CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell

Built in 1987 in Marystown, Newfoundland and Labrador, the CCGS Sir Wilfred Grenfell is used for search and rescue in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region.  The vessel was originally designed as an offshore supply vessel and underwent some minor modifications before being placed into service as a search and rescue vessel.

The vessel is named after Sir Wilfred Grenfell, the humanitarian who dedicated his life to improving the living conditions of the people of northern Newfoundland and Labrador. He was the founder of The Grenfell Mission, and with the assistance of his many volunteers, he established hospitals, orphanages and other social agencies across the province.

The Grenfell is ideally suited for the role of an all-weather search and rescue unit on the high seas off Canada's east coast. Although it is an ice-strengthened ship, it is not a true icebreaker. But with prudent handling, the Grenfell can be safely used to penetrate the margins of the ice fields to conduct search and rescue operations. During the ice season, the vessel is occasionally assigned minor icebreaking duties such as harbour break-outs and small vessel escorts. Other operations include scientific buoy deployment, fishery patrol and enforcement duties, and pollution containment and recovery operations.

The Grenfell is propelled by four main engines, and its power is delivered via gearboxes to twin controllable pitch propellers, fitted in kort nozzles. Directly behind the propeller/nozzle arrangement are twin rudders for steering. For lateral movement, the ship has two thrusters - a bow thruster that develops 804.29 horsepower and a stern thruster that develops 603.22 horsepower. When precision station-keeping is required, the entire propulsion and steering system can be operating using a single, optional, joystick control.

The Grenfell is also designed to assist in fighting major fires at sea. The main engines can be used to provide the power to pump up to 120,000 litres of seawater per minute through the four large fire monitors located on the top of the vessel. Two smaller fire-fighting monitors located behind the bridge can deliver up to 3,433 litres per minute of firefighting foam to targets in close proximity.

For towing, the Grenfell has a 70-tonne electro-hydraulic towing winch fitted with 1,250 metres of 40mm-diameter wire rope. Two three-tonne hydraulic cranes are fitted for lifting equipment on or off the ship. Two 'tugger' winches are used to help move heavy objects around the open main deck.

Two fast rescue craft, suspended under quick-launch and recovery davits, can be deployed on short notice to assist persons in distress of to perform other tasks. An emergency multiple person rescue apparatus basket allows the vessel to recover up to 18 persons from the water simultaneously. In the event of an oil spill, the ship is fitted to accept an oil recovery boom and has 1,000 cubic metres of tank capacity available for recovered liquids. Designated as a primary search and rescue vessel, the Grenfell carries the maximum inventory of search and rescue equipment required by the Canadian Coast Guard.

The vessel has a well-equipped 10-bed hospital, which can easily be transformed into a spacious laboratory/workstation for science program operations. The large aft workstations of the bridge can also be temporarily used to mount hydrographic or scientific instrumentation.

The vessel has two Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) units, two S- and X-band radar with automatic radar plotting aid function, two gyro compasses with multiple repeaters, two depth sounders, Loran-C units and two electronic chart units. In addition, the vessel's position can be monitored remotely by the recently-added vessel monitoring system and automated identification system.

The Grenfell is equipped with a Global Marine Distress Safety System. In addition, it carries cellular and satellite communications systems, together with multiple additional UHF, VHF-FM, VHF-AM, and MF radio transceivers.

The vessel has a crew of 19.  And, at all times, at least one crewmember on board is a rescue specialist.

Vessel Particulars

¹Draft: How deep the vessel sits in the water.
²Displacement: Weight of vessel.