One of the younger and more successful of Vancouver’s naval architecture and marine engineering firms is Capilano Maritime Design Ltd, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Established in 2007 by local naval architects Chris Mulder, P. Eng. and Mark Mulligan, P. Eng., FEC, the company has specialized in commercial working vessels such as tugs and barges as well as conventionally-powered and cable-powered ferries. In recent years it has also diversified into inland work, including the design of shallow draft ferries for river and lake usage as well as a number of specialized craft, including dredges, work barges and tugs, for employment in the Alberta Oil Sands development. Currently in progress are projects involving an auxiliary landing craft for Antarctic service, an oil spill recovery barge for East Coast deployment, a large bucket wheel dredger for Saudi Arabia and a number of cable ferries for river and lake crossings in British Columbia’s interior and the Prairie Provinces.
A Commute’s Inspiration
Mark Mulligan, partner and senior naval architect for Capilano Maritime, remembers well the “inspiration” that brought about the creation of the company – as well as its name. In 2007 both Mark and Chris were employees of the well-known tugboat designer located in Vancouver, a rather long and congested commute from Capilano Road where both gentlemen commuted from each day. While stuck in traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge one evening, the thought arose of having their own business in North Vancouver that would eliminate the long commute – and what better name to call it than “Capilano”. Although their work was rewarding in a lot of ways, Mark and Chris realized that there was a growing demand locally for tugs, barges, workboats and small ferries, as the older generations of these vessels were due to be retired.
Work Barges
Although thoughts of home-based offices were at first envisioned by both men, their wives were adamant that this was not going to happen. The alternative was renting a small furnished office in North Vancouver that quickly proved inadequate as barge orders streamed in following an inaugural contract with Seaspan that called for the design of four 80-meter-long units to be built in China. The success of this venture, and a close working relationship established with several small but specialized Chinese shipyards, brought about more barge work. Eventually, and in collaboration with Vancouver’s well known Seabridge Marine Contractors, over 20 barges of several different lengths and configurations were designed and built for both West Coast and East Coast deployment. These included the company’s 73-metre to 110-metre Skeena class and 34-meter to 75-metre Hebron class deck barges, Squamish class chip barges featuring high bin walls, as well as the 55-metre Seymour class split-hopper barges used for disposal work by Vancouver Pile Driving Ltd.
First Ferries
In 2009 a diversification into ferry boats was made when Capilano Maritime partnered with Alaska Ship and Drydock (today Vigor Alaska) to design a new 23-car ferry to serve the Ketchikan Airport in southern Alaska. Collaborating with the builder, Capilano furnished the contract design package for the 35.5-meter by 14.6-meter vessel as well as full CAD production model and drawings along with technical assistance. Experience gained in this project led to two further ferry contracts, one involving a 27.6-meter by 9.9-meter open deck cable ferry for the Marine Division of Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, which will enter service later this year near Norway House, Manitoba, and a multiple cable ferry contract for Waterbridge Steel Inc. of British Columbia for inland lake and river service. The latter vessels, for which Capilano is providing functional and production design services as well as quality management, will consist of two 9-vehicle and two 24-vehicle vessels to be built by Waterbridge Steel at Nakusp, B.C. for service on Upper Arrow Lake, Adams Lake, Kootenay Lake and the Kootenay River.
Powerful Tugboats
In 2010 a major project for the company in the tugboat sector opened when Portland, Oregon-based Shaver Transportation requested design work for a new ship-assist vessel to be used on the Columbia River where several new terminals were being planned. A compact powerful tug was required with a high degree of flexibility. The result was a 24.4-meter by 11-meter boat completed by Portland’s Diversified Marine in 2012 that incorporated a propulsion system consisting of two MTU/diesel engines driving through twin Schottel azimuthing thrusters to give a bollard pull of 60.8 metric tonnes. Christened Sommer S, the vessel was delivered in mid-2012 and has since been working steadily on the Columbia and Willamette rivers. Known as Capilano’s Columbia class, the tug design can be built in several sizes from 24 to 32 meters and with 60 to 90 tonnes of bollard depending upon machinery selection. It has since been followed by the smaller Capilano class, from 12 to 28 meters in length with an installed power range of 1200 to 2800 BHP, and the larger Kitimat class escort tug that can be used for long distance service escorting oil and LNG tankers. This later vessel can be powered by dual fuel engines giving a bollard pull of 110 tonnes and a free running speed of 14 knots. At the other end of the company’s portfolio are a series of smaller shallow draft tugboats and workboats designed for inland use, including a 13.5-meter tug designed for Manitoba Hydro that was delivered in 2015 by Ocean Industries in Quebec City, Quebec, and two 10.5-metre workboats designed for Canadian Natural Resources and built in 2015 by Hike Metal Products in Wheatley, Ontario.
Design Innovation
Capilano Maritime has been introducing its designs to solve problems it sees arising in the industry. In 2014 Capilano designers noticed a need for safer tugboats for shallow water work, particularly after the loss of several older vessels of this class. To give operators an idea of what was possible, a replacement design was drawn up that, although conventional in both appearance and propulsion, features increases in freeboard and beam to give greater stability as well as wider side decks for ease of movement and more room in the accommodation and machinery spaces. The 15 by 6.2 meter vessel also incorporates a flush decked hull, with twin chines, and a long “shark fin” skeg to give directional stability. Four transverse watertight bulkheads divide the hull into compartments while fendering is provided all around, with concentrations at the bows and stern for barge pushing and log sorting, an innovative configuration that combines significant safety features with a strong hull having a high degree of maneuverability.
Services Offered
Today, after several relocations as business has continued to grow, Capilano Maritime is located at 110 – 18 Gostick Place in North Vancouver and its work force now numbers 14. Six of its ten technical staff are Professional Engineers while another four are Engineers in Training. This has allowed the company’s scope of work to steadily expand from design and architectural services, to stability assessment and analysis, survey and inspection, engineering and procurement support, marine accident investigation, marine heavy-lift operations and general marine consulting, making up a well-rounded firm with very strong design and analytical capabilities.
All in all, even though the little company was started in the 2007-08 economic depression, Chris and Mark are well satisfied with the development and direction of Capilano Maritime Design Ltd.