25th Volume, No.

07 1963 – “60 years tugboatman” – 2023 Dated 24 January 2024

Buying, Sales, New building, Renaming and other Tugs Towing & Offshore Industry News
Distribution twice a week 21.150+

MIDWEEK–EDITION

TUGS & TOWING NEWS

S HIPYARD LAUNCHES TUGBOAT AND EXPANDS OPERATIONS IN THE

SHIPBUILDING MARKET
Inter XVIII vessel marks the
beginning of INC's tug line
The rain that fell on Thursday
morning did not prevent the
Estaleiro Indústria Naval
Catarinense (INC), in
Navegantes, from carrying out
the baptism and launch of the
multipurpose tugboat Inter
XVIII. The vessel was designed
and fully developed at the
Santa Catarina shipyard, took
eight months to complete and
is considered a high-power tug.
Now the equipment will undergo a battery of tests in the water and will then continue sailing to
Guaratuba, on the coast of Paraná, where it should operate for the next two years. The Inter XVIII is
20.9 meters long, has a molded beam of 6.5 meters, 3.13 meters in depth, 109 gross tonnage and two
engines of 829 HP each. The director of the INC shipyard, Josuan Moraes Júnior, explains that the tug
is an order from the Internacional Marítima holding, the shipyard's controller, and that after
operations in Paraná the vessel will enter the market to carry out ocean, port and waterway tows.
“This tug is the first built at the shipyard. However, INC's technical staff has the expertise acquired in
the construction of more than 100 tugboats in other shipyards”, explains Josuan. The director says
that, in addition to this first tug for the Internacional Marítima group, the company already has other
budgets in place and is in negotiations with shipowners for the construction of new tugs, adding this
new market segment to the shipyard's portfolio. “This vessel marks the beginning of the INC tugboat
line”, he celebrates. The baptism ceremony had journalist Samara Toth Vieira as godmother and
blessing from Father Pedro Daboit. Expertise The INC has been operating for around six years on the
left bank of the Itajaí-Açu river, in the Volta Grande neighborhood, and generates an average of 130
direct jobs between its own and outsourced labor. The shipyard has the main local suppliers and
service providers, which guarantees the movement of the entire shipbuilding cluster in the region.
The industry has the capacity to process up to 200 tons of steel per month and has now also started
producing aluminum vessels. It is also a reference in the construction and repairs of service vessels
(workboats), speedboats for transporting passengers, as well as vessels supporting oil platforms and

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fishing boats. Bold projects And the INC starts the year with bold projects: it wants to build in 2024
two ferry boats with capacity for 80 vehicles and 1200 passengers (to operate in São Luis do
Maranhão), plus two ferry boats exclusively for trucks for the Salvador/Itaparica crossing , in Bahia. It
is also in negotiations to start the construction of barges to transport plasterboard, barges to transport
oil and bunker. Maintenance contracts are also the company's strong point. INC's expertise comes
from its controlling company, the Internacional Marítima holding, belonging to the Cantanhede
Participações business group. The company has more than 30 years of market and operations in
Maranhão, Pará, Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Santa Catarina. It holds concessions for
passenger, vehicle and cargo crossings. (Source: Sinaval)

Advertisement

N EW S TAGE V ENGINE FOR 47 YEAR OLD INLAND PUSHER TUG GYAS

Recently, the engine
installation of the 47-years
old inland pusher tug ‘Gyas’
has been completely
renewed. The old two-stroke
diesel engine has been
replaced by a Volvo D13-400
main engine. By investing in
this new stage V engine, the
Gyas is ready for many more
years of loyal service.
Advantages With the new
Stage V engine GYAS can not
only be operated significantly more efficiently and environmentally friendly. Also her capacities have
increased and the crew can benefit from a more pleasant working environment. Among others, the
new modern main engine results in: a decrease of installed power of 22%; a fuel reduction of over
30%; an increase in bollard pull of over 40%; a reduction of noise levels from 101 dBA to 68 dBA. The
inland shipping industry’s ambitions in the context of the Green Deal are significant, with the
ultimate ambition of virtually emission-free and climate-neutral inland shipping by 2050. The new EU
Stage V legislation plays an important role in realising this ambition. Marc Mazereeuw, director for
Wagenborg Towage: “We see that more and more ports, clients and contractors are demanding
cleaner ships to be able to do the work. For this reason, we have opted to invest in making the Gyas
greener." Modernizing the GYAS was not the first ‘veteran’ tugboat to be brought up to date. In 2021,
the 52-year old WATERPOORT received a so-called Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) system. This

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system reduces nitrogen emissions by 85% up to stage V level. (PR)

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D EEP - SEATUG “BVT F ORMIDABLE ” LEFT B REMERHAVEN FOR

RECYCLING IN D ENMARK

The tug has been in use for

various shipping companies
around the world for the past 45
years. The smaller ocean-going
tug “BVT Formidable” (55 t
bollard pull) has been docked in
the fishing port in Bremerhaven
for over a year. Because
drivetrain damage that could no
longer be repaired brought an
abrupt end to the last owner, the
maritime service provider BVT
Chartering, which is part of the
Rönner Group. Early on
Wednesday morning (01/17/23), the Danish tug “Server” from the shipping company NH Towage
(formerly Svendborg Bugser) hooked the blue tug and set course for the North Sea with the draining
water. The destination port is the Danish port city of Esbjerg, where the tug is expected this weekend
for recycling at the certified recycling and trading company Smedegaarden. It has not yet been
clarified whether it will now necessarily be scrapped, says Arndt Lohner, managing director of BVT
Chartering. The Danish recycling company is initially trying to sell the robust tractor to a technically
experienced buyer. BVT Chartering acquired the tug four years ago, for example to transport
prefabricated steel sections for cruise ships on heavy-duty pontoons to the MV shipyards in
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. But due to the insolvency of MV Werften, this order came to a
standstill, says Lohner. There was hardly anything left to do for the tug, although BVT Chartering
had put a lot of work into the vehicle in advance. Originally built in 1979 by Richard Dunston in
Hessle, England as "Formidable" for the Alexandra Towing Company Ltd., Liverpool, it is a 35 m long
twin screw vessel powered by two Ruston 8RK main engines with a total of 3,520 hp, with a Bollard
pull of 55 tons and has an extremely fuel-efficient drive compared to modern Voith Schneider
tractors. The ocean-going tug was able to operate on long-haul routes worldwide within a range of
200 nautical miles along the coastline. It could also be used as a harbor and assistance tug. The
identical sister ship, the “Indomitable”, also built in 1979, is still sailing in Malta today as the

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“Seabuffalo”. As EUROSUND in the Bremerhaven Kaiserhafen in 2004, the tug operated under its
original name “Formidable” for Alexandra Towing until 2001, when the Danish tug shipping
company Svendborg Bugser A/S
from Svendborg acquired the ship
and painted it bright red under
the name “Eurosund “got going
again. Until 2013, the tug had
been on many successful trips
abroad for the Danish company.
The “Eurosund” traveled several
times in the Arabian Gulf, in the
United States and the Caribbean
as well as in Europe and Africa
and in Murmansk in the north of
Russia for various tasks. In 2013,
the tug was taken over by the new
Turkish owners via the company
Kiev Shipping #1 Trading
Corporation and put into operation under the name “Mignon”. According to current planning, there
will be no replacement at BVT Chartering for the now decommissioned “BVT Formidable”, but they
are considering purchasing a smaller inland tug with a bollard pull of around 10 tons for towing
within the port area, says Lohner. (Source: Weser Maritime News)

