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TECHNICAL PROBLEMS with Versatile Pacific Ship-
yards’ Henry Larsen icebreaker have stalled delivery of the
$92 million vessel until late spring of 1988, and a lack of
any current shipbuilding contracts has reduced the
workforce at the company’s North Vancouver yard to less
than 100 tradesmen.

The 327-foot Henry Larsen,
built by Versatile, was originally
scheduled to be delivered to the
Canadian Coast Guard in July to
provide icebreaking support to
shipping in the eastern Canadian
Arctic during summer months and
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during
the winter, but problems in the

vessel's shafting system = en-
countered prior to sea trials in late
June forced delay of the scheduled
delivery by one month.

In September, the Type 1200
Polar Class 4 icebreaker's four

he
Ramee hy

Pitts

power transformers were found to
be defective. Replacement units
have since been ordered from the
eastern Canadian company that
was subcontracted by Canadian
General Electric to supply the
transformers. The cost will be
borne by the supplier.

Versatile president David Alsop
suid Thursday the additional delay
in the icebreaker'’s delivery is a
disappointment to all concerned.

“No one is happy with it,”
Alsop said. ‘We're not. The coast
guard’s not. But there is nothing
we could have done to anticipate
this. We pride ourselves on deliver-

Business . .
Christmas News... 33
Classified Ads... ..63

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INDEX

Editorial Page...... 6
Fashion..........
What's Going On... 60
Lifestyles..........47

Tha

Mailbox.........
Sports..........
TV Listings......
Travel... 2.000.

.25

NEWS photo Tom Burley

n. Leaves blow into his yard regularly froin

ing on time, and we would have
delivered on time if this had not
happened.”’

The ship, designed by German &
Milne of Montreal, was built on
schedule by Versatile’s North Van-
couver and Victoria yards,

Transport Canada spokesman
Stephen Ryback said Friday the
further delay in delivery of the
Henry Larsen ‘‘will create some
havoc with programming of
vessels. They (the coast guard) will
be able to provide the normal level
of service, but it will mean some
juggling of the available ships in
the region.”’

The Henry Larsen, which will be
the coast guard’s third largest
icebreaker, will be based in Dart-
mouth, Nova Scotia and have a
crew of 72,

Alsop added that the unforeseen
deiay in delivering the Henry
Larsen would have no effect on the
company’s preparations to build
the $350 million Polar Class 8
icebreaker, awarded to Versatile
and its Vancouver partner, Sand-
well Swan Wooster Inc., by the
federal government in August.

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