RAL Wins NSFRV Design Gig

Ship and boat designer Robert Allan Ltd has been awarded a contract by the Government of Canada to design a new version of the Near Shore Fishery Research Vessels (NSFRVs) currently operated by the Canadian Coast Guard.

The new vessel will be used for fishery research by Fisheries & Oceans Canada and operated by the Canadian Coast Guard.

The Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet of NSFRVs plays a key role in the delivery of fishery research in Canada’s waterways. Currently, there are four NSFRVs in service.

Originally known as Inshore Science Vessels (ISVs), three were designed by Robert Allan Ltd. under the Economic Action Plan (EAP 2009) and entered into service in 2012 as the CCGS Vladykov, CCGS Leim and CCGS M. Perley. The new design is a direct development of these existing Robert Allan Ltd. designed NSFRVs.

An updated set of requirements has been developed for the new vessel based on user input from those working on the current vessels and updated regulatory requirements. These updated requirements also incorporate the Government of Canada’s innovative mandate, as well as the project’s own innovation goals in the areas of environmental impact reduction, diversity and human factors.

The end goal of this design work is to generate a package consisting of drawings and the related design specification to serve as the basis for a new construction contract.

The design of certain mission critical systems may be developed with the support of single system integrators (SSIs) specializing in said systems. This may include the propulsion system, the bridge, science sonar systems, deck equipment and HVAC.

The design process will address the unique and challenging characteristics for a research vessel of this size. The use of a hybrid propulsion system and the identification of the attainable underwater radiated noise characteristics are two of the main areas to be considered in the design development.