VESSEL REVIEW | Baie des Chaleurs – Canadian Coast Guard rescue boat built for Atlantic sailing conditions

The Canadian Coast Guard has taken delivery of a new search and rescue (SAR) boat built by shipyard Chantier Naval Forillon based in Quebec.

CCGS Baie des Chaleurs is named after Chaleurs Bay, the portion of the Gulf of St Lawrence that sits between Quebec and New Brunswick. The newbuild belongs to a series of 20 new SAR boats named after geographical bays across Canada, hence their alternate designation of Bay-class.

The aluminium-hulled SAR boat was built to a design by naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) in compliance to Lloyd’s Register’s Special Service Craft rules. The RAL design is itself an improved variant of the Severn-class lifeboats operated by the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Compared to the earlier RNLI boats, Baie des Chaleurs and its sisters each have a larger size, a greater range, and specific design elements that will allow operation even under extreme weather conditions, particularly along Canada’s Atlantic coast. The boat therefore has self-righting ability and is durable enough to withstand 12-metre seas and Beaufort Force 12 conditions.

Baie des Chaleurs has an LOA of 19 metres, a moulded beam of 6.3 metres, a draught of 1.67 metres, a gross tonnage of 75, and space for four crewmembers. Two MTU 10V2000 M94 diesel engines that each produce 1,200 kW drive fixed-pitch propellers to deliver a maximum speed of 25 knots.

To ensure greater comfort, significant noise and vibration reduction measures have been implemented throughout, including resilient mounts for the engines, gearboxes, exhaust silencer systems, ventilation intake air silencers, sound dampening deck treatments, and insulation measures. RAL also utilised extensive finite element analysis of the hull and deckhouse structure in order to minimise aluminium weight to the maximum extent possible to achieve the vessel’s performance objectives.

A cruising speed of 15 knots will yield a range of 250 nautical miles. However, as part of its standard operating profile, the boat will be limited to only 100 nautical miles from shore. The boat is also configured to maintain a maximum 30-minute state-of-readiness, which means it will be ready to respond as soon as the crew receives an alert.

The hull’s central skeg and the aft propeller tunnels develop into flared, knuckled bow sections with double spray chines forward. The vessel is also fitted with an elevated stern deck for towing operations, reduced freeboard amidships for recovering survivors from the water, and generous amounts of sheer and camber forward.

The large well-appointed enclosed bridge amidships provides maximum visibility and protection for the crew. A space for housing rescued survivors is located forward below decks, and the machinery space is aft. A bow thruster is fitted forward for enhanced manoeuvrability.

Seating is provided for an additional two people such as medical personnel, two survivors on stretchers, and up to 12 seated survivors. In support of the vessel’s secondary missions including maintenance of aids to navigation, environmental response, maritime security, and fisheries management, it will occasionally be used to transport up to 16 personnel in addition to the crew.

The electronics suite includes two Furuno radars and a Teledyne FLIR rotating thermal camera. A small aft crane is meanwhile used for the launch and recovery of a small inflatable boat.