VESSEL REVIEW | Stanford Pelican – UAE operator adds crewboat pair to oil and gas support fleet

UAE-based offshore support operator Stanford Marine has taken delivery of two new fast crewboats in a series built by sister company Grandweld Shipyards.

Named Stanford Pelican and Stanford Harrier, the vessels utilise an existing Grandweld base crewboat design that has already become proven for operations in the harsh offshore waters of the Persian Gulf with a number of owners in the Middle East. These newbuilds will join 10 earlier Grandweld-built vessels in the Stanford Marine fleet.

The new crewboats each have all-aluminium construction, an LOA of 42 metres, a beam of 7.3 metres, a draught of 1.82 metres, a depth of 3.5 metres, and space for 14 crewmembers and up to 80 technicians. The large aft deck on each vessel has an area of 110 square metres and can transport up to 90 tonnes of assorted payloads. The crew benefit from a wheelhouse with an ergonomic helm station layout and improved 360-degree visibility.

The crewboats are each powered by three 1,081kW engines driving five-bladed fixed-pitch propellers to deliver a service speed of 26 knots while Grandweld's proprietary hydrodynamically foiled rudders and two 55kW bow thrusters provide enhanced manoeuvrability. Two 86kW generators are also fitted.

Stanford Pelican and Stanford Harrier are registered under the flag of Panama and will be made available for charter by clients in the oil and gas market in the Gulf region. The crewboats have since replaced two older, similarly named vessels in the Stanford Marine fleet.