R OSMORPORT ' S ICEBREAKER FLOTILLA OPERATES IN 16 FREEZING

SEAPORTS

The icebreaker fleet of FSUE

"Rosmorport" provides
icebreaker support for ships in
the waters of 16 freezing
seaports of Russia and on the
approaches to them. Details are
provided in the company's
message dated January 19.
Among the icebreakers, the
work mentions the Moskva,
which arrived at the end of
December 2023 for duty at the
seaport of Magadan. Since the
beginning of the current winter
navigation period, the icebreaker has been guiding vessels to and from the waters of Nagaev Bay
using recommendations. Due to the current weather conditions, the icebreaker "Moskva" has not yet
carried out pilotage using the leading method. In the waters of the seaport of Vanino, icebreaker
assistance is traditionally provided by the icebreaker "Captain Khlebnikov", which performed the
first icebreaker assistance of this season in early January. In the Gulf of Finland, where the ice
navigation season opened in early December, 12 icebreakers of the enterprise were involved in work
in the seaports of Big Port St. Petersburg, Vyborg, Vysotsk, Primorsk and Ust-Luga. In the waters of
the Sea of Azov, where navigation restrictions due to established ice cover were introduced in mid-
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December, there are now 6 icebreakers and icebreaking tugs of the enterprise that provide convoys
of ships to the seaports of Yeisk, Azov, Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog. Icebreaker assistance along the
Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal to the seaports of Astrakhan and Olya has been carried out since
December last year by the icebreakers "Captain Chechkin", "Captain Metsayk" and "Captain
Bukaev". In the White Sea, in the waters of the seaport of Arkhangelsk, ships continue to be
escorted by the icebreakers "Kapitan Chadayev" and "Kapitan Evdokimov", which began work at the
end of November, and from the end of December the icebreaker "Novorossiysk" joined the escorts in
the White Sea. In total, the world's largest icebreaker fleet of FSUE "Rosmorport" currently includes
34 icebreakers and ice-class tugs. (Source: Sudostroenie; Photo: "Rosmorport")

Advertisement

B ALTI C W ORKBOATS IS BUI LDING A NEW MULTIPURPOSE WORKBOAT

FOR THE COUNTRY

On January 19, the

Riigilaevastik signed a
design and construction
contract for a new
workboat with the Estonian
company Baltic Workboats.
The 100% biomethane and
electricity-powered multi-
purpose work vessel will be
completed in 2026 and will
provide the country with
better capabilities for
regular buoy work,
waterway maintenance, modern scientific research, pollution control and rescue operations. The
cost of the new ship is 22 million euros. "We are very happy that Estonia's first large work vessel
operating on alternative fuel is being built right here in Estonia, in Saaremaa," commented Andres
Laasma, Director General of the State Navy, who won the tender. "Baltic Workboats' long-term
experience and internationally recognized strength in the construction of various workboats gives us
full confidence that the ship will be built according to the highest quality requirements and exactly
as needed in Estonian waters," added Laasma. The length of the new work vessel is approx. 40
meters, the width is approx. 10 meters and the maximum speed is up to 12 knots. The more precise
parameters of the ship will be revealed during the design process. The multi-purpose ship will be
Estonia's first 100% alternative fuel powered work ship, which uses sustainable biomethane as the

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main fuel, thanks to which it is possible to reduce the ship's CO2 emissions to a minimum. In
addition, the ship is equipped with a battery bank that allows the ship to be operated on electricity
for shorter periods, in zero-emission mode. According to Kaupo Läänerand, Deputy Chancellor of
Maritime Affairs and Water Environment of the Ministry of Climate, the construction of a modern
multi-purpose work vessel in Estonia will make a significant contribution to both regional
development and the country's maritime industry sector. "The ship was more expensive than
originally planned, but the investment money together with tax income and jobs will remain in
Estonia," said Läänerand. According to Margus Vanaselja, chairman of the board of Baltic
Workboats, the orders from the state are a model example of how the public sector and companies
can work together to promote the Estonian economy. "In the case of domestic orders, we perceive
the trust of the state and feel a special responsibility. The base developed specially for Estonia and
based on green technologies will later become a reference product for export markets," said
Vanaselja. The construction of the ship will last about 26 months and should be completed by the
end of the first quarter of 2026, according to the assumptions. The multi-purpose work vessel
replaces the float vessel Sektori, temporarily chartered from Finland. The operator and main user of
the new ship will be the State Navy. altic Workboats has long-term experience in building research
vessels and special purpose vessels. In 2023, a total of 17 ships were completed and they went to
Oman, Canada, Norway, Ukraine, Belgium, Bangladesh and Bulgaria. Over the entire 24 years of
operation of Baltic Workboats, more than 230 workboats of different sizes and functionalities have
been built. The cost of the design and construction contract for the multi-purpose ship is 22 million
euros. The project has been financed from the resources of the European Union's recovery fund
NextGenerationEU and national own funds. (Source: Riigilaevastik by Kristel Birch)

N IEUWE WEBSITE VOOR STOOMZEESLEEPBOOT F URI E

Met gepaste trots presenteert
stichting Hollands Glorie de
vernieuwde website van de Furie.
Deze website is de laatste stap in
de invoering van de nieuwe
huisstijl die Victor Kappelhof van
Bureau Zeker voor de Furie heeft
ontwikkeld. Een nieuwe site
boordevol leuke weetjes over het
schip, historische foto’s en mooie
verhalen van de bemanning.
Dame van een eeuw “Het was
best even puzzelen om de
hoeveelheid informatie die er is
over de Furie overzichtelijk in
een toegankelijke site te krijgen die uitnodigend en lekker leesbaar is,” aldus Kappelhof. “Gezien de
eerste enthousiaste reacties, zijn we daarin geslaagd. Ik denk dat we met deze nieuwe website en de
bijbehorende nieuwe folder de Furie in een mooie nieuwe jas hebben gestoken die de oude dame
waardig is. De site biedt een toekomstbestendige basis om komende jaren verder op door te kunnen
bouwen.” Secretaris van de stichting Veerle Vliegenthart beaamt dit. “De invoering van de nieuwe
huisstijl voor de Furie is met deze mooie website compleet. Naast de kleding van de bemanning,
hebben we intussen ook een nieuwe folder die dezelfde opmaak heeft als de site. We stralen aan alle

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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

kanten eenheid en herkenbaarheid uit en daar zijn we heel blij mee.” Benieuwd? Kom op
woensdagmiddag of zaterdag
gezellig langs aan boord en
haal de nieuwe folder op!
Zowel in de folder als op de
site staat hoe je heel
makkelijk Vriend van de
Furie kunt worden. Want,
alleen met een grote
Vriendenkring kunnen we de
Furie in uitstekende staat
houden. Door onze
geweldige Vrienden en onze
toegewijde bemanning blijft
deze prachtige oude dame in
de vaart. Kijk op onze nieuwe
site: www.furie.nl! Kijk ook
eens naar de fotoreportage op
YouTube video HIER (PR)

