is experiencing a boom and even with new units being built, it’s still a challenge.”

Esquimalt Graving Dock

According to Stafford Bingham, Director, Esquimalt Graving Dock (EGD), while the same number of vessels used the facility this year compared to last year, revenue increased over 50 per cent, thanks to larger tonnage ships staying for longer periods of time. The graving dock saw 21 dockings in the 2017/2108 fiscal year, including naval vessels HMCS Calgary, HMCS Chicoutimi and HMCS Vancouver; BC Ferries’ Powell River Queen, Queen of Coquitlam, Quinsam, Queen of Coquitlam, Northern Sea Wolf,

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B.C. SHIPYARDS Meridian Marine

Meridian Marine Inc. (MMI) recently signed representative agreements with Remontowa Ship Building of Gdansk, Poland, the builders of the Salish Eagle, Raven and Orca, and Remontowa Shiprepair Yard that recently completed the mid-life upgrade and LNG/dual fuel conversion of the Spirit of British Columbia plus the upcoming MLU of the Spirit of Vancouver Island.

MMI will manage all Warranty Guarantee Claims for all five vessels and also partner any potential newbuilds and major conversions for local vessel owners.

“We have also recently qualified our welders for LNG and Cunifer pipe welding through ABS Class requirements as we look to the future in regards to potential LNG conversion projects and being ready to execute these potential projects,” said Jim McFadden.

To help with the extra work, Meridian has enlisted the help of Peter Bant, new Project Manager who is also involved in quoting on new projects. Bant is already well known in the B.C. market through his work as a senior surveyor with DNV GL and prior, with the Canadian Coast Guard.

In addition to the warranty work, the Meridian team have been busy on various projects, including construction of a new ramp for the Northern Sea Wolf that is currently in at the Esquimalt Graving Dock. Teams are also working on other BC Ferries vessels such as the Queen of Capilano and the Queen of Oak Bay. And while noting that skilled labour has been “tough to find, especially shipwrights and pipe fitters,” Meridian has been managing to meet their current work demand.

Looking at the future, McFadden has his fingers crossed for a number of proposals and quotes issued over the last few weeks. “We’ve had a number of requests from vessel owners for quotes on barge conversions and new buildings,” said Bant, with McFadden adding that he is hopeful that discussions being held with B.C. shipyards through the Association of BC Marine Industries will result in local new building/partnering opportunities.

Jim McFadden welcomed Peter Bant as Project Manager to the Meridian Marine team in May this year to help with the extra work from providing warranty management services for Remontowa. the past year — much busier than the year previous. In addition to building the steelhulled work boat for Esquimalt Graving Dock that is about one month away from completion, major refits have been done on naval vessels and dive units from Comox and Esquimalt stations.

For the upcoming year, Kempling was forecasting another good year. The Tillicum was coming in for a refit at the time of writing and the pilotage vessel Pacific Chinook will follow for a bit of work — “replacing fenders and a few other small items.” Kempling remarked that the Mari-Tech conference provided a great overview of upcoming builds and felt there was a number of years’ worth of work off new vessels over and above the major builds for BC Ferries, Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy.

Having added five more fulltime staff over the past year, Kempling now has a workforce of about 42 but noted, in keeping with comments from other yards, that finding skilled workers is difficult.

“Welders, technicians, mechanics…in general, it is getting tough to fill the positions,” he said.

Kempling was pleased to report that Ocean Pacific had just become a Cummins Marine Dealer. To accommodate the extra work, a new set of docks is being added to existing infrastructure at the Campbell River facility.

Point Hope Maritime

Having increased the capacity of the yard in 2015/2016, General Manager Riccardo Regosa reported that Point Hope Maritime was keeping busy and sustaining the higher level of activity seen in

Ocean Pacific Marine

Bruce Kempling was pleased to report that Ocean Pacific Marine Store and Boatyard has been “extremely busy” over July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 31

B.C. SHIPYARDS

Point Hope has seen a good mix of fishing, naval and pilotage vessels along with its fair share of tugs and ferries.

2017. “The mix of vessels is more or less even to last year,” he said. “We did a lot of work on the smaller naval vessels and also welcomed the first two BC Ferries’ vessels as part of our fiveyear supply agreement with them. We’re seeing more tugs, both local and American, and a growing number of fishing vessels and support vessels servicing the aquaculture industry,” he said, adding that work ranged from refits to inspections and maintenance.

Coming up, Regosa expects to be working on vessels from BC Ferries, a good mix of federal vessels, commercial and

32 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

fishing vessels, and a steadily growing order intake from the U.S. Following the recent decision to go ahead with building the new pipeline and a recovering oil and gas industry, we may also see a growing number of tugs and support vessels that will assure safe transit of tankers to oil and gas terminals.

However, the big news for Point Hope continues to be the proposed new graving dock. “The approval process has been very positive to date with lots of support from the community,” Regosa reported. “Our development permit application to the City of Victoria passed unanimously. With that level of support, it sends a strong signal to the Provincial and Federal Governments that the dock will be a valuable and welcomed asset for the industry and for the region.” He and owners, the Ralmax Group, are optimistic that all permits and approvals will be in place by the end of the year.

On the topic of labour, Regosa noted that they had increased the number of staff and project management teams as they refine their work processes, not only to support the growth already seen but in anticipation of the larger volume of work that will come with the graving dock. “On the trades’ side, we’re adding to our strong team of skilled employees and have 15 apprentices in the shipyard,” he said. “We are committed to creating employment and training opportunities for our local First Nation communities and have introduced a dedicated program to increase the number of indigenous apprentices. I would also like to see more women in trades; there is a successful program on the East Coast that is attracting more women to the marine industry and it would be great to work on implementing a similar program here on the West Coast.”

To champion this new initiative, the Ralmax Group created the position of an apprenticeship coach who works closely with Human Resources which oversees all of the Ralmax Group of companies. “It is a coordinating role meant to communicate opportunities to interested individuals and support them through their apprenticeships to ensure they have access to more training or assistance that will help to improve their success rate. And within the Ralmax Group, new apprentices can try out different trades, allowing them to find their niche.”

B.C. SHIPYARDS Point Hope is also working closely with Camosun College on a program for labourers. “They will not be skilled in a full trade when they complete the program but it provides the knowledge to be able to work in the maritime, fabrication and construction industry,” he said. “They are trained in the safety standards, working in confined spaces, fire watch, rigging, driving a forklift, etc. It’s a very broad program that adds to their skillset and creates an ‘on-ramp’ for additional training and career advancement.”

Sylte Shipyard

Still keeping to a schedule of one vessel per year, Annette Russman reported that their next tug for a local company should be in the water by the end of July.

The A.G. McIwain-designed, 59-foot, 60-tonne, tug has two MTU 12V2000 engines, Twin Disc MGX 5321 DC tranmission, 1,000 hp and features a Bracewell winch and main shafts as well as an Osborne propellor. The hydraulics are from Hydra-mech and the electrical from Comar.

Next one on Sylte’s list is the exact same tug for Gemini Marine Services.

Following delivery of that one in 2019, a new tug for Darryl Jones and Jones Marine Services will start. Russman reported that another local tug company has a hold on the space for a 2020 start.

With Manager Tom Warren still taking the lead in the yard, Russman noted that staffing hasn’t been a problem.

Their small, experienced crew continue to meet — and exceed — the needs of tug owners.

Vancouver Drydock

Vice President and General Manager for Seaspan’s Vancouver Drydock Paul Hebson reported steady business over the last five years and at full capacity for the last two or three years at least. “So far, we’ve done 17 dockings in the first five months of this year,” he said, further noting that another BC Ferries’ vessel would be coming in next.

Additional projects noted by Hebson included extensive work done on the American Seafoods Company’s Northern Eagle — in at the beginning of April until the end of May for a new gear box, LNG Canada shaft lines, new boilers andSource: economizers plus a substantial amount of pipe work replacement.

Vancouver Drydock also had the ITB Revolution in to add new stern courses to change it over from a conventional barge to an articulated one in anticipation of the new ITB tugs being built on Annacis Island.

