A ceremonial keel laying event for the first Joint Support Ship was held Thursday at Seaspan’s North Vancouver shipyard.
The vessel, to be the future HMCS Protecteur, is scheduled for delivery in 2023.
“Today’s ceremony marks another critical milestone in the renewal of the Royal Canadian Navy Fleet via Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy,” Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy said in a statement.
Seaspan says it will be the largest naval ship by length ever built in Canada.
The keel laying event is seen as a significant milestone in a ship’s construction. A newly minted coin is placed near the keel where it will remain for the duration of the ship’s life. The coin is said to bring good luck for the builders and all those who sail in the vessel.
Construction of the early blocks of the ship began in June 2018. Currently 16 blocks are complete and another 37 blocks are under construction, according to Seaspan. The first “grand block” was assembled in November 2019. A “grand block” is formed when four large ship blocks comprising more than 160 tons of steel are joined together. Three “grand blocks” are currently assembled.
While construction of the forward part of the ship is well underway, a contract for the remaining full construction of the first ship, the future HMCS Protecteur, is expected to be awarded in spring 2020, the Department of National Defence noted.
The future HMCS Protecteur, will be the first of two joint support ships to be built by Seaspan as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The ships will have a length of 173.7 metres and a breath of 24 metres, according to the company.
Below: The ceremonial coin laid on the ship’s keel.
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