Advertisement

S EACONTRACTORS EXPANDS TUG AND WORKBOAT FLEET

Newbuilds and secondhand

vessels have extended the
capabilities of Dutch vessel
owner Seacontractors. In January
2024, Sea Olous, a Eurocarrier
2611 design workboat built by
Neptune Marine’s shipyard in the
Netherlands, joined the fleet. It
can operate in shallow water as it
has a draught of just 2.6 m, and
has a bollard pull of 34 tonnes, a
large working deck area and two
Heila deck cranes.
This vessel will be deployed to support marine construction work, offshore activities and vessel
towage when it is delivered. Seacontractors said it has an advanced propulsion system for enhanced
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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

manoeuvrability and stability, enabling precise positioning even in challenging conditions. This
includes main engines compliant with IMO Tier III emissions standards and for Bureau Veritas
notation ULEV for ultra-low emissions vessels. Sea Olous is a sister vessel of Eurocarrier Sea Eidum,
which was added to the Seacontractors fleet in June 2023 and has since worked in the Middle East
Gulf. In late Q4 2023, Seacontractors welcomed two 2013-built, 52-m anchor handling tugs, Sentosa
and Seraya, following their
purchase from a third party.
These Bureau Veritas-classed
tugs have a bollard pull of 120
tonnes, a FiFi-1 fire-fighting
system and other emergency
response capabilities, capacity
for 860 m3 of fuel,
accommodation for 24 workers
and a deck space of 200 m2.
They can be used for single and
double towing, pushing, anchor
handling and recovery, rig
assistance, salvage, wreck
removal, ship escorting and cargo transport. According to automatic identification system data, Seraya
was mobilised to Setubal, Portugal, and Sentosa was sailing to Cabinda, Angola in early January 2024
after both spent time in Dutch ports during Q4 2023. Seacontractors has a fleet of 25 anchor handling
tugs and multipurpose vessels with bollard pull ranging 16 tonnes to 120 tonnes. (Source: Riviera by
Martyn Wingrove; Photo: Sea Olous Frits van der Hoek; Photo: Seraya Marcel & Ruud Coster-
Shipspotting )

D AMEN :
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DESIGN AND BUILD AN AWARD - WINNING
ELECTRIC TUG

After accepting awards for

designing and building the
most innovative tug in 2022 at
International Tug & Salvage
(ITS) Awards, Damen has
expanded its strategy to become
a leading builder of electric
tugs. Damen built Sparky, ITS
Tug of the Year 2022, for Ports
of Auckland, New Zealand at
the Damen Song Cam shipyard
in Vietnam as a fully electric
reverse stern drive (RSD) tug. It
handles and docks ships producing no emissions in New Zealand’s main port using its onboard
Toshiba lithium-ion batteries. Sparky was built to Damen’s RSD-E 2513 design with two Caterpillar
C32 back-up generators and two Kongsberg US 255 azimuth L drives, an Echandia power
management system and Damen’s Triton remote monitoring module. Since then, Damen has used the
experience from building Sparky to construct a series of fully electric tugs. The company tells Riviera
Maritime Media five more of these RSD-E 2513 tugs will be completed in 2024 and a new style of
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electric tug will be designed. Damen anticipates the next fully electric RSD-E 2513 tug to be
delivered to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges (ITS Ports and Harbour of the Year Award 2022 winner) in
Q3 2024 following commissioning and sea trials in Vietnam. Another electric-hybrid tug will be built
for Boluda Towage (ITS Tug Owner of the Year 2022) in 2024 or 2025 and more of these tugs will be
ready for owners to purchase for emissions-free towage from Q3 2024. “We have worked on a new
fully electric tug design, which will be announced soon,” said Damen. “We have updated the
electrical components to achieve a higher power output in a smaller size system,” the company said.
“We are continuously monitoring the development of new batteries as well as the ability for high-
power charging.” (Source: Riviera by Martyn Wingrove)

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F RENCH WORK BOAT VISI TING

On Wednesday, January 17, the

JIF Marlin moored at the Acta
Jifmar shipyard in the
Koopvaardersbinnenhaven. The
French workboat from Jifmar
Offshore Services, also the new
owner of Acta Marine, had come
to Den Helder from IJmuiden.
The JIF Marlin is a so-called
Eurocarrier 2712 delivered in
2017 by the Neptun Shipyard in
Aalst. The work boat has a 138
square meter working deck and a
bollard pull of 37 tons and can be
used for a range of activities. Her home port is Marseille. (Source: www.maritiemdenhelder.eu)

ACCIDENTS – SALVAGE NEWS

5 PEOPLE ON THE CAPSIZED F I SHING BOAT WERE RESCUED

5 people were rescued from the fishing boat that capsized due to adverse waves in Sakarya's Karasu
district. The 14-meter boat belonging to Sultan Murat Özden, who returned from mussel hunting in
the Black Sea, fell sideways due to the reverse wave called soluğun in Yeni Mahalle location. Captain
Özden and his crew of 4 climbed onto the boat with their own means and asked for help from the
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surrounding fishing boats. It was learned that the 5 people rescued by other fishermen were in good
health. Atilla Bıçakcı, President
of Karasu Fisheries Cooperative,
told reporters that the boat full
of mussels was caught in a
reverse wave due to the
shallowness of the pier entrance
at the junction of the sea and the
Sakarya River. Bıçakcı stated
that the breakwater had to be
extended, the boats were
constantly in danger and the
fishermen were not safe, and
that their only consolation was
that there was no loss of life in
the incident. Karasu Yeni
Neighborhood Headman Ali
Beyaz stated that 5 people on the boat were rescued without injury and said that a shelter and
breakwater should be built in the area. Meanwhile, Coast Guard Command teams restricted boat
entry and exit to the area where the Sakarya River flows into the sea. (Source: Deniz Haber)

USCG R EMOVES D IESEL A ND E NGINE O IL F RO M S UNKEN WWII- ERA

M ILITARY T UGBOAT
The U.S. Coast Guard and
commercial salvors from
Parker Diving and Salvage
have successfully
collaborated to remove
petroleum products and
hazardous pollutants from
the sunken WWII-era
military tugboat Mazapeta.
A Unified Command
oversaw the operation. The
ship sank northwest of
Stockton in Little Potato
Slough in the San Joaquin Delta on September 4, 2023. It was carrying about 1,600 gallons of diesel
and engine oil. Throughout the weekend, Parker Diving and Salvage used a crane barge and
dewatering pumps as part of a complete salvage operation. The crew elevated, sealed, and dewatered
the Mazapeta, allowing for the extraction of approximately 26,000 gallons of oily water combination
and 593 gallons of petroleum product. Furthermore, dangerous materials like batteries were removed
from the ship without any issue. The Unified Command, which included representatives from the
San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill
Prevention and Response, and the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, worked together smoothly
to monitor the operation. The City of Stockton now has custody of the Mazapeta after the petroleum
removal activities were finished. Intending to transport the vessel to Vallejo for ultimate disposal, the
city is collaborating closely with salvage contractors to remove the vessel from the waterway. For this
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reason, the Coast Guard has approved a dead ship tow plan. Before being sunk last year, the Mazapeta
had been lying in Little Potato Slough for several years. It had a long service history as a Navy yard
tug, dating back to its construction in 1942–1943. Concerns about pollution were raised by the ship’s
sinking, which led to a collaborative effort to successfully mitigate the environmental threats and
public safety posed by the submerged tugboat. (Source: Marine Insight; Reference: USCG)

I N P ONZA ,
A STROMY SEA , THE FERRY AT THE MERCY OF THE WAVES
RISKS CAPSIZING

Moments of terror for the

passengers of the Quirino ferry,
which left at 9am from Formia
and headed to Ponza. Upon
arrival in port, a series of
powerful waves caused by the
east wind suddenly hit the ship,
causing it to tilt and wobble
fearfully and compromising its
docking. From the coast some
even feared that she would capsize. Great fear but no injuries among the 37 passengers or crew
members. However, a series of cars that were parked in the hold of the ferry were seriously damaged
because, as reconstructed by the Coast Guard, a commercial vehicle overturned due to the shaking
and damaged three cars and two vans that were nearby. Coast Guard checks on the ferry Once the
most critical phase was over, the ferry then arrived in port . Investigations on the ship began
immediately afterwards. The Coast Guard ruled out structural damage to the ferry as a result of the
incident and, after having verified that the unit complied with the statutory certificates and in
compliance with the regulations protecting navigation safety, allowed it to leave for Formia . In short,
just a bad quarter of an hour caused by wind and waves. (Source: Palermolive)