Hebson also noted that the National Shipbuilding Strategy that is keeping Vancouver Shipyards occupied has meant a 30 per cent boost in repair work over the past 12 months for the Drydock, keeping the 300-odd complement of staff busy. In speaking about labour, Hebson is looking to add more apprentices in the very near future.

Looking forward, Hebson expects the next two or three years will continue at the same level of activity. “We’re completely booked through to the end of 2019,” he said. “Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Regatta is expected to come here in 2019 and we’re looking hard at a refit for the Canadian Coast

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B.C. SHIPYARDS

Victoria Shipyards will be working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin on the Royal New Zealand Navy’s ANZAC-Class frigates.

Above, HMNZS TE KAHA was welcomed to the yard in March this year.

Guard’s Sir Wilfred Laurier at the end of this year as well as four U.S.-based fishing vessels which all require extensive work.”

And, in what Hebson describes as a growing part of the business, two more ships will be coming in for ballast water treatment installations (coming up in the last quarter 2018/first quarter 2019). This follows up on the drydock’s successful completion of their first extensive installation done last year.

With 70 per cent of their business coming from the U.S. consistently over the last two or three years, Hebson noted that the exchange rate has been “really helping” with keeping that business strong.

Vancouver Shipyards

The last year has been an exciting one at Vancouver Shipyards as progress continues

34 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

on Seaspan’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) commitments.

One of the biggest milestones Seaspan celebrated in the last year was the launch of the first of three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV). The launch took place on December 8, 2017, and was an exciting moment for Seaspan’s long-term strategic relationship with the Government of Canada. Since launching OFSV1, great progress has been made on OFSV2 and OFSV3.

OFSV2 is nearing structural completion and sits at approximately 65 per cent complete. Cable pull has been progressing well with the generators and the shore power transformers now having cables installed and terminations underway. Propulsion variable frequency drive cabling is underway and drop keel installation and all fitting trials were performed throughout the month of May. All of the blocks for OFSV3 are now in process with grand blocking of 11 blocks underway. OFSV3 is sitting at approximately 40 per cent completion.

Aside from the progress being made on vessels built under Canada’s NSS, Vancouver Shipyards has had a steady flow of activity come through the yard.

Several repair and maintenance projects have come and gone in the last few months — a combination of government and commercial vessels, including tugboats, barges, naval auxiliary vessels and some smaller Canadian Coast Guard vessels.

Seaspan Marine tugboats the Seaspan

Hawk and Seaspan Falcon visited the yard in March and April for refit work and basic maintenance.

Over the past year, Vancouver Shipyards has taken on approximately 100 white collar interns and has about 100 apprentices across Seaspan Shipyards. These are part of company efforts to ensure that the next generation of shipbuilders are prepared to meet the challenges of the industry.

As work continues on OFSV2 and OFSV3, Seaspan and the Government of Canada announced that construction will begin soon on the Joint Support Ships (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). These ships will deliver fuel and other vital supplies to vessels at sea, offer medical and dental services, and provide facilities for helicopter and equipment repair. Start of construction allows Seaspan to ensure continuous work at Vancouver Shipyards and better support the operational needs of the RCN. In all, work on JSS at peak production will support an estimated 1,000 well-paid, middle-class jobs at Vancouver Shipyards.

Additional news for the North Vancouver yard was the official opening of its new state-of-the-art office at the beginning of April. The office is located on the foot of Pemberton Avenue and is in close proximity to the previous offices at Vancouver Shipyards. The new 7,800-square-metre facility has space for 390 employees to work collaboratively and continue to deliver on Seaspan’s commitments to Canadians under the NSS.

B.C. SHIPYARDS Victoria Shipyards

“It’s a good time to be in the industry,” said Joe O’Rourke, Vice President and General Manager, Victoria Shipyards, referring not only to the brisk activity being seen at the yard but also the many jobs available. “We have 900 people on production trades and should hit 1,000 before the summer is out,” he said, further noting that Victoria Shipyards is heading for a record year in both revenue and labour hours.

Projects at the yard include a number of firsts — the first time a foreign-flagged naval vessel has been repaired in a Canadian shipyard since the Second World War; the first (“as far as we know”) LNG conversion done on a large vessel (over 850 feet) in North America; and soon, the first Canadian Coast Guard vessel delivered under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Looking first at the Royal New Zealand Navy’s ANZAC-Class frigates project, O’Rourke and prime contractors Lockheed Martin welcomed HMNZS TE KAHA in March this year to start work on upgrading

communication and combat systems.

HMNZS TE MANA will follow in late winter/early spring 2019 for the same. The two jobs together will provide work for about 200 tradespeople per day for 22 months.

Next on the list of firsts are the conversions to LNG for the Orca-Class TOTE LNG vessels — the Midnight Sun and North Star. “We’ve broken the work into four phases,” O’Rourke said, “to be done over 60-day periods (from December to February) to match up to their slower time of the year. The Midnight Sun was done in the December-to-February 2018 timeframe and the North Star will be coming in during the December 2019 to February 2020 period having been delayed one year

by TOTE.” The first phase of work involves the “heavy production” — the removal of structures, new structures installed, positioning the LNG bottles, starting the piping system… “As much as we can get done in 60 days,” O’Rourke said. The ships return in 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 for final outfitting, installation of the systems and systems checking with the intention

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to have them operating with dual-fuel capacity when they leave. The project employs about 450 people on nine-week stretches.

O’Rourke and the entire Seaspan Shipyard team in both Victoria and Vancouver are looking forward to delivering the first (of three) Ocean Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV) — the CCGS John Franklin — to the Canadian Coast Guard once the vessel has completed testing and trials. Launched in mid-December 2017 in North Vancouver by Vancouver Shipyards, the vessel is now at Victoria Shipyards for final outfitting and commissioning.

Not forgetting about Victoria Shipyards’ core business, contracts with the Royal Canadian Navy for work on submarines and frigates — accounting for half of the yard’s revenue — continue to employ over 600 tradespeople. “HMCS Corner Brook is in a period of high activity right now,” O’Rourke said of the submarine that is part of the Victoria In-service Support Contract with Babcock Canada. “It is scheduled for undocking in the first quarter of 2019 and will then go topside for a year to complete

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B.C. SHIPYARDS the work, do testing and commissioning before being returned to service.”

Continuing on with the post-Frigate Life-Extension Program maintenance contract, this year’s Halifax-Class frigate, HMCS Winnipeg, is in for its fiveyear maintenance work. “The project runs from March 2018 to the first week in 2019 or earlier and includes replacement of the gensets, full removal of the paint, recoating, a huge amount of interior tank work (ballast, fuel, etc.) and a list of 2,000 other items,” O’Rourke said. The project employs about 400 people when at full complement.

Still, O’Rourke finds time to fit in cruise ships — the Norwegian Sun was in during the month of April; the Ruby Princess is coming in September; and about another 10 are being planned for work over the next

five years; and fishing vessels — the next one being scheduled for December 2018.

And, while U.S. business continues to be “very good,” O’Rourke did raise the issue of how the current steel and aluminum tariffs would impact this market, something that is being monitored very closely.

How a full-sized shipyard is managing with only one drydock and no South Jetty is a mystery even to O’Rourke.

“We’re about 75 per cent complete on the upgrades to the electrical system,” he said about the infrastructure improvements currently underway. “About $25 million is being spent for new substations and other infrastructure so that we’ll have a fully modernized electrical side by 2019. In 2016, we took out the South Jetty which is about 1,000 feet of pier space. The old pier has been removed,

remediation has been done and the new pier is being put in place so that it will return to service by November 2019.”

To help with space, O’Rourke has been using Ogden Point in the off-cruise season from October to April.

