Groupe Océan contracted to deliver two more tugs to the Royal Canadian Navy

Noah Note

The same day that Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel (CFAV) Canso was accepted by the Royal Canadian Navy, Groupe Océan was granted a contract extension to deliver another two "Tug, Harbour, Large" (YTB) vessels to the RCN. This will bring the total number of tugs up to six.

​There has been no official press release by Groupe Océan, but it was included in the press release for today’s acceptance. I thought I would do my due diligence by making a separate post to mention it, as I know details like that can get lost. Groupe Océan (then Ocean Industries) was contracted to build the first four tugs back in 2019. They are also performing the Life Extensions for CCGS Martha L. Black and CCGS Griffon.

​Groupe Océan is a fairly under-discussed company. They currently own the Isle-aux-Coudres shipyard, facilities in Quebec City, and—more famously—the Verreault shipyard, which they acquired in 2022. This includes Verreault's 244x26 meter dry dock, one of the largest in the country. The company primarily specializes in the construction of tugs and trawlers, along with ship repair, dredging, and towing.

​Groupe Océan, for its part, has been very vocal about reforming the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Along with Ontario Shipyards, they have been keen on pushing for a change to the 1,000t limit currently imposed on yards outside the "Big Three" by adding a new "Medium Yard" category. This would allow them to take on larger vessels for the RCN/CCG, such as the Continental Defence Corvette (CDC).

​Until now, these requests have fallen on deaf ears. There weren’t many projects left available beyond that 1,000t limit that they could jump on—and there still aren't many, with the CDC being the major exception. The Multi-Mission Multi-Mission Vessel will conform to the 1,000t limit, despite many complaints about how restrictive that is to the design.

​Of course, competition there is fierce, and Groupe Océan is positioned lower on the list than others. Despite that, they do have significant value in terms of infrastructure and capacity. I’m sure they’ll find a place in the ecosystem; the work they’re doing now, while less glamorous than Corvettes and subs, addresses just as critical a need.

​Speaking of tugs, I can’t help but feel like the current six is insufficient for what we plan. This might be a common sentiment these days, but the truth is that this is another one of those projects that started in a different era—one before we were talking about things like Corvettes or Navy Icebreakers.

​One can't help but return to the support and infrastructure needed to sustain such a fleet. This isn't me being critical of the Navy—they are asking these questions—however, I feel things like the YTB are often critically under-discussed or forgotten in general discussions, despite their vital importance to the wider fleet.

​It should be asked by us, as a group, if that number is still sufficient for our needs as the Navy continues to plot a path of major expansion. A year ago, the CDC was still a semi-Kingston replacement in most books; now, it's something the Navy will have to tackle as more projects move into procurement. There could be room, for example, on the infrastructure side for leveraging existing Coast Guard assets as supplements. That is certainly one avenue that is actively being explored and discussed.

​It’s some food for thought, at least. I think it’s a worthwhile debate to be had, even if it isn’t nearly as glamorous as other discussions.