South Boats Launches Its 52nd Offshore Wind Farm Vessel

South Boats Special Projects Ltd. announced the launch and commissioning of its 52nd offshore wind farm crew transfer vessel, ‘Abersoch Bay’ to Turbine Transfers Ltd.

Designed as a technology demonstration vessel to ‘live test’ new solutions for the industry, ‘Abersoch Bay’ incorporates equipment that will be fitted as standard to the new range of South Boats vessels including the 19m, 24m and 28m.

‘Abersoch Bay’ is the 11th in the South Catamaran 18m Wind Farm Support Vessel series and the 7th to be built and certified to DNV class rules. New developments include, a ‘soft mounted’ superstructure, anti-noise and vibration paint coatings, modular outfit, next generation bow fendering, wind turbine generators and PV panels for battery charging and reduced dependency on engine alternators, which reduces fuel consumption. Also fitted is a full LED light package reducing electrical demand, next generation integrated bridge with integrated electronic circuit breakers and full vector control system.

The ‘Abersoch Bay’ has an LOA of 19.1m, Beam of 7.3m, Draught of 1.1m and a lightship displacement of 40 tonnes. The vessel is configured with a central superstructure with forward wheelhouse providing a forward deck capable of carrying up to 8 tonnes of construction and O&M equipment.

Powered by twin MTU 8V2000M72 965mhp diesel engines and coupled to Ultra Dynamics UJ575 water jet units the vessel achieved a sprint speed of nearly 26 knots and is capable of cruising at speeds 24 knots (90% MCR) in arrival condition. A sophisticated hydraulics system driven by both ZF3000 gearboxes powers a 5 bar 30,000 litre per hour fire pump, 1.5 tonne hydraulic capstan, clutched and braked anchor spool winch, 210 bar 30 litre per minute pressure washer system and a 3.5tm3 8 bar fuel transfer system as well as having provision for a Palfinger PK6500 deck crane and Houlder’s TAS system.

The integrated system offers full redundancy from two supplies. An ONAN 13.5kW 230V AC generator set supplies power to the vessels ring main and AC services. The vessel has been independently surveyed and noise levels at full power were recorded as 57dBA in the passenger saloon and 54dBA in the wheelhouse, making this vessel one of the very quietest ever built and certainly a newbenchmark for this sector.

This latest generation vessel has a totally reworked interior arrangement with the entrance door forward to stbd into a changing and storage lobby incorporating a hanging area. In the saloon there are four South KPM shock mitigating suspension crew seats to port, arranged as two rows of two facing with a table and integrated floor plinths with immersion suit and lifejacket stowage. To stbd are eight further Cleeman suspension crew seats arranged as two rows of three seats and one row of two seats, with a work table for each row. Full satellite and 3G wireless internet is available throughout and a triple screen entertainment system is fitted with TV/DVD and forward looking cameras. Aft is a separate Galley area andintegrated ships workshop and electrical lockers.

The wheelhouse features the first South Boats Integrated Bridge, developed with MAP and Boat Electrics & Electronics using extensive BONING equipment. The full MED approved equipment pack includes twin Furuno Radars, full ECDIS, FLIR thermal imaging camera, 10 channel recording CCTV, Satellite Compass, Class A AIS, twin Class A DSC VHF Radio’s, HF Radio and Iridium Openport. The integrated bridge features full SCAMS (ship control and monitoring system) allowing the skipper to select what is displayed on the five 19” displays using one of the twin ‘I-Drive’ style controllers. The bridge has heated forward screens to eliminate misting and overhead windows to give clear view of the transition piece. All windows are fully double glazed to eliminate condensation and provide the technicians with clear visibility out of the vessel, whilst free standing air intake and air extraction systems for the machinery spaces and high tech anti-noise and vibration flooring further minimise noise and vibration to the passenger saloon areas.

South Boats continues to build 25 wind farm crew transfer vessels per annum and the new generation 16m, 17m, 19m, 24m and 28m designs are now populating the range, with those not yet started coming on line over the next few months.

All of the new generation vessels feature modular superstructures, integrated systems, options for secondary access systems and new bow fender system. With 5 years experiencing building 52 wind farm vessels for 15 operators and having worked on over 25 projects, there is no doubt that South Boats catamarans remain the vessel of industry choice.

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Offshore Nieuws Staff , February 17, 2012;  Image: southboats