Looking to the future, O’Rourke reported that the order book is “pretty solid for the next three to four years.” Despite that, he continues to market the yard’s services for the long term. “Both the LNG conversions and the foreign naval work hold great potential as you look further down the road. We couldn’t touch another opportunity right now but we hope we can do similar projects in the future. The prime contractors — Lockheed Martin, Babcock or Thales, seek out good, competent shipyards and we earn that reputation every day.” BCSN

Honourable mention: Island Tug and Barge

W

hile technically not a “shipyard update,” Island Tug and Barge has been building two tugs on Annacis Island that are worthy of mention.

Mammoet and Dynamic Heavy Lift were hired to move tugs Island Raider and Island Regent from the Island Tug and Barge (ITB) Annacis Island Shipyard to the Dynamic Beast, a barge that was moored to a temporary set of pilings in the Fraser River.

In addition to the heavy haul teams, Paul Brennan of Ironclad Marine was attending as Marine Warranty Surveyor. The Island Raider will be transported and completed at the ITB Berry Point

36 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

facility; the ITB Regent will be transported by Dunlap Towing to the Nichols Brothers Boat Builders facility on Whidbey Island, Washington State, where construction, outfitting and commissioning will take place. The anticipated completion date for the Island Raider is August 2018, and for the Island Regent, December 2018. Each tug weighs 384 tons, and measures 23.9 metres long and 12.5 metres wide.

The team had preparation and safety meetings throughout the week leading up to the June 2 launch date. On the day of launch, each phase required joint safety and timeline meetings prior to the commencement of operations. Island Raider rolled onto the barge at 2100 and Island Regent at midnight.

Both tugs needed to be moved from the ITB Annacis Island Shipyard to a barge moored in the Fraser River. This required a set of bridge structures to be constructed over a below grade railroad siding and three sets of tracks. The tugs also had to be maneuvered under a set of transmission power lines. The last bridge structure, spanning a forty-foot declining berm, was utilized to transport the tugs onto the barge.

“Over the last three months the Annacis Island Shipyard team has been working with the professionals at Mammoet and Dynamic to put this project together. The launch went off without a hitch,” said Bruce Reed, Tidewater Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Great job by the entire team.”

“This was a logistically intricate and technically challenging project,” explains Marc Schwartz, Tidewater Maintenance and Engineering Manager.

“The kind of project that documentaries are made of. We put together a great team, overcame a lot of obstacles and safely launched two vessels in the most challenging conditions imaginable.”

TUGS

National historic significance of tugboats celebrated

P

arks Canada and the Government of Canada commemorated the national historic signficance of the tugboats of Canada’s West Coast during a ceremony on Sunday, May 27, 2018, on Granville Island.

With the SS Master serving as a backdrop, representatives from government and industry were on hand to describe the role tugs played — and continue to play to this day — in developing British Columbia’s economy.

Melissa Banovich, Historic Sites Manager, Parks Canada Coastal BC Field Unit, noted that “like almost no other place on earth, coastal transportation in British Columbia is conducted exclusively by tug and barge. Since the earliest days of the Province’s history, tugs and barges have been the sole means by which the products of our forests, mines and oceans have been moved from the north and mid-coast to the population centres in the south. Other tugs are critical elements in the safe ship-handling operations in every port in B.C. and play a critical role today in the protection of our vital and sensitive coastal waterways.”

In addition to Banovich’s remarks, Barry Martens, President of the SS Master Society provided an overview of B.C.’s only remaining steam-powered tug; and Phill Nelson, President of the Council of Marine Carriers spoke about the people who work in the industry and their dedication to providing this critical activity for B.C. But it was perhaps Robert G. Allan, Naval Architect and Executive Chairman of the Board of Robert Allan Ltd., who provided the most meaningful context when considering the significance of tugs: “Quite simply, and without exaggeration, without tugboats, the business of the world would completely grind to a halt,” Allan said. “Hyperbole you say? As proof of that claim, consider these facts: • In British Columbia: • No logs would move to sawmills.

• No wood chips would move to pulp mills.

Celebrating the monument to B.C. tugs (left to right): Melissa Banovich, Robert G. Allan, Barry Martens and Phill Nelson.

• No fuel would move to the many small north and mid-coast communities.

• No heavy equipment would be moved to remote coastal logging or construction sites.

• No gravel, clinker or limestone would move to cement plants.

• In the Port of Vancouver (or any other Port you care to name): • Virtually no ship would move in or out of port (large ships at very low speeds are effectively un-manoeuvrable and require tug assistance to steer).

• No containers full of goods from Asia would arrive here; store shelves would soon empty. The Dollar Stores would close!

• No bulk products would leave the port; mines would close, prairie farmers would be swamped by their grain.

• Road and rail links would be choked.

• English Bay and all the anchorages in the Gulf Islands would be choked beyond capacity with idle ships.

• And globally this situation would simply be magnified:

• Every major world port would cease to operate, depending as they do entirely on tugs for ship movements in and out.

• Without the services of high-performance escort and support tugs, oil and gas terminals would be unable to deliver their products by sea.

• The Panama and Suez Canals (and many other critical waterways) would cease to operate, requiring as they do tugs and their skilled crews to control every ship movement.

• Ocean shipping of all forms (with the possible exception of cruise ships) would effectively come to a halt... however without maritime commerce, those cruise ships would soon have no passengers and they too would have to drop anchor.

• And finally, for any ship or boat in distress out on the water, who do they call when they’re in trouble?

Not a cruise ship or some glittery pleasure yacht or a fishboat…they call for… a TUG!” The plaque can be found just outside the north-west corner of the Granville Island Public Market where it will be permanently displayed.

July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 37

TANKER TRAFFIC

Twelve truths about tanker traffic

By Robert G. Allan, P. Eng., FRINA, FSNAME Executive Chairman, Robert Allan Ltd.

T

he debate about the merits of the Trans-Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project (TMX) continues, fuelled by opinions and often unsubstantiated claims by vested interest groups. While there may be perfectly valid reasons to oppose the pipeline on the basis of concerns regarding global climate change or pipeline safety (although there is little doubt that pipelines are the safest mode of bulk oil transportation on land), to oppose the project on the basis of concerns about tanker oil spills is certainly not valid. The City of Vancouver and others have commissioned at least one study[1] that shows how a spill in Vancouver Harbour will migrate to pollute virtually the entire perimeter of the port. The study was commissioned to, in part, “model four oil spill scenarios in Burrard Inlet.” However it does not address

...to oppose the TMX project on the basis of concerns about tanker oil spills is certainly not valid. how any of those spills occur in the first place. It simply assumes that it will, regardless of the many layers of safeguards which already are in place and which will be enhanced in the future should TMX proceed. The much-touted Oceans Protection Plan is unfortunately fixated on spill recovery and fails to address in any meaningful way the means of spill prevention which are the essential key to safer coastlines. The old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” has been recently extrapolated to “an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure” in the context of offshore oil activities.

This article highlights critical facts about marine oil transportation both locally and globally with a focus on the preventative safeguards which result in tanker shipping being one of the safest transportation modes in the world.

Twelve truths One...

Every powered vessel operating in coastal B.C. carries fuel on board and thus represents some (albeit extremely small) degree of risk. That includes all cargo ships, ferries, fishing vessels, tugs, yachts and cruise ships. None of the aforementioned is required by international regulation to have double-hull construction as are tankers.

Figure 1. Total Number of Oil Spills (>7 cu.m) from Tankers Worldwide (1970-2016).

Two...

Oil shipments worldwide show a steadily improving trend in safe cargo movement against a consistent increase in volume of product moved.[2] Figure 1 illustrates recorded oil spills for the past 48 years (2017 data), which contrasts significantly with the global increase in oil movements by tanker over the same period as shown in Figure 2.

Three...

Figure 2. Total Spills from Tankers vs. Growth in Petroleum Tanker Trade (1970-2016).

38 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

Crude oil has been shipped from Alaska to refineries in Puget Sound along the entire outer coast of B.C. and through Juan de Fuca Strait on two out of every three days for the past 40 years: Shipment statistics (to 2017) are:[3] a. ~2.49 billion tonnes since 1977. b. Current average 27.3 million tonnes/year (~ 79,000 T/day). c. Average 248 ship moves/year. d. Since 1991, 13,182 tug escorts have been performed. e. Accidents in B.C. or Puget Sound waters = Zero.

