CCGS ''Pierre Radisson''CCGS stands for Canadian Coast Guard Ship is the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very complex and may ...

of her class of

icebreaker An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to sma ...

s. Constructed and operated by the

Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; french: links=no, Garde côtière canadienne, GCC) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in ...

, the vessel is based at

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

on the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

. The ship was constructed in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

in the 1970s and has been in service ever since. The vessel is named for

Pierre-Esprit Radisson Pierre-Esprit Radisson (1636/1640–1710) was a French fur trader and explorer in New France. He is often linked to his brother-in-law Médard des Groseilliers. The decision of Radisson and Groseilliers to enter the English service led to the f ...

, a 17th-century French fur trader and explorer.

Design and description

Bell 429 GlobalRanger on helicopter deck of CCGS Pierre Radisson

The ''Pierre Radisson'' class were designed for

operations in the Arctic Ocean.Maginley and Collin, p. 154 ''Pierre Radisson'', being the first ship constructed in the class, has a standard displacement of and fully loaded. The vessel has a

gross tonnage Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weig ...

(GT) of 5,775 and a .Saunders, p. 95 The ship is long overall with a beam of and a draught of . The vessel is propelled by two fixed-pitch

propeller A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...

s and one

bow thruster Manoeuvering thruster (bow thruster or stern thruster) is a transversal propulsion device built into, or mounted to, either the bow or stern, of a ship or boat to make it more manoeuvrable. Bow thrusters make docking easier, since they allow th ...

Alco The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer of locomotives, diesel generators, steel, and tanks that operated from 1901 to 1969. The company was formed by the merger of seven smaller locom ...

M251F

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

s that when driving the shafts create and six GEC generators creating 11.1

megawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after Jame ...

s sustained powering two motors that when driving the shafts create . The vessel is also equipped with one

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larva, larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterfly, butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawfly ...

398 emergency generator. This gives the vessel a maximum speed of . The vessel can carry of

diesel fuel Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air and ...

and has a range of at and can stay at sea for up to 120 days. ''Pierre Radisson'' is equipped with a Sperry navigational radar operating on the E/F and I bands. The icebreaker has a

flight deck The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopt ...

and

hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

which originally accommodated light helicopters of the

MBB Bo 105 The Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 is a light, twin-engine, multi-purpose helicopter developed by Bölkow of Ottobrunn, West Germany. It was the first light twin-engine helicopter in the world, and the first rotorcraft that could perform ae ...

or Bell 206L types, but in the 2010s, the Bell 429 GlobalRanger and

Bell 412 The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. Design and development Development began in t ...

EPI were acquired by the Canadian Coast Guard to replace the older helicopters. The ship can carry of

aviation fuel Aviation fuels are petroleum-based fuels, or petroleum and synthetic fuel blends, used to power aircraft. They have more stringent requirements than fuels used for ground use, such as heating and road transport, and contain additives to enhance ...

for the helicopters. The vessel is certified as Arctic Class 3 and has a complement of 31 with 11 officers and 20 crew.

Service history

The ship's

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in B ...

was laid down by Burrard Dry Dock in

North Vancouver North Vancouver may refer to: *North Vancouver (city), a city in British Columbia, Canada * North Vancouver (district municipality), a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada * North Vancouver (electoral district), a federal electoral di ...

on 16 February 1976. The vessel was launched on 3 June 1977 and was completed in May 1978. The vessel entered service with the Canadian Coast Guard in June 1978.

Registered Registered may refer to: * Registered mail, letters, packets or other postal documents considered valuable and in need of a chain of custody * Registered trademark symbol, symbol ® that provides notice that the preceding is a trademark or service ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, ''Pierre Radisson'' was intended to replace the aging in the Laurentian Region and is based at

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

. The vessel underwent

sea trials A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...

while transiting the

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arct ...

en route to Quebec City.Maginley and Collin, p. 155 During the transit, ''Pierre Radisson'' assisted which had been severely damaged by ice in the western Arctic. During the winter period, the vessel performs icebreaking duties through the

Gulf of St. Lawrence The Gulf of St. Lawrence () is the outlet of the North American Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. The gulf is a semi-enclosed sea, covering an area of about and containing about of water, at an average depth of . ...

, St. Lawrence River and

Saguenay River __NOTOC__ The Saguenay River () is a major river of Quebec, Canada. It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east; the city of Saguenay is located on the river. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River. ...

, up the

St. Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway (french: la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent) is a system of locks, canals, and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North Americ ...

and into the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five la ...

. The vessel is also deployed escorting ships through the ice-covered passages. In the summer, ''Pierre Radisson'' is assigned to escort commercial ships, maintain navigation aids and search and rescue missions in the Canadian Arctic. The ship also provides support to scientific missions while in the Canadian Arctic. In 1981, ''Pierre Radisson'' supported the search by Joseph B. MacInnis in the search for the sunken British supply vessel . The search was unsuccessful that year, MacInnis did later find the wreck in 1983. In 1982, the ship acted as the vice-regal

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

for

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...