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T ANKER G ETS S TUCK I N B OSPHO RUS H ALTING T RAFFIC I N B OTH

D IRECTIONS
Ship traffic in Türkiye’s Bosphorus was temporarily suspended on Sunday morning after one ship
blocked traffic in the Bosphorus Strait. On Sunday, January 21, in the morning, navigation through
the Bosphorus was suspended due to an incident with the Liberian-flagged tanker “Peria.” Due to the
emergency, the traffic suspended through the strait in both directions until the tanker was towed to
safety. The authority didn’t provide more details about the cause of the incident. The Türkiye’s

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general directorate of coastal safety (KEGM) announced on X that ship traffic across the Bosphorus
was temporarily suspended in
both directions due to problems
of the tanker Peria, which was
traveling from Russia to Izmir.
The statement also clarifies that
the ship in the Bosphorus is
being assisted using tugs and
rescue boats. Officials provided
yesterday an estimated time
frame for the resumption of
shipping. “The temporarily
suspended Bosphorus ship
traffic is planned to be opened
in the south-north direction at
20:00,” as KEGM said yesterday
in a new update. The Shipping
Telegraph reported on Friday that U.S. imposed sanctions on the United Arab Emirates-based
company Hennesea Holdings Limited (Hennesea) which is the ultimate owner of 18 vessels,
including the HS Atlantica, accusing the company of engaging in the export of Russian crude oil
priced above the $60 a barrel cap. One of the company’s ships under the name PERIA with IMO
numb. 9322827 is included in the list of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC) “which is beneficially owned by Hennesea, as property in which Hennesea
has an interest.” In addition, another incident was reported by KEGM, where the cargo ship “Balkan
1” experienced an engine malfunction. According to the report, the ship “Balkan 1” with the
assistance of a tugboat had to be anchored. Marine traffic data showed yesterday the ship anchored in
the port of Canakkale, Turkey. (Source: Shipping Telegraph)

T WO SHIPS CLASHED IN A HIRKAPI A NCHORAGE

It was reported that the ship named
Volgo Don 207 and the ship named
Astrid L collided in Ahırkapı
Anchorage. General Directorate of
Coastal Safety (KEGM) announced
that the 138-meter-long general
cargo ship named Volgo Don 207
crashed into the 147-meter-long
container ship named Astrid L,
which was at anchor at Ahırkapı
Anchorage. In the statement made
by KEGM, it was said: "Our KEGM-
6 fast rescue (lifesaving) boat
belonging to the General Directorate
of Coastal Safety of the Ministry of
Transport and Infrastructure was
immediately directed to the region." It was reported that there was only material damage to the
ships, and no loss of life, injury or environmental pollution was detected. (Source: Deniz Haber)

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REMEMBER TODAY

S.S. C OLUMBIA – 24 J ANUARY 1918

SS Columbia was a passenger
vessel built for the London and
South Western Railway in 1894.
History The ship was built by J
and G Thomson of Clydebank and
launched on 4 September 1894,
sponsored by a Miss Alderson.
Columbia was one of an order for
two ships, the other being Alma.
She was intended for the fast
passenger mail service operated
by the railway company between
Southampton and Le Havre. On
13 February 1898, Columbia
collided with the French fishing-
smack Gazelle. Of the crew of eight French fishermen, only two were rescued. In 1912, Columbia
was sold to J. J. Sitges Freres of Alicante, Spain, and renamed Sitges. He was acquired by the French
Navy in 1915 for World War I service as a troopship and renamed 'Corse'. Corse was sunk on 24
January 1918 in the Mediterranean Sea off La Ciotat, Bouches-du-Rhône, France, by the Imperial
German Navy submarine SM UC-67 Kptlt. Karl Neumann. Her crew survived. (Source: Wikipedia)

OFFSHORE NEWS
T RANSFORMING A PSV INTO A GEOTECHNICAL SURVEY VESSEL

At the end of 2023, Ulstein Verft finished the conversion of the Fugro Resilience on time. Originally
a platform supply vessel (PSV) of the ULSTEIN PX121 design, it has now been repurposed as a vessel
for geotechnical operations. Ulstein's Design & Solutions engineering team has delivered strength
calculations and updated plans for the conversion job at Ulstein Verft. The primary conversion work
has been implementing a moonpool and removable mezzanine deck and building the foundation for
a geotechnical drill tower and an A-frame to prepare Fugro Resilience for new assignments in the
offshore wind sector. The conversion included modifying the internal vessel systems to meet Fugro's
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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

needs. "Completed the conversion project on time and within the agreed budget" Lawrence Cozens,
project director, Fugro
Lawrence Cozens is a project
director at Fugro and says:
"Ulstein and Fugro worked
collaboratively from concept
design through to the
delivery of the Fugro
Resilience. As the original
vessel designer, Ulstein was
well-suited for this project.
During the design phase,
multiple deck layouts were
considered before settling on
the best layout for each
sister vessel. Ulstein then successfully completed the conversion project on time and within the
agreed budget. During all conversion stages, both teams have delivered quality solutions". "We can
work efficiently and secure quality" The aftermarket sales manager at Ulstein Verft, Martin Sundgot
Hansen, says that this project matches Ulstein well: "We have all the necessary resources at hand, so
we can work efficiently and secure quality in our work. The cooperation with Fugro has been
excellent, and we are pleased that they chose Ulstein for this project". (PR)

D ELTA A TLAS IN C URACAO DRYDOCK

The supplier Delta Atlas (ex Blue

Guardian) was seen arriving from
Trinidad on Saturday 20 January
and is now in the A-dock at
Damen shipyard in Curacao. The
sister ship of the Delta Atas is in
de same drydock also. Delta Atlas
is a medium-sized platform supply
vessel with an optimum
combination of fuel efficiency and
deadweight, and a capacity and
performance that approaches
those of larger PSVs. It can take
on most of the tasks usually
handled by slightly larger PSVs,
but at a lower operating cost.
(Photo: John Smit)

W AGENBORG INSTALLED SHO RE POWER CONNECTI ON ON WALK TO

WORK VESSEL 'K ROONBORG '

Wagenborg has successfully installed and commissioned a shore connection system on the mv.
Kroonborg in collaboration with NAM/SHELL UK and with the support of the “Provincie Noord-

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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

Holland. The shore power system was developed and engineered by Eekels Technology BV.
Additionally, the Port of Den
Helder, in partnership with
Eekels Technology BV, is
advancing a hydrogen shore
power generator project in
cooperation with the Port of
Harlingen and Groningen
Seaports. This hydrogen
generator is set to become
operational by the end of 2023.
Furthermore, the Port of Den
Helder is planning to provide
renewable energy through a fixed shore power connection to vessels within its port starting in mid-
2024. In the broader context of combating climate change, reducing emissions is imperative. To
minimize the environmental impact in ports, including the reduction of CO2, NOx, exhaust gas
particulates and noise, the installation of shore power connections is critical. Wagenborg Offshore is
taking the lead by initiating the installation of shore power on the mv Kroonborg, with plans to
expand these installations to other vessels in their fleet in the near future. (PR)

Advertisement

F OLLOWING WORK FOR S HELL , A RGEO SUBSEA VESSEL GOING TO

I NDIAN O CEAN
Argeo’s subsea vessel Argeo
Searcher has completed a job in
Nigeria for Shell and is now set
to mobilize for work in the
Indian Ocean. In its most recent
vessel schedule, Argeo reported
that its backlog update was
currently running at around
NOK 550 million (over $52.3
million), with a further sales and
revenue potential of additional
NOK 200 million ($19 million) for Argeo Searcher in H2 2024. According to the company, Argeo
Searcher completed the Shell job in Nigeria in record time and with high performance and exited
Nigeria on January 20. The vessel is now set to move on to mobilize in the Indian Ocean to