TANKER TRAFFIC Four...

The major accident associated with Alaskan oil shipments is of course the Exxon Valdez grounding in Prince William Sound in 1989. The regulatory changes subsequent to that accident (OPA ’90) completely transformed the nature of bulk oil shipments worldwide (as witnessed by the data in (2) above). The major consequences of these regulatory and safety culture changes are: a. Worldwide, oil (since 2010) only moves in tankers with double-hull construction. No single hull tankers, such as Exxon Valdez, are still trading. No oil or fuel of any kind is located adjacent to the outer shell of such tankers. b. The majority of oil terminal operations worldwide utilize large and powerful escort tugs to ensure safe tanker operations in near-coastal areas. These tugs are specifically designed and configured to provide steering and braking power at least equivalent to that of the tanker itself, thus providing fully redundant ship control capability.

Five...

The Port of Vancouver handled 3,219 foreign ship arrivals (and associated departures) in 2017, of which 260 were tankers, including the present approximately 50 tankers per year departing Westridge Terminals.[4] The proposed additional ~350 tankers per year associated with the TMX project represent a 215 per cent increase in total tanker traffic, but only an 11 per cent increase in total ship traffic through that port. Total petroleum product shipments through the Port of Vancouver in 2017 were about 6.1 million tonnes (mT), of which 1.7 mT was crude petroleum. It must be noted that while Vancouver is Canada’s busiest port, in world terms it is 28th overall in total cargo tonnage and 42nd overall in container traffic. [5] Ship traffic levels in this port are modest at best.

Six...

For the entire Pacific coast of Canada and the U.S.: a. There are about 25,000 ship movements per year (Canada and U.S. port destinations).[6] (A movement means either an entry or a departure from a port.)

...while Vancouver is Canada’s busiest port, in world terms it is 28th overall in total cargo tonnage and 42nd overall in container traffic. b. There have been approximately 12 incidents in the past 40 years (prior to 2008) that were — or had the potential — for a serious grounding incident. (Note: Not actual groundings but incidents that might have become a grounding.) c. The probability of a serious “potential” incident (requiring intervention by tug or similar support vessel) is thus about 1 in 100,000 (0.001 per cent). The probability of an actual grounding incident is far lower.

Seven...

Tanker Movements within the Port of Vancouver are very strictly controlled.

The restrictions are clearly defined in the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority document “Port Information Guide: Harbour Practices and Procedures (HPP),”[7] and in particular the controls on tanker movements through First Narrows and Second Narrows are rigorously defined. Restrictions include: a. Various marine traffic controls giving tanker movements the highest priority. b. Ship speed limited to six knots. c. Ship movements only during

daylight hours and with tide state limits. d. The use, according to ship size, of tethered escort tugboats. Aframax tankers moving through the port would have at least two escort tugs tethered to the tanker. e. The use of two certified Canadian pilots on duty aboard any tanker >40,000 tonnes Dwt. Note that this regulated use of tugs plus pilots involves not less than five fully certified mariners on watch in every tanker operation in this port.

Eight...

Presently, tanker movements require the use of approved escort tugs from Westridge Terminal right through to Race Rocks near Victoria. TMX have proposed that: “Tug escort of outbound laden tankers will be expanded to cover the entire tanker shipping route through the Strait of Georgia and between Race Rocks and the Juliet Buoy at the western entrance to Juan de Fuca Strait.”[8] The tugs required to perform the latter duty in Juan de Fuca Strait will be larger, more powerful, and certainly more capable in every respect

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July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 39

TANKER TRAFFIC

Figure 3: High-performance, Canadian-designed, tanker escort tugs in service worldwide.

Given the limits on other ship traffic within the Port of Vancouver during tanker movements ... a spill-causing collision is effectively impossible in Vancouver. than any tugs currently on the West Coast of Canada or the U.S.[9] A significant majority of such escort tugs worldwide are in fact designed here in B.C., as per the Australian and Norwegian escort tugs illustrated in Figure 3 above. These tugs, in the range of 8,000-10,000 HP, would dwarf the typical barge-towing tug commonly seen along the B.C. coast today.

Nine...

One question which has not been addressed in any commentary heard on this topic is “what degree of protection

from a spill does a double-hulled tanker actually represent?” In collaboration with Dr. Iain Braidwood, a colleague in the tanker industry and an acknowledged expert in tanker construction, this writer has recently completed a review of this very subject, which was presented at an International Conference in London in May, 2018.[10] The short answer is that double-hull tanker structures will resist penetration of the inner (cargo-carrying) tank structure in right angle collisions between ships of equal mass at speeds of up to five to six knots. Obviously,

in collisions at less than 90 degrees the speed must increase to result in the same depth of penetration (e.g., ~8-8.5 knots for a 45-degree collision). Given the limits on other ship traffic within the Port of Vancouver during tanker movements, the fact that there are no right angle large ship movements possible within the confines of this port, and the restriction to six knots speed, a spill-causing collision is effectively impossible in Vancouver.

A minor incident, such as say an allision with a bridge abutment, would not have sufficient energy to breach the cargo tanks. Impacts from small vessels (such as a Seabus) also lack sufficient energy to breach a cargo tank.

Ten...

Tanker movements along the B.C. coast are already limited to designated traffic corridors in a “Tanker Exclusion Zone” defined by Transport Canada.[11] The zone boundary follows the Canada/ Alaska border to a point approximately 115 miles west of Langara Island, (Haida Gwaii) thence southward to approximately 73 miles southwest of Cape St. James, thence to 40 miles southwest of Amphitrite Point and thence due east to just off Cape Flattery. Similar restrictions could easily be applied to all other tanker movements.

Eleven...

Presently, non-tanker traffic only has to be 12 miles offshore to be considered in international waters. As witnessed by the Simushir incident, this is insufficient to

40 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

TANKER TRAFFIC prevent almost any incident offshore from becoming a grounding or near-grounding.

For reasonable rescue towing response times, additional controls are required: a. The further offshore, the greater (and more realistic) the response time and the lower the risk of a grounding.

Disabled tankers drift at speeds of two to three knots in the most severe of local conditions. b. For a 24-hour response window, ship traffic needs to be kept at least about 100 miles offshore. c. This concept is not new, espoused by both Brander-Smith[12] and Anderson.

[13]

Twelve...

The escort tug system proposed by TMX will create a system of powerful and capable escort and rescue tugboats which presently do not exist on the B.C. coast.

These vessels, though dedicated to TMX tanker movements, could in many circumstances respond to other serious vessel incidents on the B.C. coast, helping to close the current significant void in suitable emergency towing capability. These assets would not appear however in the absence of the TMX project. Anticipating that any “tug of opportunity” will be able to render towing assistance in the more severe met-ocean conditions encountered off this coast is sheer folly; the size and capability of rescue towing tugs required simply do not exist in B.C. waters.

Conclusion

Tanker Safety can be virtually assured on the coast of B.C. by adopting the use of high-performance escort and rescuecapable tugboats, similar to those in use in every other major oil port worldwide today. The key to safe oil tanker shipments is in prevention and not simply having extensive oil spill response capacity, although the latter is also certainly a safeguard which must be present. The type of controls and restrictions on tanker movements as defined by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, in company with modern double-hull construction and the use of high-performance escort tugs in any critical or sensitive areas, will provide more than enough risk mitigation to ensure safe tanker navigation off the coast of B.C.

Footnote

In the interval since this article was submitted for publication, the Government of Canada has announced its intention to purchase the Trans-Mountain Pipeline.

One must hope that whoever is ultimately responsible for the operation of the pipeline and the associated oil tanker movements will honour the TMX commitment to use the full scope of escort and support tugs envisioned under the TMX plan and follow that plan to the fullest extent possible. To do otherwise would be an irresponsible failure to follow best available technologies in this critical part of the operation.

