I have been designing, building and repairing welded aluminum boats for 35 years. During that time frame, I have owned two aluminum boat manufacturing companies that have designed and constructed over 900 vessels up to 46 feet in length, not to mention the hundreds of hull and structural repairs we have done to existing aluminum vessels. I have been involved in modification and repairs to both the Point Henry and Point Race over their 30 years of service.
I believe that neither of these vessels have reached their service life span and both are in good condition mechanically and structurally. I would be interested to know if the Canadian Coast Guard has any reports by qualified marine personnel stating that these vessels are, in fact, structurally or mechanically unfit for continued service.
There are approximately 3,000 to 4,000 aluminum vessels currently being used in commercial applications on the West Coast of Canada. Many of these vessels have been built in the 1970s and 1980s and are still in good structural condition with many years of service left in them. I believe this to be the case with the 30-year-old Point Henry and Point Race. The truth is that the government...(is) removing boats with a good service life left in them and claiming they have come to the end of their service life. The 47’ers do not have the range, accommodations or suitability for the extended searches or patrols the Point Henry and Point Race currently have.
Steve Daigle, Daigle Welding and Marine Ltd.