April 29, 2025
The full HaiSea fleet worked together for the first time in its most anticipated operation to date: to escort the first LNG carrier up Douglas Channel and safely assist it into its berth at LNG Canada’s marine terminal jetty. It may sound simple, but the total journey stretched 130 nautical miles and involved months of training and planning.
HaiSea’s crew carried out this historic mission flawlessly, working as a team alongside the British Columbia Coast Pilots, the Pacific Pilotage Authority Canada, and LNG Canada, with valuable support from the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canada Border Services Agency. Together, they successfully welcomed the carrier and its import cargo required for commissioning activities ahead of operations at the LNG Canada facility in Kitimat, located in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation.
The end result was smooth, but this moment was a decade in the making for HaiSea. It started with a dream and a conversation between Seaspan and the Haisla Nation, which led to a promise to build and design the world’s lowest-emissions tugboat fleet. That dream evolved to include career opportunities for Haisla mariners to live and work on their home waters and apply their generations of sea-going knowledge to HaiSea’s operations. These plans turned into meaningful actions for HaiSea’s part in welcoming the first LNG carrier, acting as guardians of Douglas Channel for the first time.
The planning, coordination, and execution of this successful operation rested in the steady hands of Master Mariner Shawn Jones, Senior Operations Manager at HaiSea Marine, along with the HaiSea operations team.
“This was the moment our crews have been training for: to escort the first LNG carrier into Kitimat and since it was the ‘first’, we deployed our entire fleet and crew. The HaiSea Kermode met the fully loaded Maran Gas Roxana at Triple Island, and they came down Principe Channel and at that point, the Kermode was tethered to the carrier for about 105 nautical miles. We had the three fully-electric harbour tugs — the HaiSea Wamis, HaiSea Brave, HaiSea Wee’git — meet the vessel at Cleo Bay just outside Kitimat; we also had the HaiSea Warrior on standby as an extra escort tug if needed. It was all-in with support from Seaspan Marine captains, and Seaways Training Captains as we wanted the extra eyes and ears on standby,” explained Shawn.
The operation all went according to the HaiSea team’s meticulous plan. Now with its first successful operation behind them, the HaiSea team has confidence and a preview of what’s to come once the LNG Canada facility comes online, and when HaiSea will be escorting and assisting LNG carriers every other day at the full peak of operations.
“Now our plan is to keep the positive momentum going and focus on additional training to prepare for the even bigger milestone of the first LNG export cargo — which will be history in the making for Canada, LNG Canada, and HaiSea Marine,” said Shawn. “I could not be prouder of the HaiSea team as we work together to make history with our partners.”