Name Quest class Built 1967-1969 Completed 1 | Operators Royal Canadian Navy In commission 1969-present | |
Builders Burrard Shipbuilding & Drydock Ltd., Vancouver | ||
CFAV Quest is an oceanographic research/acoustic vessel used by the Royal Canadian Navy and Defence Research and Development Canada. It is currently the only ship with this capability in the fleet. Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Quest's crew are civilian members of the Department of National Defence (Canada) and the ship is classified as an auxiliary vessel (CFAV). In 2016 it was announced the ship was to be divested and ultimately decommissioned by the end of 2016.
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Design
The Quest-class oceanographic research vessel was designed for oceanographic and hydrographic research for the Royal Canadian Navy. The ship displaces 2,130 long tons (2,160 t) and is 71.6 m (235 ft) long overall with a beam of 12.8 m (42 ft) and a draught of 4.6 m (15 ft). The ship was fitted with a small helicopter platform capable of handling light helicopters but this was later removed and converted to a rear crane platform.
Propulsion
Quest is a diesel electric, twin shaft, twin rudder ship. She is equipped with two 10-cylinder Fairbanks-Morse 38D8 diesel engines driving two GE electric motors. This gives the ship a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The vessel has an effective range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) for 35 days.
Operational history
Construction of Quest began in 1967 by Burrard Shipbuilding & Drydock Ltd. at Vancouver, the ship was launched on 9 July 1968. After entering service on 21 August 1969 with the hull number AGOR 172, Quest was deployed on the east coast. The vessel was used primarily for oceanographic and hydrographic research in the north Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. The ship can operate in the heavy ice of the Arctic Ocean when accompanied by an icebreaker.
A mid-life update was performed in 1997-1999. This included updated communications and navigational hardware along with improved noise insulation. As of February 2014, Quest was docked indefinitely at Halifax following budget cutbacks to the Royal Canadian Navy. On 2 September 2016 the Royal Canadian Navy announced through an email release that the ship would be decommissioned and "divested".