Sources/References:

1. Oil Spill Trajectory Modeling Report in Burrard Inlet for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project Genwest Systems Inc. Edmonds, Washington, USA http://vancouver.ca/images/web/pipeline/Genwest-oilspill-model-report.pdf 2. http://www.itopf.com/knowledge-resources/ data-statistics/statistics/ 3. Source: Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Committee (2017) 4. www.portvancouver.com/wp-content/ uploads/2018/03/2017-Stats-Overview-1.pdf 5. World Shipping Council, 2015 data 6. Major Marine Vessel Casualty Risk and Response Preparedness in British Columbia; Stafford Reid, EnviroEmerg Consulting for Living Oceans Society, 2008 7. www.portvancouver.com/marine-operations/ port-information-guide 8. https://www.transmountain.com/ marine-safety 9. https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ transmountain-craftcms/documents/17-0606-Enhanced-Tug-Escort-Fact-Sheet-web. pdf?mtime=20170801221815 ) 10. A Risk Profile for Escorted Tankers and their Resistance to Collision Damage I Braidwood, C Eng, Ph D, MRINA, MSNAME, & R G Allan, P Eng, FEC, FRINA, FSNAME, to be presented May16-18, 2018: Royal Institution of Naval Architects, Damaged Ship IV Conference, London UK. 11. http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/saferouting-reporting-vessels-4516.html 12. Public Review Panel on Tanker Safety and Marine Spills Response Capability; David Brander-Smith QC et al, for Minister of Supply & Services Canada, 1990. Cat. No. EN21-91/1990E; ISBN 0-662-18089-5 13. Report to the Premier on Oil Transportation and Oil Spills, David Anderson, Nov. 1989 14. http://wcmrc.com/news/wcmrcs-awardsconstruction-contract-asl-shipyards/ July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 41

FERRIES

Corrigan’s focus now on worldwide ferry industry

S

ince leaving BC Ferries in early 2017, former CEO Mike Corrigan has taken on a role that continues to see him in a leadership position in the ferry sector – this time though, it’s as the CEO of Interferry, representatives of the ferry industry worldwide. “It’s been a good transition,” he said as BC Shipping News caught up with him to discuss the upcoming Interferry Conference (October 6 – 10, 2018 in Cancun, Mexico). “I’ve gone from managing 4,500 staff to an organization with much less in terms of manpower but with a much bigger influence in the world maritime industry.” Indeed, with that influence now reaching all the way to the International Maritime Organization, Corrigan has set out a range of priorities that promises to benefit ferry owners and operators around the world.

Background

Interferry was originally formed in the U.S. in 1976 as the International Marine Transit Association. It changed its name in 2001 to Interferry but remained dedicated to representing all types of ferry operations (including RoPax, RoRo, Cruise Ferries, Fast Ferries, Passenger-only ferries, etc.) in all regions of the world.

With a primary goal of facilitating networking and communications within the ferry industry and representing the industry on regulatory and policy matters, Interferry has been driven by the following principles: • Safety of passengers, crew, cargo and ships; adherence to safety regulations; • Free, fair and open competition; • Fair and equitable shipping regulations, consistently applied; and • Protection of the natural environment; adherence to environmental regulations.

The organization now represents over 230 members from 37 countries, including not just ferry operators but also suppliers such as shipbuilders and designers, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, naval architects and marine engineers, ship brokers and consultants, classification societies, publishers as well as specialists in information technology, finance, insurance, crewing, training, etc.

Priorities

For the past 42 years, one of the main vehicles for fulfilling its mandate has been the annual Interferry Conference. Hosted in cities around the world — most recently in Canada, Denmark, the Philippines and Croatia — Interferry chose Mexico for the location of its 43rd conference to recognize one of Corrigan’s goals as the new CEO. “One of my priorities is to expand the reach, influence and breadth of the organization across the world,” he said.

“Interferry has been successful in the past but my job is to take it to the next level and become more involved in Central and South America as well as the Asia-Pacific region.”

42 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

For Corrigan, strengthening the organization’s presence in developing countries speaks to the larger goal of promoting safety, security and environmental sustainability for ferry systems worldwide. “We want to encourage more involvement from those parts of the world that don’t have the financial resources for effective training programs or vessel maintenance regimes that add to safer operations,” he said.

“We’re spending a lot of time and energy trying to develop a Mike Corrigan, CEO, Interferry safety regime for these countries.

Our Safety Committee, chaired by Captain Jamie Marshall, Vice President, Business Development and Innovation at BC Ferries, and other representatives, including Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association, are working with countries that are leading by example, like the Philippines, to bring the standards up for everyone.”

Recognizing that Interferry itself has limited resources and cannot directly fund initiatives, Corrigan noted that they can help find the funding by acting as a conduit to other organizations, such as the IMO or classification societies. “Right now, the Safety Committee is all about engaging people around the globe and making linkages with key companies in developing regions to leverage their experiences in creating world-class safety standards and training. For example, Archipelago Philippine Ferries is a leader in their region now. China also has companies that are moving in the right direction.”

Another, long-standing priority for Interferry has been its representation of the ferry sector to regulators, especially the IMO and the European Commission. As one of the few associations with IMO Consultative Status, Interferry’s Regulatory Affairs Director in Brussels, Johan Roos, works with industry experts and regulators to ensure proposed regulations do not unintentionally affect the ferry industry in an adverse way.

“As big as we think we are in the ferry world, we’re only about three to five per cent of the total shipping industry worldwide,” Corrigan said. “When a regulator, such as the IMO — or even a national government agency like Transport Canada — is developing rules and regulations, we make sure they keep the ferry sector in mind.” He added that approaching national governments is usually done in conjunction with local ferry operators.

Corrigan pointed to a number of regulations where Interferry has been able to alter final directives — for example, they were instrumental in getting the IMO to implement a 20 per cent correction in the Energy Efficiency Design Index calculation for Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax vessels as an incentive to revive

INTERFERRY newbuild projects that have been inhibited by the current criteria. Interferry also approached the Government of France to express great concern over their plans for onboard security screening. “They were proposing that passengers need to be screened between the car deck and the passenger decks. Can you imagine doing that on BC Ferries?”

Tackling the issues

“In writing a speech recently about the issues facing the ferry industry, it was very clear that safety, security and the environment are the top three subjects on everyone’s list,” Corrigan said when asked about this year’s theme for the Interferry Conference.

On the safety front, Corrigan expects to spend a lot of time discussing, amongst other things, fire safety. The topic ties into Interferry’s recent development of fire safety best practices, given to the IMO and the European Union to proactively influence upcoming regulations. “Traditionally, we have been more reactive, i.e., trying to change or affect regulations already in

“The big driver in the environment is the decarbonisation of the world and the IMO’s recently established mandate to reduce CO2 emissions...” place,” he noted. “Instead, we’ve got ahead of the regulations and we believe that when the IMO starts to implement rules around this topic, they’ll take what we’ve given them and use a major portion for them.”

In looking at security, Corrigan was pleased to advise that keynote speakers will include Commander (sg) Ben Lofstad, Director of the NATO Shipping Centre in NATO’s Maritime Command (MARCOM) in the Northwood Headquarters outside of London. “He’ll be touching on topics such as NATO/MARCOM’s security priorities and concerns as well as the NATO Shipping Centre’s mission and functionality,” he said, further adding that Interferry’s Security Committee was set up specifically to ensure the industry was prepared and was sharing common practices.

For the third prong of the theme, the environment, Corrigan had the difficult task of choosing from a plethora

of topics and speakers. “The big driver in the environment is the decarbonisation of the world and the IMO’s recently established mandate to reduce CO2 emissions from shipping by 50 per cent by 2050. That’s a huge target for a lot of countries and is sure to be a topic of discussion amongst ferry operators as they move toward alternative fuels and technologies.”

The issue of underwater noise is also one that features large for ferry operators.

“Robin Silvester, CEO, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, is a keynote speaker and will be addressing the Port of Vancouver’s work on initiatives that monitor and address the impact of vessel noise on mammals and marine life.”

