Aluminium Marine Consultants (AMC) celebrated its acquisition of ISO 9001 quality management certification in June by placing four High Speed Support Vessels (HSSV) under build simultaneously in its new Isle of Wight UK building hall.
By mid-June, the hull of the first 21 m vessel for wind farm industry service provider Cwind was up to the gunwales, plating was underway on a second 21m craft and work had just started on both 23 m HSSVs in the four vessel order. Concurrent wheel house and cabin production was also underway. The newbuilds represent a departure from CWind’s previously exclusive use of composite hulled wind farm service vessels.
The 21 m symmetric hull catamarans, which are being built to MCA classification Category 2, first of which is due for launch in December and to be handed over to CWind by the end of this year. This new generation of high efficiency vessels has been designed in-house. Adding yet another dimension to AMC’s emergence as a ‘one stop shop’ vessel provider, financing can now be delivered in-house via packages provided by Peter Curtis with Daniel Stewart and Company.
The identical 21m vessels feature MTU V10 engines powering Rolls-Royce waterjets for an anticipated top speed of 29 knots. The beam is 7.7 m and the craft have a maximum draft of only 1.35 m. Equipped for a crew of three and with seating for 12 technicians in transit. The vessels will be capable of safe personnel transfer in 1.5 m significant wave height conditions in all directions, with a provision for a Palfinger PK8501M B knuckleboom crane set forward to port will expedite cargo transfer.
The 23 m catamarans are Category 1 boats classed by Bureau Veritas. Again primarily intended for use as wind farm support vessels, they also have capability for dive and survey ROV operations either overboard or through a moonpool.
Twin MTU engines, again driving Rolls-Royce waterjets, will take the craft to an anticipated 28 knots.
The main deck has been designed to take a load of 1.50t/m2. With Container sockets having been designed into the structure on the fore and aft deck to accommodate a 10’ container, plus a 20’ container on the bow. The superstructure is built as a separate structure resiliently mounted to the main deck using flexible mounts. Measuring some 9m long by 5.6m wide, it is insulated to permit noise levels not exceeding 65 dB(A) in sea state 2 at 24 knots. These two vessels are due to enter service in the second quarter of 2016.
With AMC ever striving to enhance quality control, the company’s commercial director Rob Stewart said the yard’s certification to ISO 14001 and 18001 were both anticipated by the end of July 2015.
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