Crewboats

Offshore Vessel News Roundup | September 12 – Norwegian and Dutch cable-layers, UK hybrid crewboat and a recyclable workboat

Baird Maritime

Deliveries include a cable-lay vessel for a Dutch operator and two crewboats for separate customers in the UK. Construction has meanwhile begun on a new cable-lay vessel for a Norwegian owner.

Van Oord takes delivery of cable-layer

Photo: Van Oord

Van Oord has taken delivery of a new cable-laying vessel built by Norwegian shipyard Vard.

Calypso will be operated in support of offshore wind farm construction activities.

In addition to the cable carousel on the main deck, a second cable carousel is fitted below the main deck. The two carousels have a total capacity of 8,000 tonnes.

Calypso will mainly be deployed to install inter-array grid and export cables including high-voltage direct current cables. Van Oord's cable trenchers can also be operated from the vessel.

HST Marine to welcome new locally-developed hybrid crewboat to fleet

Photo: Diverse Marine

UK-based HST Marine will soon acquire a new catamaran crewboat following the completion of final sea trials.

HST Millie was built by Diverse Marine to a design by Chartwell Marine. The vessel's hybrid propulsion system is fitted with selective catalytic reduction systems to reduce NOx and SOx emissions in compliance to IMO Tier III regulations.

The crewboat's equipment includes two Furuno radars, a rotating thermal camera, and a knuckle boom crane for loading and unloading of cargo.

UK startup delivers workboat built with recyclable composite material

Photo: ExoTechnologies

UK marine technology startup ExoTechnologies, via its Ultimate Boats boatbuilding division in Glasgow, has handed over a new workboat to local floating turbine manufacturer Orbital Marine Power.

Named Straumr, the vessel has a length of 11 metres, space for eight people, and a hull built from ExoTechnologies' proprietary composite material. The hull design meanwhile allows the boat to move more quickly and more efficiently in the water, creating a more stable movement with less slamming impact and greater fuel savings.

The boat will be used to transport engineers to Orbital Marine Power's floating tidal turbine off Orkney.

First steel cut for new cable-lay vessel for Norway's Agalas

Photo: Sefine Shipyard

Turkey's Sefine Shipyard recently cut the first steel to be used for the construction of a new cable-laying vessel ordered by Norwegian offshore installation company Agalas.

The vessel will also be used for trenching, inspection, repair, and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) support.

Upon completion, the vessel will have an LOA of 99.9 metres, a moulded beam of 21 metres, a maximum draught of 7.5 metres, and an active heave-compensated crane with a 70-tonne capacity. A hybrid dual-fuel propulsion system will include diesel/methanol engines and a battery pack.

Design work on the vessel will comply with DNV class requirements.