The second offshore fisheries science vessel designed by Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver for the Canadian Coast Guard has put to sea for trials.
The vessel, launched in June, will eventually be christened the Capt. Jacques Cartier.
Seaspan said the sea trials mark the final major phase in any shipbuilding project before delivery.
The trials will ensure the ship operates as it was designed to and that all systems — mechanical, electrical, hydraulics, fishing and laboratory, communications, navigation and safety — are functioning.
“We are looking forward to delivering this second vessel to the Coast Guard later this year, which will enable them to do their critical work focused on the protection, preservation and conservation of Canada’s coastal waters,” said Seaspan chief executive Mark Lamarre.
The sea trials will be carried out over a continuous 15-day period in the Strait of Georgia.
After trials the vessel will be moored at Ogden Point at Victoria for final preparation before it is handed over to the Coast Guard later this year.
Seaspan delivered the first offshore fisheries science vessel, the CCGS Sir John Franklin, in June.
The Sir John Franklin was the first newly built large ship in the fleet for 30 years, and the first large vessel designed and built under the federal government's national shipbuilding strategy.
