Seaspan Finishes Welding Tests for Heavy Icebreaker Construction
Vancouver-based shipbuilder Seaspan has completed a "prototype" hull block for the Canadian Coast Guard's future polar icebreaker to validate its forming and welding techniques, and in a statement Thursday, the firm said that the effort was worthwhile. Heavy icebreakers haven't been built in North America in generations, and both the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard are working with shiupbuilders to relearn how to work with the specialized steel and extra-heavy plate required to construct these complex vessels.
Heavy icebreakers face some of the most difficult operating conditions on the planet, on land or at sea. Air temperatures can be as low as -40 F. The hull and frame are exposed to extreme slamming and vibration from riding up on top of the ice, crushing it, and then pushing through the debris. The structure has to hold up to these rigors for the service life of the vessel - and if past life extensions are any indicator, this could be 50 years or more.
These service specifications require a high-strength steel with good low-temperature properties - in this case, EH50, which has a higher tensile strength and better resistance to impact at extremely low temperature.
Some of the plate for the icebreaker will be up to 2.4 inches thick, posing unique challenges for forming and weld quality. Seaspan has set up its own certified test lab on site to evaluate steel and weld quality with a fast turnaround.
In June 2023, Seaspan set out to determine what it would take to build one block of the icebreaker. That project is now complete, the yard says, and lessons have been learned on the required processes, procedures, equipment and skills. These lessons are informing improvements in the ship's design for manufacturing, the yard said.
“Having the opportunity for our engineering and production teams to work collaboratively to construct this Prototype Block very early in the design process was beneficial not only to Seaspan, but also to our customer and our cross-country supply chain," said Martin Edwards, Chief Program Officer at Seaspan.
While its shipbuilding workforce has been busy with Canadian government contracts, Seaspan has been supplementing its own workboat fleet with imported vessels. The firm operates tugs, barges and ferries in domestic trade, and has longstanding relationships with high-quality specialty workboat yards in Turkey. Recent deliveries include HaiSea Wamis, the world's "first fully electric harbor tug," which is owned and operated by a joint venture between Seaspan and the Haisla Nation.
Metal Shark Expands Shipbuilding in Louisiana
Metal Shark, a builder of specialized welded aluminum vessels for defense, law enforcement, and commercial operators, reports it is expanding its operations in Louisiana. This comes after the news earlier in the week that the company had divested of its Alabama-based ship refit and repair business to Birdon America.
The company is adding production capacity with the opening of a third Louisiana location, a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish. According to Metal Shark, combined with its nearby facilities in Jeanerette and Franklin, the company now has nearly 200,000 square feet of enclosed manufacturing space spread across 35 acres and employs nearly 400 people.
“Birdon America put forth an offer that made good business sense for us while providing long-term opportunities for our Alabama team members,” said Chris Allard, CEO of Metal Shark. “With the sale of our refit and repair business and steel boat building operations now concluded, we are refocusing our energies and doubling down on our core business: the design and construction of durable, high-performance, manned and autonomous welded aluminum vessels.”
Metal Shark reports it is aggressively recruiting to expand its workforce across all its Louisiana facilities to meet its strong order backlog. The company is currently hiring for all production trades and is also recruiting naval architects, project coordinators, and project engineers.
This week Metal Shark launched a new US Navy near coastal patrol vessel
“As a diversified builder, at any given time we’re producing boats for customers across a range of markets including U.S. and foreign military forces, state and local law enforcement agencies and fire departments, and numerous commercial markets including pilot groups, passenger vessel operators, and the offshore wind industry,” said Allard. “Our new Avery Island facility will reduce lead times for vessels that lie outside our mainstream production mix, with an experienced crew of boat building professionals specializing in custom rigging and production efficiency.”
The builder highlights that it has retained a portion of its Alabama waterfront to support ongoing training, trials, and autonomous testing. In addition to continuing research, design, and testing in Alabama, Metal Shak has a dedicated engineering facility in Croatia. The company reports its customers include U.S. and foreign militaries, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, passenger vessel operators, pilot associations, and other clients worldwide.
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