Additional topics that fall under the environment section of the agenda include ballast water management (a very big issue in Europe) and shipbreaking/ship recycling

Linking Vancouver Island’s Economy to the World with Two Deep Sea Terminals.

• Short-sea shipping with capacity to handle containers, bulk, break bulk, heavy lift and project cargoes.

• Enhanced infrastructure providing versatility and efficiencies for diverse cargo solutions and to meet a growing container business.

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www.npa.ca July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 43

FERRIES

Photo courtesy BC Ferries

The issue of alternative fuels to reduce emissions will feature prominently at this year’s Interferry Conference. which is currently the subject of a huge debate and changing regulations. “We’re going to have a number of speakers from different parts of the industry on both sides of the argument,” Corrigan said. “We’ll be looking at both legal and ethical/moral contentions in the hopes of providing information that will help ferry operators make an informed decision when it comes time WMI-BCSN PG Ad-June 2018.pdf 1 6/8/2018 2:29:35 PM to get rid ofHALF a vessel.

I’m expecting a really robust discussion in these sessions.”

Cancun, Mexico

Corrigan expects this year’s conference to attract more than last year’s record attendance of almost 500 participants, including delegates and their partners. “Interferry is a family organization — we have third generations now involved and the conference provides a great opportunity to connect (and reconnect) with colleagues and peers from around the world.”

Located at one of the top-rated hotels in Cancun, the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa is hosting the conference which runs from October 6 to 10, 2018 (discounts on hotel rooms can be secured to span October 2 to 14).

For more information about registration, speakers, sessions and networking events, visit www.interferryconference. com and follow @InterferryOrg.

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n d ! S o n o w is a m e d h ig h in m a r in e r s a r e k il l s o r b e g in s r u o y e d a r g p ! t h e t im e t o U R IT IM E c a r e e r A M R U O Y r o f t r a in in g

S im u l at o n e w B r id g e

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Industry Canada

Industrie Canada

campuses

Ladysmith, Steveston and North Surrey (coming soon)

TECHNOLOGY

Wireless inductive energy transfer from shore to vessel storage system Mark Keneford, General Manager Marine Solutions Wärtsilä Canada

W

ith the marine industry’s increasing acceptance of hybrid propulsion systems, charging the ship’s batteries is a necessary procedure when the vessel is in port. However, with quick turnarounds increasingly the aim of owners and operators, the time allowed for charging can be rather short. This challenge can be addressed by enabling charging to be activated at an early stage in the docking of the ship. The Wireless Charging System is connected to the DC-bus on board the ship, enabling more than 2MW of power to be transferred between the onboard and onshore coils over a distance of up to 500mm.

The system delivers considerable benefits, especially to hybrid ferry operators needing to adhere to tight schedules.

Firstly, the available battery charging time is increased since power can be transferred already during the mooring process. This can even be integrated with an automatic mooring system such as from Cavotec, an engineering and automation company with whom Wärtsilä has worked closely to develop a combined mooring and induction charging solution. The inductive charger has automatic galvanic insulation, and there is no risk of damage being caused because manual connecting and disconnecting is eliminated.

The process and discussions are: • DC Power is converted to high frequency current flowing in the inductive sending coil.

• Resonance capacitors compensate voltage drop.

• Current in inductive sending coil creates a controlled magnetic field.

• Magnetic field from sending side creates a current in the inductive pick-up coil.

• High frequency current flowing in the inductive pick-up coil is rectified to DC Power.

• Power is stored in the ship batteries.

The system delivers considerable benefits, especially to hybrid ferry operators needing to adhere to tight schedules.

Harmonic voltage distortion will be improved by using inverter harmonic injection control. Voltage drop in the grid will be compensated by using inverter reactive power compensation control.

Lack of power from the grid during maintenance or special conditions can be compensated for with energy storage.

Transient Faults in the grid will be handled by ride through inverter control or by energy storage.

Induction charging versus high-voltage plug-in charging.

At high-charging power the grid must be capable of transmitting the necessary

Photo courtesy Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä’s Wireless Charging System provides many benefits, especially for hybrid ferry operators.

July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 45

TECHNOLOGY The Wireless Charging System has been successfully proven, both in laboratory tests and full-scale operation on board the Norwegian ferry Folgefonn. power to the vessel and still keep the voltage quality within acceptable limits given by authorities and local grid owners. The transfer system between landside and ship with a plug solution will normally be high voltage from 3-4MW and upwards to avoid the bulky cable arrangement and high currents. Parallel low-voltage plugs may be an option, but will increase complexity and reduce operational safety.

This must, however, be considered in relation to increased risk for electrical faults in a high-voltage transfer system due to demanding environment conditions (salt, dust, rain, shock, vibration, etc.).

For the inductive charging system we do not use any type of cable connections; it will be a matter of dimensions for the sending and receiving plate and power electronics. Maximum transfer capacity with a single plate will be about 2,8MW and with parallel plates about 5,6MW,

but can be further increased with larger plates.

One difference between a high-voltage plug-in power transfer system and an induction charging system is the need for power electronics on the landside. The difference in losses between the two types of systems is dissipated here. The power electronics are designed for connection to any landside power source such as batteries, solar, etc., and also include control systems that can support the grid with reactive power and cancellation of harmonic currents that will always be present in a charging system.

If power from the grid is insufficient, shore-based energy storage may be necessary to support the short time high power during the charging time. The induction charging system will integrate this in an easy way as the interface is already present in the induction shore unit.

Comparing high-voltage (or lowvoltage) plug-in system with induction charging system, there are operational conditions that are important when considering losses. Available charging time may be 5-20 per cent longer with inductive charging (5-10 minutes docking time), which means that wireless charging uses 5-20 per cent less power and current for the same transfer of energy. Losses are proportional to the current squared, so in this respect losses for wireless charging will be reduced. Less voltage drop involves less losses due to less power and current as above. The sum of these could easily be greater than the additional losses the power electronics will introduce. It is realistic to say that the use of plug charger technology will in large periods give higher voltage drop, and charging periods will constitute a significantly shorter part of the docking time.

The Wireless Charging System has been successfully proven, both in laboratory tests and full-scale operation on board the Norwegian ferry Folgefonn.

This 85-metre-long vessel was retrofitted for hybrid propulsion in 2014. It makes frequent short-duration stops along its route and cannot operate for a whole day on a single charge. Since manually plugging and unplugging the cables is a timeconsuming procedure, wireless inductive charging has shown itself to be a far better alternative. It not only saves time, but by avoiding dealing with heavy and clumsy cables, safety is enhanced as well.

Mark Keneford has been with Wärtsilä for 10 years and is responsible for Wärtsilä’s Marine Sales across Canada.

Mark spent 27 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, completing his career as a Marine Systems Engineering Officer. He also served seven years in the Royal Canadian Navy reserve at HMCS Donnacona in Montreal.

For more information about Wärtsilä’s Wireless Charging System: Website: https://www.wartsila.com/ products/marine-oil-gas/powersystems/shore-connections/wirelesscharging YouTube video: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=KeJ0eV9rSXc 46 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

From Products to a Smart Marine Ecosystem

Our evolution from today takes us from a product and total solutions supplier to leading the industry transformation towards a Smart Marine Ecosystem.

Our Smart Marine vision is about efficient use of resources, least climate impact and highest safety. Our purpose is to enable sustainable societies with smart technology. Join us as we step into the future. www.wartsila.com

LEGAL AFFAIRS

A primer on competitive procurement

By Jason Hicks

A Vancouver lawyer with Bernard LLP

W

hatever your position in the marine industry, chances are good that you will be called upon to navigate your way through a competitive procurement process at some point. In this article, I aim to give readers a primer on what to expect in a competitive procurement.

A competitive procurement is a structured process utilized by a party (the “Owner”) that procures a package of goods and/or services by creating a competition amongst potential suppliers wishing to supply those goods and/or services.

Categories of competitive procurements

Procurement law contemplates two categories of competitive procurements: tenders and requests for proposals (RFPs). A tender is essentially a pure price competition. The Owner knows exactly what it wants, and is looking for the supplier that will provide that good or service at the lowest cost. The competitive tender process creates all of the tension required to get the best possible price from the bidders.