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commence the NCPOR project, expected to be completed in late Q2 2024. Furthermore, Argeo
Venture is finalizing the reactivation task outside Bergen in Norway and will commence rigging the
company’s second Hugin Superior autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for an “international oil
company”. The vessel will mobilize on this contract in mid-March, with work expected to be
completed in late Q4 2024. “We have several strong tender leads for Searcher in H2-2024 and see a
further increase in backlog and revenues for the vessel in H2,” Argeo said. “For projects secured late
2023 and early 2024 we have an estimated EBITDA margin between 35-40%.” The Norwegian
company announced that in late December commencement in-field started at the Bonga field for
Shell. Namely, Argeo confirmed a NOK 55 million contract with Shell Nigerian Exploration and
Product Company (SNEPCo) for deep water inspection services in the Bonga field and its subsea
assets (pipelines, infrastructure, and flowline systems) in addition to geophysical surveys of nearby
areas on November 11, 2023, with the project later getting increased. On November 13, 2023, Argeo
announced that it had been awarded a NOK 154 million contract with India’s National Centre for
Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR). (Source: Offshore Energy)

G LO M AR IS ITS O WN BOSS AGAIN

Seaspan Holding is again the

full owner of the well-known
offshore shipping company
GloMar in Den Helder. The
Helderse Courant reported
this in a major article on
Monday, January 15. After
years of wrangling, co-owner
Rederij Groen from
Scheveningen was bought
out at the end of last year.
This company has had a 50
percent interest in the
Helderse shipping company
since 2016. According to the newspaper, both parties have wanted to get rid of each other since
2019. GloMar currently has a fleet of 17 offshore vessels, including guard and standby boats,
multifunctional diving and survey vessels and so-called Emergency Response and Rescue Vessels
(ERRVs), such as the Glomar Patriot in the photo. (Source: www.maritiemdenhelder.eu)

D EEP O CEAN W RAPS U P T RENCHING J OB IN US G ULF OF M EXI CO

Norwegian ocean services provider DeepOcean has completed the burial of a fuel support pipeline in
the Gulf of Mexico on behalf of Genesis Energy after introducing its jet trenching system to the
United States market. DeepOcean’s trenching system, UT-1, was used for the burial of a portion of
the High Island A5 fuel support pipeline. On the designated six-inch pipeline sections, the UT-1 met
burial requirements that included a three-mile section stretching across the Sabine Pass Fairway that
called for the pipeline to be lowered to 10-foot top of product. The trenching work was conducted
from the Volantis subsea construction vessel, which conducted its first job in U.S. waters. The
Volantis has been on charter to DeepOcean since 2008. "We are thrilled to introduce our UT-1 jet
trenching system and the Volantis to the U.S. market. “The UT-1 ensures the integrity and stability

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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

of subsea assets, enhancing the overall reliability of subsea infrastructure” said Tony Stokes,
president of DeepOcean’s
U.S. operation. DeepOcean's
UT-1 is a versatile 2,800hp
trencher capable of
conducting subsea trenching
for cables and pipelines up to
46” in diameter. It can
trench products in excess of
3 meters deep, in water
depths up to 2,500 meters. It
is also capable of carrying
out backfill operations to
provide further pipeline
protection. Going forward,
the Volantis and UT-1 are scheduled for further projects both offshore in the U.S. and globally,
offering a wide range of trenching services for subsea pipelines and cables. (Source: Offshore
Engineer)

Advertisement

F UGRO DRILLI NG SHIPS BACK TO SEA

At the beginning of January, the

Fugro Quest and Fugro Synergy,
moored at the Nieuwediepkade,
dominated the harbor image of
Den Helder for a while.
Impressive drillships used by
engineering firm Fugro from
Leidschendam for geophysical
research of the seabed, mainly at
future wind farm locations. Both
vessels have now left for sea
again. The first was the Fugro
Synergy, which, after a short
trial run on January 13, moved
to the German sector of the

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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

North Sea two days later. Two days later the Fugro Quest (photo) exchanged our harbor for the
anchorage area on the roadstead. The spot on the Nieuwediepkade of the Fugro Synergy was
occupied on Thursday, January 18 by the survey vessel Fugro Frontier, which had come to Den
Helder from IJmuiden. (Source: www.maritiemdenhelder.eu; Photo: Wim Albers)

S OLSTAD O FFSHORE WINS NEW CSV DEAL AND EXTENSION FROM

P ETROBRAS
Norwegian offshore vessel owner
Solstad Offshore has won a new
contract for one vessel and an
extension for another from
Brazilian major Petrobras.
Solstad won a new deal from the
Brazilian company for the
Normand Fortress CSV. The
contract has a duration of two
years with the possibility of a
two-year extension. According to
the company, the vessel will
provide accommodation services
to support production activities on the Brazilian continental shelf. The start of the contract is set for
the second quarter of 2024. Petrobras also extended the present contract for Normand Valiant CSV
by six months. With this extension, the vessel with stay in Brazil until mid-February 2025. The
combined gross contract value of the two deals is around NOK 750m ($71.4m). Normand Fortress
and Normand Valiant are owned by Solstad Maritime, in which Solstad Offshore holds 27%.
(Source: Splash24/7)

D AYANG SCORES P ETRONAS CONTRACT EXTENSION

Malaysia’s Dayang Enterprise

has secured a work scope
contract extension from
Petronas, the parent company
said in a stock exchange filing.
The deal, which covers
maintenance, construction, and
modification services offshore
Malaysia, covers the Sarawak
Gas area. The value of the
contract extension is based on
work orders issued by Petronas
and the offshore maintenance
services provider said it expects
the deal to last until December 31. Earlier this year Dayang announced another contract with
Petronas for rectification works and associated services which is expected to run for three years.
(Source: Splash24/7)

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Advertisement

M ARIDIVE ’ S E MIRATI UNIT LI NES UP $40 M ASSET SALE TO SETTLE DEBT

Egyptian OSV player Maridive

has announced that its Emirati
unit, Ocean Marine UAE, is
finalizing a deal to sell a $40m
marine unit. The company said
in a stock exchange filing that
the proceeds from the sale,
which is expected to be
completed shortly, would be
used to settle Ocean Marine
UAE’s debt of $45.5m. The
Egypt-listed group owns 51% of
Ocean Marine UAE, which
specializes in offshore support vessels, providing commercial activities and maritime services.
Maridive, which was set up in 1978 in Port Said, said the sale was in line with its “extended efforts
to restructure the company and subsidiaries’ debt positions to improve company current and future
cash flow”. (Source: Splash24/7)

SNS P OOL FLEET SEEKS SAFETY

Due to the heavy storm Isha

that passed over the North
Sea and our country, the
eleven suppliers who are part
of the SNS Pool managed by
Peterson Den Helder sought
safety in our port and on the
roads last weekend. The
suppliers were moored
double at the Paleiskade,
such as the FS Crathes and
FS Balmoral (photo), the
Havila Borg and Havila
Herøy, and the Dina

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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

Supplier and Dina Supporter. Furthermore, the VOS Base, Energy Partner, BOS Pool (ex Pool
Express), Dina Scout and Dina Merkur took shelter from the storm in the anchorage area. On
Monday the first suppliers left for the sea again. (Source: www.maritiemdenhelder.eu)

WINDFARM NEWS - RENEWABLES

O FFICIAL OPENI NG OF NYK-L INE ' S F ULL M ISSION B RIDGE S IMULATOR
IN A KITA ADVANCES O FFSHORE W IND T RAINI NG C ENTRE