Edward Schreyer Edward Richard Schreyer (born December 21, 1935) is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation. Schreyer was born and educated in Manitoba, and was first electe ...

on his visit to Denmark, Norway, Iceland and

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is ...

to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the Norse settlement of

L'Anse aux Meadows L'Anse aux Meadows ( lit. Meadows Cove) is an archaeological site, first excavated in the 1960s, of a Norse settlement dating to approximately 1,000 years ago. The site is located on the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland in the ...

. In 1987, ''Pierre Radisson'' escorted cargo ships to

Thule Thule ( grc-gre, Θούλη, Thoúlē; la, Thūlē) is the most northerly location mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman literature and cartography. Modern interpretations have included Orkney, Shetland, northern Scotland, the island of Saar ...

, Greenland. The following year, the icebreaker sailed to the aid of which had damaged her propellers twice in the

Beaufort Sea The Beaufort Sea (; french: Mer de Beaufort, Iñupiaq: ''Taġiuq'') is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska, and west of Canada's Arctic islands. The sea is named after Sir ...

. ''Pierre Radisson'' escorted the damaged ship to

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

and then returned via the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a Channel ( ...

, dropping off relief supplies to hurricane victims at Kingston, Jamaica. In 1987, ''Pierre Radisson'' was used to give 30 heads of state a three-hour tour of the St. Lawrence River during the Sommet de la Francophonie. The icebreaker supported the North Water project in April—May 1997 and again in August 1998. ''Pierre Radisson''s duties included installing deep-moored scientific buoys and recovering them the following year. ''Pierre Radisson'' participated in Operation Nanook in 2008 and

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, annual joint training exercises with elements of the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Ai ...

to conduct sovereignty and disaster patrols in the Canadian Arctic. On 27 July 2015, CCGS ''Pierre Radisson'' located and rescued Sergey Ananov, a Russian helicopter pilot who attempted a round-the world flight. Ananov's

Robinson R22 The Robinson R22 is a two-seat, two-bladed, single-engine light utility helicopter manufactured by Robinson Helicopter Company. It was designed in 1973 by Frank D. Robinson, and has been in production since 1979. Development The majority of flig ...

helicopter crashed and sunk in the

Davis Strait Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Atlantic Ocean that lies north of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. To the north is Baffin Bay. The strait was named for the English explorer Jo ...

, between

Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadi ...

and Greenland, the previous day, but the pilot managed to swim to a nearby ice floe. The

CAN$ The Canadian dollar (symbol: $; code: CAD; french: dollar canadien) is the currency of Canada. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, there is no standard disambiguating form, but the abbreviation Can$ is often suggested by notable style ...

8.7 million contract for the vessel's refit was awarded on 10 August 2016 to Verreault Navigation Inc. with the work to be done at Les Méchins, Quebec. The refit is scheduled to begin in September 2016 and completed by January 2017. The refit was scheduled as part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. The refit includes re-coating the hull, replacement of windows, reconditioning the flight deck and hangar and maintenance to steel work, propulsion and the interior. In March 2018, ''Pierre Radisson'' was deployed to the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes to aid in icebreaking efforts. On 24 August 2018, ''Pierre Radisson'' was directed to assist , a

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours know ...

that had run aground in the western

Gulf of Boothia The Gulf of Boothia is a body of water in Nunavut, Canada. Administratively it is divided between the Kitikmeot Region on the west and the Qikiqtaaluk Region on the east. It merges north into Prince Regent Inlet, the two forming a single bay wi ...

. Once ''Akademik Ioffre'' was refloated, ''Pierre Radisson'' remained with the cruise ship to determine which port ''Akademik Ioffre'' would sail to and to ensure the cruise ship's safety. In January 2019, and ''Pierre Radisson'' were both deployed to the Saint Lawrence River after large ice jams closed the shipping lane, trapping merchant vessels in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

and

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of ...

, Quebec. On 22 January 2022, the icebreaker was struck by the cargo ship ''Federal Crimson'' while escorting the freighter through ice in the St. Lawrence River near Sainte-Foy. The stern of ''Pierre Radisson'' was damaged in the collision and the vessel was sent back to

for repairs.

Workboat/lifeboat

Canadian Coast Guard ice breaker ''Pierre Radisson''s workboat/lifeboat No.2 was repurposed as a training boat/work boat (13D17073) that has been operated by the Maritime Affairs Committee Navy League of Canada – Outaouais Branch since November 1998. The boat was named ''John Boucher'', in honour of the founder of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Sea Cadet Corps la Hulloise, which is sponsored by the Outaouais Branch of the Navy League of Canada. The main purpose of the boat today is to provide training for RCN Sea Cadet Corps la Hulloise. When not used by the sea cadets, it serves as a workboat for the Navy League.

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * *

External links

CCGS Pierre Radisson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierre Radisson, CCGS Pierre Radisson-class icebreakers 1978 ships Ships built in North Vancouver