VESSEL REVIEW | DMS Snipe – Renewables support workboat built for Arabian Gulf

Damen Marine Services (DMS), the vessel charter division of Netherlands-based the Damen Shipyards Group, recently took delivery of a new shallow-draught workboat to be used for marine construction support, offshore services, dredging, and anchor handling.

Built by Albwardy Damen in the UAE, DMS Snipe will be made available by DMS for charter hire, either fully crewed or bareboat, in support of customers in the Arabian Gulf.

DMS Snipe has a length of 32.8 metres, a moulded beam of approximately 12.5 metres, and a maximum draught of 2.2 metres, making it suitable for operation in near-shore areas as well as in offshore waters. To perform its various intended duties, the workboat is fitted with two Heila deck cranes, a Kraaijeveld anchor winch, towing pins, and an open deck with an area of 200 square metres.

The vessel is powered by three Caterpillar C18 main engines driving Promarin 1,600mm fixed-pitch propellers via Reintjes WF370 gearboxes. The main propulsion produces a combined 1,599 kW at 2,100 rpm to deliver a bollard pull of 25 tonnes and a speed of 10 knots.

Damen said the vessel was built to a new class of workboat with an engine room ready to be upgraded to meet IMO Tier III compliance with regard to emissions reductions. This is ensured by having the necessary pipework, foundations, and other preliminary equipment ready in position for upgrades in the future. Once IMO Tier III standards are fully enforced in the Gulf region, Damen will equip the vessel with a proprietary marine NOx reduction system complete with urea tanks and selective catalytic reduction units.

The onboard electronics include two Pesch searchlights, two Furuno radars, a Cassens and Plath magnetic compass, a Simrad autopilot, Jotron and Sailor VHF radios, and an Anschutz gyrocompass. These draw power from two Caterpillar C4.4 86ekW generators.

The nine-strong crew are meanwhile housed in air-conditioned accommodation spaces consisting of three single cabins and three double cabins. Other onboard facilities include sanitary spaces and a galley/mess.

DMS Snipe is already serving its first charter contract by supporting the dredging operations of an undisclosed Gulf customer up to the third quarter of 2023.

Design work on DMS Snipe was done in compliance to Bureau Veritas class rules.

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