In a landmark agreement
signed in December 2022,
Nippon Yusen Kaisha
(NYK-Line) partnered with
Damen Services to
introduce an advanced full
mission bridge simulator
tailored for offshore wind
operations. The simulator,
built in cooperation with
maritime simulation leader
VSTEP Simulation,
achieved a critical milestone
with the successful
completion of Factory
Acceptance Testing (FAT)
in October. To be officially
inaugurated on the 1st of
April, the simulator, housed at a newly established training centre in Akita, Japan, is set to become a
focal point for specialized training in offshore wind installations. Targeting technical personnel and
workboat crews, the training programmes impart essential skills for manoeuvring, crew supply, and
maintenance in offshore wind parks. Mr Tsutomu Yokoyama, Executive Officer & Senior General
Manager at NYK Energy Division said,: “This simulator is designed to replicate real-world scenarios,
its advanced capabilities offer a comprehensive training experience. Also, its integration into the
training centre underscores NYK-Line's commitment to excellence in the offshore wind sector and
aligns with Damen Services' dedication to delivering top-notch maritime solutions.” The consortium
formed by NYK-Line and Damen Services (part of Damen Shipyards Group) goes beyond providing
cutting-edge training facilities. Actively contributing to offshore human resource development, both
companies engage in collaborative initiatives with local governmental bodies and educational
institutions. Thomas Röwekamp, Regional Sales Director Asia Pacific at Damen said, “The strategic
focus of this project is on expanding the offshore wind industry, an aim that fits seamlessly with
Damen’s sustainability ambitions. It also looks to ensure a skilled workforce. Bastin Kubbe, Damen
Regional Service Manager Asia-Pacific adds: “This simulator provides the means for fleet owners in
the Asia-Pacific region with the opportunity to safely test and train their crews in various ship
designs, including the Damen Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2710. The official opening of the Full
Mission Bridge Simulator in Akita marks a significant leap forward in elevating standards for
training and human resource development within the offshore wind sector in the Asia Pacific
region. (PR)

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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

Advertisement

T HREE WORKBO ATS OF W INDCAT AT OUR YARD

Three workboats of the Windcat

family were seen at the Neptune
shipyard in Hardinxeld-
Giessendam. The Windcat 43 and
36 are at the yard for maintenance
and the Windcat 56 is in
commissioning stage and will be
delivered end of January. Windcat
43 is a High Speed Craft that was
built in 2018 and is sailing under
the flag of Germany. Her length
overall (LOA) is 22 meters and her
width is 8 meters. Windcat 36 is a High Speed Craft and is sailing under the flag of United Kingdom.
Her length overall (LOA) is 18 meters and her width is 6 meters. (PR)

F IRST TWO I NCAT - DESIGNED CTV S DELIVERED TO U.S. OPERATOR

The number of Incat Crowther-

designed crew transfer vessels
servicing the global offshore
wind industry continues to grow
with the delivery of two new
98.5-foot (30-meter) bespoke
CTVs to Windea CTV – a U.S.-
based joint venture owned by
MidOcean Wind LLC and
Hornblower Wind LLC. The
new Bureau Veritas-classed
vessels, Windea Intrepid and
Windea Courageous, are the
largest newbuild CTVs delivered
to the offshore wind industry in the U.S. to date. Windea Intrepid, built by Louisiana-based shipyard
Gulf Craft LLC, and Windea Courageous, built by St. Johns Ship Building in Florida, are the first of
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five identical CTVs Incat Crowther is designing for Windea CTV. The third and fourth vessels in the
series are under construction at St. Johns Ship Building, and construction of the fifth vessel is well
underway at Breaux Brothers in Louisiana. The U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter L-certified CTVs are
capable of transporting 24 technicians in the safety and comfort of a resiliently mounted
superstructure. In addition to spacious seating, the main deck level of the superstructure features a
large galley and mess area, two bathrooms and dedicated internal storage. The upper deck level of
the vessels features an elevated large wheelhouse, as well as two single cabins, two double cabins
and three bathrooms for up to six crew. Large forward and aft decks provide ample space for carriage
of cargo to offshore wind installations. Each vessel has the capability of transporting a deadweight of
50 tonnes. Powered by four Volvo D13 marine diesel engines with a quad Volvo IPS system, each
vessel is also future-proofed and ready for the retrofit of the Volvo parallel hybrid system. Transfer
capability is enhanced by the Incat Crowther resilient-bow technology which reduces impact forces
applied to wind turbine boat landings. (Source: Professional Mariner)

W INDWARD O FFSHORE O RDERS T WO M ORE H YBRID CSOV S AT V ARD

The Windward Offshore joint
venture, comprising Diana
Shipping, Blue Star Group,
SeaRenergy Offshore, and
SeraVerse, has exercised its
option to acquire two
additional hybrid
Commissioning Service
Operation Vessels (CSOVs)
from Norway-based
shipbuilding company VARD.
Following the completion of
the acquisition of the two
additional CSOVs, Windward Offshore will have contracts to acquire four vessels, with deliveries
scheduled to occur between the third quarter of 2025 and the third quarter of 2026. All four vessels
are designed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway. For two vessels, the hulls will be built in one of
VARD’s shipyards in Romania, while the final outfitting, commissioning, and delivery will be
carried out by one of VARD’s shipyards in Norway. The other two hulls will be delivered from
VARD’s shipyard in Vietnam. The vessels will support energy majors globally in constructing,
commissioning, and maintaining offshore wind farms. “Windward Offshore is pleased to announce
the execution of the options for two further VARD 4 19 CSOVs, expanding our initial two vessel
order to four vessels, and continuing our trusted relationship with VARD,” said Benjamin
Vordemfelde, Managing Director of Windward Offshore. “All of our vessels are designed to be
equipped with the latest eco-friendly technologies with the goal of minimizing environmental
impact and offering the highest safety standards to ensure safe and sustainable offshore operations.”
The 87.5-metre vessels have a beam of 19.5 metres and will be equipped with a height-adjustable
motion-compensated gangway with an elevator system, and a height-adjustable boat landing system.
To achieve energy-efficient and smart operations at sea and to reduce fuel consumption, the CSOVs
will be outfitted with a SeaQ package from Vard Electro that includes systems and solutions for
Power, Control, Bridge, and Communication. Vard Interior is delivering HVAC-R and interior
concepts. The vessels, which will have accommodation for 120 persons on board, are prepared to
operate on green methanol and are equipped with a hybrid battery system. “We believe CSOV

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vessels will play a crucial role in the energy transition, and we are looking forward to offer our
clients a comprehensive offshore wind service platform which combines a unique blend of the
extensive maritime and offshore wind industry expertise by our founding partners,” said Christoph
Geck-Schlich, Managing Director of Windward Offshore. (Source: Offshore Wind)

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O FFSHORE W INDFARM S UPPORT V ESSEL IWS SKYWALKER

There is one maritime industry
that is growing so fast that there is
a critical shortage of specialised
construction vessels, and
commissioning vessels, available
and in service to support the
industry. In South Africa that
industry does not currently exist,
for reasons that are not needed to
be looked at here. That means
that these specialised vessels are
not to be seen. The industry that
is being discussed is the offshore
windfarm industry. The first
world economies of Western
Europe, and those of the Far East are constructing, and developing their offshore windfarm industries
at such a rate, that soon more power will be derived from the clean energy of wind turbines than
from the traditional carbon fuelled power station. The locations of these offshore industries, both
being located in the Northern Hemisphere, and at opposite ends of the Earth, means that under
normal circumstances, South African ports almost never see a dedicated, bespoke, windfarm vessel of
any description, as they tend to transit between developments, or new from the shipyard, exclusively
via the Suez Canal. The escalating conflict in the Middle East, and the decision of the Houthi Rebels
in Yemen, to indiscriminately target shipping underway in the southern Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden,

