SSI congratulates clients Genoa Design International and Seaspan Shipyards which last month launched the future Sir John Franklin OFSV1.
SSI congratulates clients Genoa Design International and Seaspan Shipyards which last month launched the future Sir John Franklin OFSV1, the first of three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels being built under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. Seaspan worked closely with fellow SSI client Genoa Design International which performed the production and detail design on the project. Both teams, with the support of SSI, used SSI’s ShipConstructor software to ensure the project’s success.
About the Ship
The 63-metre vessel will be operated by the Canadian Coast Guard and used by scientists in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to study the health of fish stocks and their ocean environment. Like all Coast Guard ships, it will also do search and rescue.
Successful Collaboration
“Just as the Coast Guard and DFO will be working together on this ship and others in the series, the design and construction of the vessels is also a great example of successful collaboration,” notes Denis Morais, SSI’s Chief Technology Officer.
“We pride ourselves on the work we’ve produced and the relationships we’ve developed with customers throughout North America over the past 20 plus years,” added Gina Pecore, CEO, Genoa Design International. “Having the right technology allowed the Genoa team to work collaboratively and efficiently with Vancouver Shipyards and suppliers throughout the design process of the OFSV1.”
For instance, even though Newfoundland-based Genoa is over 5000 km from Vancouver-based Seaspan, the companies used the 4.5 hour time zone difference to their advantage, responding to feedback and implementing changes before the other team had even started work the next day.
SSI’s software helped make this success possible. Both companies collaborated on the design using a common ShipConstructor database, often communicating with each other using Autodesk Navisworks. Navisworks is tightly integrated with ShipConstructor and provides an efficient way of doing visual “fly-throughs” of the design to clarify issues and optimize design for production.
“Building ships is a complex business that employs a range of talented individuals. Seaspan Shipyards relies on the support of companies like SSI and Genoa Design International in building ships in Canada, by Canadians,” noted Brian Carter, President & CEO of Seaspan Shipyards. “The launch of the first large ship to be designed and built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy demonstrates the capabilities of our industry and points to a bright future for shipbuilding in Canada.”
SSI Support
SSI has also helped set up the companies for success. At joint meetings held at SSI headquarters, SSI worked with Seaspan and Genoa regarding how to leverage the design work for the following ships. SSI has continued to advise on how to optimize efficiency and looks forward to more successful ship launches.