These all-aluminium pilot boats built by Spain’s Armon Shipyard were designed to provide reliable marine pilotage services along Canada’s Atlantic coast in often demanding sea conditions.
With a focus on safety, ergonomics, and operational flexibility, the crew benefit from shock-mitigation seating, while inboard safety railings along the wheelhouse perimeter and side decks allow flexible personnel transfers on either side of the bow or along the full side decks.
The all-aluminium construction delivers durability and performance in harsh Atlantic waters, making these pilot boats highly capable for their critical role.
"Both vessels are state-of-the-art in relation to pilotage duties due to how they effectively and safely perform even in the harshest winter conditions," Sergio Garcia, Project Manager and Naval Architect at Armon, told Baird Maritime. "I believe the main key points are the totally modern tailor-made design; high levels of comfort onboard; the many safety features; and the environmentally friendly design."
Garcia added that in all projects, there are challenges that need to be overcome specially when creating a tailor-made vessel for a specific owner and for withstanding harsh weather conditions.
"For these particular vessels, I believe ensuring the safety of the crew during operations under adverse winter conditions as the most critical challenge. Another challenge encountered was in the integration of all safety and environmental systems on vessels of such small size."
For Garcia, the most important lesson learned during these vessels' construction is that the close cooperation between the owner and the builder can help minimise the risk of detrimental operational issues.
The environmentally friendly design incorporated in Foundation Pilot and Chebucto Pilot is an indication of what Garcia said is a proliferation of low-emission vessels in response to changing emission regulations.
"I believe that in the next few years, we will see sustainable operations as emission regulations become stricter. In particular, we now have IMO Tier III-compliant vessels likes these two pilot boats as well as fully electric vessels."
Garcia also expects that remote assist/attendance will become more widespread among pilot boats as a means of reducing crew safety risks when operating under favourable weather conditions.
Carlota Torres Gomez, another project manager and naval architect at Armon, meanwhile believes environmental regulations, along with operational expectations, have also had an impact on the shipbuilding sector in general.
"The biggest of these include: stricter emissions regulations (i.e., IMO Tier III and CII) pushing shipyards toward greener engines, alternative fuels and energy-efficient hull designs; and noise-reduction standards, especially for research vessels, to protect marine mammals and improve acoustic survey quality," she told Baird Maritime.
Torres said those in the sector must also be mindful of factors such as: digital compliance requirements, from cybersecurity rules to automated monitoring systems that track a range of parameters from fuel use to environmental impact; and sustainability mandates, which influence materials, waste management systems and life-cycle planning.
"These pressures aren’t obstacles," Torres remarked. "They’re catalysts. These trends are pushing shipbuilding into a new era where innovation is not optional but is actually the baseline."
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