High-Endurance Search and Rescue Lifeboats (‘Bay Class’)
Backgrounder
As part of the Government of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (small vessel construction) and the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet renewal planning, the Coast Guard is receiving 20 new High-Endurance Search and Rescue Lifeboats. Contracts to build the lifeboats were awarded to Chantier Naval Forillon of Gaspé, Québec and Hike Metal Products Ltd of Wheatley, Ontario.
The new lifeboats will be stationed across Canada, providing critical search and rescue services including searches on the water, marine distress response calls, coordination of maritime incidents, as well as assistance to disabled vessels. The lifeboats are informally referred to as “Bay Class” vessels, as each one is named after a Canadian bay.
About the High-Endurance Search and Rescue Lifeboats:
- The lifeboats are 19 metres in length and weigh 75 gross tonnes.
- The vessels have a cruising speed of 14 and a half knots, and a top speed of 25 knots.
- These high-endurance vessels are capable of traveling 100 nautical miles offshore and are able to self-right if capsized.
July 2019