Offshore Systems - Commercial Customer

“Today, Offshore Systems' technology on our ships has evolved to something that was nice to have, to equipment that is a must to have.”

Kirk Jones
Director, Marketing & Transportation Services
Canada Steamship Lines Inc.

Canada Steamship Lines, which is owned 100% by the CSL Group, specializes in dry-bulk shipping in the domestic market, primarily on the Great Lakes and St-Lawrence Seaway.

Project Profile
Canada Steamship Lines and Offshore Systems have shared a strong partnership since the early 1990s. In 1993, Canada Steamship Lines made ECPINS® their fleet standard for electronic navigation, a standard which continues today.

The decision to implement ECPINS allowed Canada Steamship Lines greater ability to navigate safely on the Great Lakes. In many areas where the company operates, the waterways are restricted and shallow making operations challenging in even the best conditions.

By having ECPINS’ real-time accurate navigation picture, Canada Steamship Lines can navigate safely in a wider range of areas. This extends not only to areas in which other ships may not be able to operate, but also during events such as the removal of seasonal navigation aids prior to winter freeze-up. This gives Canada Steamship Lines a competitive advantage by being able to operate longer and transport greater amounts of cargo than its competitors.

The partnership with Canada Steamship Lines was demonstrated again in 2004-2005 with the co-development of enhanced ECPINS functionality. This functionality added the application of real-time ship squat data when ships are underway. As well, a further function was developed to incorporate the inclusion of real-time water level information being transmitted via AIS transmissions or manual user entry.

Finally, ECPINS was enhanced to display and interrogate High Resolution Bathymetric charts of critical navigation areas. Very detailed information about bottom contours is available to provide the best information for navigation in these critical areas.

Canada Steamship Lines currently has ECPINS systems installed on all 14 ships operating on the Great Lakes and four ships operating in the coastal waters of North America.