OPM Featured in the Campbell River Mirror

Ocean Pacific Marine was featured in the Campbell River Mirror!

New oil spill response vessel takes to the water.

Ship was prepared for action at Ocean Pacific Marine in Campbell River.

The nation’s newest measure for keeping our coast clean is back in the water.

The G.M. Penman is a 65-foot spill response vessel – the first of at least five new skimming vessels that will reside on our coast to respond to marine emergencies involving fuel or oil spills.

The Penman is owned and operated by Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC), which already has 40 response vessels in the water on our coast, but this new one is something special. It’s the first in a complete redesign of the fleet, according to WCMRC communications manager Michael Lowry.

The company has a lot of watercraft that specialize in spill response, Lowry says, “and they’re not really identifiable out on the water. We’ve recognized that it’s important for people to know that there are spill response boats out there and what they’re doing – whether it’s training or an actual response – so all of our boats are being repainted to meet those specs and our new boats are getting that white, orange and blue to make them identifiable.”

Bruce Kempling owner of Ocean Pacific Marine Supply & Boatyard is equally proud of the work his team did getting the vessel ready to set sail.

“We did the sandblasting and painting the hull, putting zinc annodes on and all the numbers on the side for the draft marks” says Kempling as he watches his team move the giant, remote-controlled boat lift into position around the vessel before it’s moved down to the water.

It was about a month worth of work for them to get it ready to hit the water. “It’ll be an impressive looking thing when it’s out there on the water, that’s for sure,” Kempling says.

We’d like to thank the Campbell River Mirror and writer Mike Davies for their interest in Ocean Pacific Marine. Learn more about the G.M. Penman project.

New oil spill response vessel takes to the water

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