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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

has resulted in many shipowners choosing to divert their vessels around the Cape. One element of
these diversions are windfarm vessels, which are now appearing in increasing numbers at South
African ports for bunkers, stores and fresh provisions, as they make their way to Europe. On 17th
January, at 07:00 in the morning, the Offshore Windfarm Support Vessel ‘IWS Skywalker’ (IMO
9947419) arrived at the Table Bay anchorage, from Singapore, and went to anchor for a short 5 hour
period, At Midday on the 17th January she entered Cape Town harbour and proceeded into the
Duncan Dock, going alongside the Landing Wall. Built in 2023 by China Merchants Heavy Industry
(CMHI) Haimen Shipyard at Jiangsu in China, ‘IWS Skywalker’ was only commissioned in December
2023, and she is on her maiden voyage from the shipyard where she was built, heading back to her
owners in Europe to start work on her first charter contract in British waters. Her arrival in Cape
Town is thanks solely to the idiocy of the Houthis, as such a valuable vessel on her maiden voyage,
would never be risked by her insurers for a voyage up the Red Sea n the climate of today’s geopolitics.
She is likely not going to be the last of such specialised vessels to arrive in a South Africa port whilst
en route back to Western Europe. She is 90 metres in length, and has a deadweight of 2,177 tons.
With a unique ‘double ended’ configuration, ‘IWS Skywalker’ is a diesel electric vessel powered by
three Caterpillar 3512E HD 12 cylinder, 4 stroke, generators producing 1,700 kW each, and providing
power to four electric motors,
which drive four Kongsberg
Maritime US255 CP permanent
magnet Azimuth Thrusters, with
two positioned aft, and two
positioned forward, giving her a
maximum transit seaspeed of 14
knots. She has a single Volvo
Penta d13B-F MG(FE) emergency
generator providing 300 kW. Her
four azimuth thrusters give her a
dynamic positioning
classification of DP2, with
Kongsberg Maritime providing
the dynamic positioning onboard
system. She was also designed by Kongsberg Maritime, of Oslo in Norway, and built to their UT 5519
DE design. She was built at a cost of US$48 million (ZAR913.3 million). She operates to IMO Tier III
restrictions, and her unique design is complemented by the fact that she has the largest battery packs
on any similar vessel, with a bank of Corvus Energy Batteries providing 2.2MWh, to give her a hybrid
power plant. She is capable of operating solely on batteries, making her capable of zero-emission
operations, which also gives her official ‘Silent’ classification. Her battery banks can be recharged
with a solar panel array. Officially ‘IWS Skywalker’ is known as a Commissioning Service Operation
Vessel (CSOV), and is the first of a class of six sisterships, with two further options being considered.
Her building costs were considered to be US$5 million (ZAR95.14 million) per vessel cheaper than
any equivalent European shipyard. The type of vessel that she was, and where she was taken to be
berthed, was the tell-tale sign of a transit vessel, in only for bunkers, and an uplift of stored and fresh
provisions. The casual maritime observer would be forgiven in thinking that her general overall
appearance might link her to the offshore oil and gas industry, of which the port of Cape Town sees
many such vessels. Such a thought would be an error, as she has one fitting that makes her unique to
her industry. That is what is known as a ‘Walk to Work’ gangway. The gangway is a MacGregor 3D
motion compensated gangway, capable of a reach height of 32 metres. This means that when ‘IWS
Skywalker’ is connected to a wind turbine base, that any sea state that affects her will not translate

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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

pitch, roll , or yaw, into movement of the gangway, thus making it completely stable. Her working
deck space is 400 m2, and she also has a below deck warehouse space of 420 m2. Her commissioning
work is supported by a 3D MacGregor knuckleboom deck crane capable of lifting 15 tons. She has a
stepless boat landing platform on her stern, allowing safe personnel transfer from crew boats. She has
accommodation for 30 crew, and 90 client passengers.
Advertisement

She carries a 12.5 metre Daughter Craft workboat, which is capable of speeds up to 25 knits, and
operates with a crew of 2. It can carry up to 12 technicians around a wind farm, and can carry 500 kg
of spares and work equipment on her aft deck. For logistic and crew transfers she has a raised bow
helideck capable of accepting the largest helicopter type used in the North Sea, namely the Sikorsky
S-92A. Owned by Integrated Wind Solutions AS, of Oslo in Norway, hence the IWS prefix to her
name, ‘IWS Skywalker’ is operated by IWS Fleet AS, also of Oslo, and is managed by IWS Fleet
Management AS, again of Oslo. The company is quite young, founded as recently as 2020. The
modern eco-design of ‘IWS Skywalker’ was helped by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and
Environment (ENOVA) granting US$1.1 million (ZAR19.023 million) per vessel to support the
environmental initiatives on ‘IWS Skywalker’ and her sisterships. The vessels advanced technology
will reduce annual emissions by more than 1,300 tons of CO2 equivalent per vessel. For the
nomenclature fan out there, the vessel is not named after a leading character in the Star Wars trilogy,
but the company naming ethos is linked to the natural world. The next sistership to enter service this
year is named ‘IWS Windwalker’, and her other four sisterships, which will enter service over the
next two years will be named ‘IWS Seawalker’, ‘IWS Starwalker’, IWS Moonwalker’, and ‘IWS
Sunwalker’. On arrival back in Europe, ‘‘IWS Skywalker’ will start work immediately on the
development of the Dogger Bank windfarm, which is located in the North Sea, some 70 nautical miles
off the coast of Yorkshire. It is
being built in three phases, with
the large GE Haliade-X wind
turbine being used in the
development. When completed,
the Dogger Bank windfarm will
be the largest in the World,
producing a total of 3.6 GW of
clean, renewable power. The
power of each GE Haliade-X
wind turbine is 13 MW, and can
be explained by the fact that one
single rotation of her turbine
blades will produce sufficient
electricity to power a single
house in the United Kingdom for two full days. Each wind turbine will provide enough clean energy
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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

to power a total of 16,000 houses in the United Kingdom over the period of one year. The Dogger
Bank windfarm sits in water depths ranging from 18 metres to 35 metres, and will be operated by a
trio of energy companies, namely SSE Renewables of the UK, Equinor of Norway, and Eni of Italy.
The windfarm will provide enough power to power a total of 6 million homes, and the life of the
windfarm is to be 35 years.As always, with any vessel calling for bunkers and stores, the time spent
alongside is not long, and after just 30 hours, ‘IWS Skywalker’ was ready to sail. At 17:00, in the late
afternoon of 18th January, she departed from Cape Town, with her AIS set for Las Palmas in the
Canary Islands, which will be her third, and last, bunker stop on her delivery voyage, with her stop in
Singapore being her first. From Las Palmas she will make her way to the UK to begin her specialised
work, at the windfarm whose name is emblazoned on her hull, Dogger Bank. (Source: Africa Ports &
Ships by Jay Gates; Pictures Dockrat & CMHI Shipyard)

S TILLSTRO M A/S U NVEILS E XCITING COLLABORATION WITH E N B W -BP

EnBW and bp, developers of the
Morgan and Mona Offshore
Wind Farm Projects in a joint
venture, and Stillstrom, a
pioneer and leading provider of
innovative offshore charging
solutions, are pleased to
announce the initiation of a
comprehensive feasibility study.
This study assesses the
operational, technical, and
economic viability of integrating
offshore charging solutions for Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) and Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs)
into the Morgan and Mona offshore wind farms – for the future enablement of electric O&M vessel
operations. The Morgan and Mona Offshore Wind Farm Projects could have a combined potential
generating capacity of 3GW, which is estimated to provide enough electricity for around 3 million
UK homes each year. Offshore charging is a pioneering ocean technology that will enable and allow
wind farm developers and operators to achieve an electrified and decarbonised offshore wind farm
vessel operation throughout the lifetime of the wind farm by utilising electricity produced at site for
an all-electric O&M operation. The study specifically focuses on offshore charging solutions
connecting and integrating to the wind farms’ offshore substations. The primary objective of the
study is to evaluate the operational, technical, and financial feasibility of incorporating offshore
charging capabilities for SOVs and CTVs within the Morgan and Mona wind farms. The study
encompasses a review of Stillstrom offshore charging solutions and focuses on two scenarios: directly
from the offshore substation via hang-off solutions and from offshore charging buoys, considering
the technical intricacies of each solution and vessel types. The feasibility study commenced at the
end of November 2023 and is set to be completed by the end of January 2024. The findings of this
feasibility study are anticipated to play a crucial role in the further decisions to integrate offshore
charging into the Morgan and Mona wind farms and align with wind farm installation campaigns.
Richard Haydock, Programme Director, UK offshore wind, bp, said: “We are excited to be
collaborating with Stillstrom to assess the feasibility of integrated offshore charging solutions for our
Morgan and Mona wind farms. Innovative charging solutions can play an important role in both the
electrification and decarbonisation of offshore wind farm vessel operation. We look forward to
seeing how these innovative solutions could help our projects deliver secure, low carbon energy to