An RFP, on the other hand, is more complex. Under a true RFP, the Owner knows its need, and is looking for suppliers who will offer proposals to fulfill that need. Price is one criterion, but there are others such as product features or functionality, quality and the bidder’s track record for success.

In practice, competitive procurements tend to form a spectrum with true tender at one end, true RFP at the other end, and many hybrids and combinations in between. What particular blend an Owner will choose depends heavily on its specific circumstances and the objectives of that particular procurement.

The procurement package

A procurement package typically contains the following components: 48 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

In practice, competitive procurements tend to form a spectrum with true tender at one end, true RFP at the other end, and many hybrids and combinations in between.

1. The Instructions, which set out the rules of the procurement competition.

The Owner has considerable freedom under procurement law to set these rules, but once set, the Owner owes the bidders a duty of fairness to follow them.

2. The Specifications, which set out the specifications, performance criteria or other requirements applicable to the goods and/or services being procured.

3. The Contract Terms and Conditions, which set out the proposed legal and commercial terms pursuant to which the goods and/or services will be provided.

4. Forms and procedural documents relevant to operating the procurement process.

Pre-bid

The pre-bid period is the time after a competitive procurement is issued but before bids are due. During this time, bidders are responsible for asking questions to address gaps, seek clarifications and request further information required to prepare bids.

One of the keys to maintaining the integrity of a competitive procurement is to ensure that no one bidder is unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged due to differences in information. In order to accomplish this, the Instructions should set out a communications protocol that both the Owners and the bidders must follow.

Typically, bidders will submit questions in writing to the Owner, and the Owner will circulate answers to all bidders.

Breaching the communication protocol is considered a serious matter in a competitive procurement and can result in a

bidder being disqualified. Accordingly, bidders should instruct their staff to resist the temptation to simply pick up the phone and call their friend in the Owner’s office to discuss something about a particular procurement. That might be easier and faster at the moment, but could have serious repercussions for the bidding company.

Another potentially challenging area for both Owners and bidders is that of reliance. Reliance is the extent to which bidders may rely on certain data or assumptions when preparing their bid, for instance data pertaining to local soil conditions or tide patterns. To the extent such information is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date, the successful bidder may be entitled to qualify their bid or to demand a change order to an executed contract. On the other hand, an Owner may be entitled to rely on the knowledge that a bidder is known or presumed to have, particularly in an area where the bidder has considerable experience or expertise.

Bidders should check the Instructions carefully to determine how best to approach exceptions to the Contract Terms and Conditions. It is cold comfort to win a scope of work that is attached to unacceptable or unworkable contract terms. Many competitive procurements will permit comments or exceptions to be submitted, either before or with the bid submission, but will not permit the bidder to bid with undisclosed exceptions.

Bidder’s submission

The Instructions should set out the date, time and method for a bidder to submit a bid. It is the responsibility of the bidder to submit its bid in strict compliance with

LEGAL AFFAIRS these instructions and any failure may result in disqualification of the bid. Close may count in horseshoes and hand grenades, but not in bids!

When it comes to the submission deadline, procurement law is crystal-clear — the bid simply must be on time. Whether submitting in person, by courier, or online, it is always the bidder’s responsibility to ensure that the bid arrives on time.

For the same reason, an Owner receiving a bid submission late typically is advised to return the bid package unopened. An ontime bidder can claim that, by accepting a late bid, the Owner is breaching its duty of procedural fairness.

Bid evaluation

Generally, an Owner will first review each received bid to ensure that it is complete and compliant with the Instructions.

Then it will go on to evaluate the relative merits of each bid.

In order to maintain the integrity of the procurement, the Owner must disclose in its Instructions all evaluation criteria that it intends to use. Any use of undisclosed evaluation criteria opens the door to an unhappy bidder claiming the Owner has breached the rules of the competition and thus the duty of fairness. The list of evaluation criteria should include not only the usual suspects of price, functionality and the like, but also items like the bidder’s corporate strength and the Owner’s prior experience with the bidder.

Is a bid binding?

Whether or not a bid is binding on the bidder will depend heavily on the Instructions and the type of procurement.

In a pure tender, a bid is a clear and legally binding offer by a bidder to do a certain scope of work for a certain price.

In a pure RFP, a bid is a non-binding proposal that sets out the detail of what the bidder proposes to do for the Owner. The Owner may designate the bidder as the preferred proponent, and the two sides will then seek to negotiate a binding contract based upon the bidder’s proposal.

In a typical hybrid procurement, a bid is perhaps best characterized as a binding offer to negotiate based on the submitted proposal.

In most cases, bids will be valid for a limited period of time, after which the bid lapses unless renewed in accordance with the instructions.

bid. Accordingly, Owners and bidders alike should consider their options and remedies carefully when something unexpected happens during a competitive procurement.

Prior to the bid submission deadline, the Owner has considerable latitude to address unexpected developments by changing some or all of the Specifications, the Instructions, or the bid submission deadline or even by pausing or cancelling the procurement altogether. Any of these can be implemented by issuing an addendum to the procurement.

For changes arising after bid submissions, the Owner’s options are more limited, and the stakes are higher. The Owner usually is presumed to have seen the bids received and is bound by the duty of fairness not to use that knowledge to change the competition in a manner which unfairly advantages or disadvantages particular bidders. Depending on the circumstances and the change being contemplated, an Owner may conclude that its most prudent course of action is to cancel the procurement altogether and restart the whole process.

On any significant procurement, a bidder is likely to be using one or more subcontractors and suppliers. Even if the subcontractors are listed in the bidder’s proposal, however, the Owner usually is entitled to look to the bidder for a remedy in the event of subcontractor non-performance. Know thy subcontractors, and keep them close!

Conclusion

Competitive procurements are effective commercial tools for procuring goods and services of varying degrees of complexity.

Like any commercial process, they have their legal twists and traps, and the application of procurement law turns heavily on specific facts. While this article covers general principles and concepts, I recommend that you obtain professional advice if you find yourself grappling with a procurement situation.

Jason Hicks is a projects, construction and business lawyer specializing in infrastructure and maritime matters at Bernard LLP. He can be reached at Hicks@bernardllp.ca.

Entering into a contract

In a pure tender, the legally binding contract is formed at the moment the Owner issues a notice of award to the successful bidder, even if a formal contract is not executed until later.

In a pure RFP or a hybrid, on the other hand, the legally binding contract to perform generally is not formed until the two sides have fully negotiated and executed a contract.

When something unexpected happens

Procurement law is an active area for litigation, particularly in British Columbia. Procurement law cases occasionally go all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada (for a recent example, see Tercon Contractors Ltd. V. British Columbia, [2010] 1 SCR 69).

The damages are potentially significant, calculated as the value of the profits that the bidder would have made had they won the July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 49

MARITIME SECURITY www.mscconference.com

A strong, secure and engaged maritime future

T

he sea has long been the basis of global prosperity and security. A stable and secure ocean commons has been the foundation of the massive expansion of trade, communications and wealth across the world. This expansion has seen the significant accumulation of seapower in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, a progression that been accompanied by new challenges brought about by strategic, political, environmental and technological change. Change is expected, but not predictable. It is therefore critical for lawmakers, naval planners, academics and industry operators to reflect on the past, assess the present, and think critically about the future in terms of the evolution and application of seapower. Are maritime stakeholders prepared to anticipate, adapt and respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by an increasingly dynamic maritime environment?

These are the sort of issues that will be addressed at the upcoming Maritime Security Challenges 2018 conference in Victoria this coming October. Held every second year since 2006, the MSC conference series has developed a worldwide reputation for the quality of its discussions, the intimacy of its proceedings, and the quality of the networking opportunities to be had amongst its assembled delegates of naval professionals, maritime academics, government agents and industry representatives. Past conferences have attracted representatives from more than 25 countries, including senior flag officers and cabinet level officials, and MSC18 will undoubtedly follow this record of success.

