Seaspan Delivers $900M Science Ship After Eight-Year Delay

Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan has delivered the CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk, the new flagship of Canada's science fleet.

The CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk is named after an Inuit elder from Nunavik, and is a much-anticipated replacement for the decommissioned CCGS Hudson, which was 59 years old when removed from service in 2022. Nappaaluk was supposed to replace Hudson without a gap in availability, but delivery was repeatedly set back because of the pandemic and a reshuffle of the National Shipbuilding Strategy's priorities. After cumulative delays, Nappaaluk arrived eight years late and about 1,000 percent over budget.

The new vessel will be Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s main platform for oceanographic science, as well as a useful cutter when needed by the Canadian Coast Guard for SAR or sovereignty purposes.

As would be expected for a premier oceanographic research vessel of 5,000 tonnes displacement, the Naalak Nappaaluk is well-equipped for research missions: multiple lab spaces, a seawater sampling system for CTD and oxygen levels, a drop keel with a sensor suite, and an A-frame at the stern for deploying gear. Designed to PC 6, the ship is capable for light ice operations in the Arctic.

In a statement, Seaspan said that the delivery marks a proud moment for all involved, "another proof point for the Government of Canada of the success of the [National Shipbuilding Strategy, or NSS]." However, the delivery also illustrates the program's substantial cost: Originally budgeted for about US$80 million when construction began, the delivered price of Naalak Nappaaluk ballooned more than tenfold to US$910 million - one of the largest percentage cost overruns in recent shipbuilding history, and an example of the expenditures needed to revive a national shipbuilding capability.

“With the delivery of the CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk, Canada’s largest dedicated science vessel, the National Shipbuilding Strategy has helped create high-quality jobs, strengthen our shipbuilding industry, and expand the Coast Guard’s scientific and operational capabilities," said Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, in a statement Thursday. "It shows how strategic federal investments in shipbuilding support Canadian industry while enhancing our ability to monitor, understand, and protect our oceans."

Next, the vessel will sail to Patricia Bay for the Canadian Coast Guard to begin training and familiarization. When this is complete, she will make the long transit to the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she will be homeported.