The development of the MSC conference series agenda is a cumulative effort that is intended to build on the discourse from past events. In 2016, MSC addressed issues associated with the creation of national comprehensive maritime strategies.

MSC18 will build on this conversation by exploring the changing nature of the maritime environment — in both an ecological 50 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

and strategic sense — and examine how best maritime stakeholders can adapt to respond to our changing world.

Large scale infrastructure and strategically focused building projects — including those associated with China’s Belt and Road Initiative — are all but changing global geography by shifting trade patterns and opening new corridors for the movement of goods. Similarly, climate change is opening new areas of geography for maritime traffic in the far North and also threatening island populations and communities dependent on fisheries.

These changes to strategic geography — both in the Arctic and in the more southern climes — present considerations that have not been seen since the great periods of oceanic exploration, and governments and navies will have to adjust their planning to account for these new frontiers.

One way for countries to adapt to these changes is to expand the conversation to include all communities involved in keeping our oceans safe. Realizing that maritime security is not just the responsibility of navies, coast guards and governments is an important step to developing more cohesive approaches, particularly when security challenges cut across national jurisdictions. The voices of non-governmental organizations and international communities of interest are of growing importance to these issues, particularly when they fall outside our traditional definitions of maritime security. Likewise, sustainable national strategies require buy-in from national publics and the

industries and agencies that will help provide innovative solutions necessary for implementing a large-scale vision.

And technology is, undoubtedly, a major part of delivering on defence and security objectives in the maritime domain.

New equipment and capabilities are often touted as a means of expanding our ability to monitor and secure our ocean territories, but this promise can be overstated, and we face the danger of over-reliance on the wrong solutions. Technology is not a cure all, but it can increase efficiency, allow for a greater presence, and streamline our responses. Technology can be a significant force multiplier, but it can also drain resources and divert attention from more basic, hands-on solutions. A proper culture of innovation stresses the importance of the human element and how it interfaces with new equipment and new method, ensuring that the next generations of maritime professionals are well-trained and ready.

Change is a constant in the maritime world, and Maritime Security Challenges 2018 will explore how best to prepare and adapt to these changes, whether in threats and opportunities, organizational approaches, or emerging technologies.

The Navy League of Canada is proud to once again host the Maritime Security Challenges 2018 conference in association with the Royal Canadian Navy and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. More information on the event, including a full conference program, can be found at www.mscconference.com.

TECHNOLOGY

New joint company sees Consilium expand its presence in Canada With roots dating back to 1912 when Consilium speed logs were first developed, the Swedish company has spent the last 100+ years developing gas detection and fire alarm systems.

A

s part of Consilium’s strategy to provide global support to its customers, Consilium Marine & Safety has become the majority owner of Startech Marine Services Inc. in North Vancouver. Together with its present owner, Nas Monavari, the new joint company, Consilium Marine & Safety Canada, will provide sales and service to the Canadian market. “A number of our customers, including BC Ferries and the cruise lines, wanted to see a local presence for Consilium,” said Monavari. “Having worked with the company since 2010, we are very pleased to be able to represent Consilium formally in Canada.”

Background

Nas Monavari started Startech Marine in 2009, offering marine electronics, service and support to vessels primarily on the Canadian West Coast.

Consilium is a global safety company that conducts operations under two business areas — Consilium Marine & Safety and Consilium Safety Engineering.

Under Marine & Safety, Consilium focuses on the international shipping industry, offering products, systems and complete solutions within safety, navigation and environmental monitoring.

The product range includes fire and gas detection systems, emission monitoring

systems, marine voyage data recorders and ship logs.

Consilium is also one of the leading suppliers of state-of-the-art fire safety solutions for land transport, the oil and gas industry and large, industrial buildings, public buildings and hospitals.

With roots dating back to 1912 when Consilium speed logs were first developed, the Swedish company has spent the last 100+ years developing gas detection and fire alarm systems. In the mid-2000s, the Consilium Group established a clear focus on products and systems for safety and navigation. Now with operations in 26 countries, Consilium has created a worldleading position in several niches.

Products

Consilium has three core streams of product offerings in the Marine Safety sector:

The Vancouver Maritime Museum is pleased to announce that we are accepting open nominations for this year’s Northwest Passage Hall of Fame.

The three nominations categories are: 1) Individual, 2) Vessel, and 3) Expedition and their historical maritime experience in the Canadian Arctic.

You can download the NWPHOF nomination form at: www.nwphalloffame.org Deadline for submission of nominations is July 31, 2018 Award winners will be announced during the NWP Hall of Fame gala evening on October 18, 2018 Thank you for your participation and see you at the Gala! vanmaritime.com NWP_2018_1/2Page_1A.indd 1

July / August 2018 — BC Shipping News — 51 2018-06-12 12:24 PM

TECHNOLOGY

Nas Monavari and Martin Steen, President, Consilium Marine US Inc. celebrate Consilium’s expanded presence in Canada.

• Fire and gas detection — Consiliums Salwico fire and gas detection systems are the world’s most famous for ships in general and for LNG vessels and cruise ships in particular. During the last years, Consilium has taken all the knowledge and experience from well-known brand names such as Salwico, Nittan and Servoteknikk and created a highly advanced technological common platform, not only

Positions available in 2018:

- Able Seamen - Electricians - Carpenter - Deck Hands - Engine Hands - Engineering Administrator - 4th Engineer

52 — BC Shipping News — July / August 2018

for fire detection systems, but also for gas detection systems and voyage data recorders (VDR). The CCP (Consilium Common Platform) is the base for their fifth generation of analog addressable fire detection systems with the latest innovative solutions based on top notch technology.

• Navigation — Consilium is one of the world’s leading suppliers of navigational products. The company offers

a number of products and systems designed to ensure safe navigation.

Consilium’s products and systems are well proven and have, in many cases, a long tradition. The product portfolio includes speed logs, marine voyage data recorders (VDRs) and electronic navigational and information systems.

• Continuous emission monitoring — Consilium’s Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) comprises a large number of applications monitoring Nitrogen Oxide, NOX, SO2, etc.

Supported by leading technologies, Consilium provides a comprehensive range of analyzers covering a wide area of process monitoring and control applications and a comprehensive range of analyzers, such as oil mist leakage monitoring, inert gas monitoring and control, scrubber exhaust monitoring and combustion emission monitoring and control.

Consilium in Canada

Monavari reported that, while Startech Marine’s focus has been exclusively on Consilium solutions for the marine industry, he will be increasing his reach to immediately start working in the LNG and rail industries, followed by expansion into the oil and gas and land infrastructure sectors. He hopes to establish a presence in eastern Canada, especially for the oil and gas sector which is much more predominant in the Atlantic Provinces.

Monavari will continue to carry other products currently under the Startech Marine umbrella but emphasized that Consilium will be their core focus. He further noted that most Consilium products are approved by navies worldwide and Monavari sees great opportunities to work with the Royal Canadian Navy.

At present, Monavari is busy organizing the office here in North Vancouver.

“A representative from the U.S. office has joined us here for training on all products — both in the office and on the vessels,” Monavari said, “and we are currently recruiting for an electrical/electronics engineer for the position of marine electronics service engineer.”

The future looks very bright for Monavari and the Consilium team in Canada.

Fire & Light Fireworks Night Wednesday Aug 2 2017 | nd

Reception begins at 6 pm

$200 per person ¡ $1,400 per table 8 SATURDAY, AUGUST 4TH,of2018 6:00 pm Ticket Price: $175 per person (TAXES

Please join us for an exquisite evening of food, wine, fireworks plus fabulous entertainment all from the best location in Kitsilano!

An entertaining fundraising evening for the Vancouver Maritime Museum (including live & silent auctions)

Book now - limited seating plus special, early-bird reserved parking available!

For tickets and more information please email: gala@vanmaritime.com please note - tickets must be purchased in advance

vanmaritime.com

BC SHIPPING NEWS

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BC SHIPPING NEWS

Commercial Marine News for Canada’s West Coast.

Indispensable reading for an indispensable industry.

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