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the UK and support the UK’s ambition to be net zero by 2050.” Burkhard Römhild, Project Director
at EnBW, added: “This feasibility study marks a significant milestone in our commitment to
innovation within the renewable energy sector. We believe that integrating offshore charging
solutions into wind farms is a progressive step towards driving the energy transition and could help
support the project's aims for net zero O&M activities.” Kristian Borum Jorgensen, CEO of
Stillstrom, said: “We are thrilled to be a part of this ground-breaking initiative with EnBW and bp.
This partnership signifies a major leap forward for offshore charging and electrification in the
maritime industry, showcasing the transformative potential of sustainable energy solutions. We
believe that our collaboration will set new standards for environmentally conscious practices in
offshore wind operations, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable future.” The next steps
following this study would involve initiating a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study prior to
FID and installation of offshore charging solutions in the Morgan and Mona wind farms. (PR)

Advertisement

DREDGING NEWS
HID CSD 750 HITS THE WATER IN THE M ALDIVES
A HID heavy duty CSD-
7530 Model cutter suction
dredger (CSD) was
launched in the Maldives
earlier this week.
According to HID
Dredger, the CSD will be
used to dredge hard soils,
coral reefs, rocks and
sand. The dredger is
equipped with two robust
pumps located in the
engine room and the
ladder, reaching 22-25m
dredging depth efficiently,
the Chinese company said. CSDs are power-houses that are capable of handling the toughest
conditions below the water line. They can carve through rock, cut through tough clays and move
the coarser sand and gravel. (Source: Dredging Today)

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K EEL LAYING CEREMONY OF UKD S EADRAGON TAKES PLACE IN

G DANSK
A keel laying ceremony of
the UKD Seadragon took
place in Gdansk, Poland,
recently. The UKD Seadragon
is a diesel electric Damen
2711 Shoalbuster that will
carry the water injection
dredging (WID) for UK
Dredging around the coast of
the UK. “This expansion to
the fleet adds another form of
dredging to UK Dredging’s
portfolio. We expect the vessel to come into service Q1 2025,” said UK Dredging. Also, she is
specified to provide multi-purpose dredging support with WID, bed-levelling, buoy handling and
survey capability. Her WID Skid and 10 metre plough is capable of working at a depth of 25 metres.
(Source: Dredging Today)

TSHD W ILLEM S R COMPLETES DREDGING AT F ERRY P ORT OF

B RESKENS
The trailing suction hopper
dredger (TSHD) Willem Sr
closed 2023 with a
maintenance dredging
campaign in the Ferry Port of
Breskens, Flia Dredging said.
Under the project,
approximately 185,000 tonnes
dry solid was removed in and
in front of the ferry port.
With this, Filia Dredging
completed the dredging
campaign for Rijkswaterstaat,
on behalf of the main
contractor Beens Dredging
(Beens Groep). The ferry port of Breskens is used by the Westerschelde Ferries. Every year,
approximately 500,000 pedestrians and cyclists use the ferries as a link between Zeeuws-Vlaanderen
and Walcheren, said Filia. (Source: Dredging Today)

TSHD F REEWAY COMPLETES P ORT OF W ATERFORD DREDGING

The first campaign of the new multi-year maintenance dredging contract in the Port of Waterford
has been completed by Irish Dredging Company (a subsidiary of Boskalis). The trailing suction
hopper dredger (TSHD) Freeway returned to Waterford and removed over 130,000 cubic metres of
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sediment to ensure safe navigation of trade vessels to and from the southeast region is maintained.
The works were supervised by
Anthony D Bates Partnership
LLP (ADBP) consultant Paul
Mitchell. Disposal of the
dredged spoil by the 4,500m³
capacity TSHD took place at an
approved site south west of
Hook Head, out in the open sea.
Following the completion of
dredging, a bed levelling
campaign will be carried out by
the multi-cat vessel Fastnet
Sound – operated by Fastnet
Shipping based in Bilberry, Waterford City. (Source: Dredging Today)

Advertisement

HISTORIC YARD

N.V. S HIPBUILDI NG Y ARD AND M ACHINE F ACTO RY D E K LOP -

N ETHERLANDS
De Klop was a Dutch shipyard
and machine factory that existed
under the name N.V.
Scheepsbouwwerf en
Machinefabriek De Klop from
1906 to 1972, first in Zuilen and
from 1916 in Sliedrecht.
Incorporation Around 1900, the
Sliedrecht brothers Arie, Eliza
and Jacob van Noordenne set up a
repair shop in Zuilen to repair the
equipment they used in their
dredging and contracting work.
After a number of years, the
construction of new equipment

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also took place here, and a shipyard was created where the first ship was launched at the end of
1906. The shipyard was named after the nearby Fort De Klop. The shipyard grew somewhat out of
the hands of the brothers, and a more extensive basis was sought with a friendly relationship, which
resulted in a conversion into a public limited company in 1911, with the participation of Gerrit-Jan
Bos, contractor in Sliedrecht. The technical and practical management was in the hands of Huib(ert)
van Seventer. In 1915 the decision was made to move the company to Sliedrecht: closer to the
owners and the most important clients and because there were no expansion options in Zuilen. De
Klop subsequently fell into the hands of W J Kalis Wzn & Co's Baggermaatschappij, the Van
Noordenne brothers and
other interested parties
withdrew. The original
founders and owners also
wanted to continue to have
their own workshop for
their equipment, and so the
Kraayeveld & Van
Noordenne company,
together with the Bos
contractor family, decided
to set up such an institution
again in 1918, a few hundred meters further along the Merwede, below the name NV Shipyard and
Machine Factory Kerkerak. In 1919, Kerkerak and De Klop were united into a company, under the
leadership of the aforementioned Van Seventer, now with the original founders largely as
shareholders and clients. In the first year the company had 214 employees, of whom 19 were
employees. Over the years, Kerkerak's equipment was transferred to De Klop, an operation that was
completed in 1932. Growth and decline The 1920s were quite favorable. In addition to dredgers and
tugboats, seagoing vessels were also built in the first years. The number of employees quickly
increased to 412 in 1921, after which a decline began. Like many shipyards, employment fluctuated
widely, ranging from 370 in 1930 to around a hundred in 1933. In 1939, an adjacent site was
acquired for expansion. This only came about after 1945. In the post-war period, De Klop also
benefited from the revival of prosperity and Dutch shipbuilding, partly under the banner of the
Royal IHC partnership. In 1965, five yards working together within IHC merged, including De Klop.
De Klop survived the subsequent restructuring within the Dutch shipbuilding industry. In 1983, a
new combined yard of De Klop and IHC subsidiary Van Rees was established and the combined
company continued as IHC-Sliedrecht. (Source: Wikipedia)

YARD NEWS

H UISMAN TO DELIVER 500 MT O FFSHORE M AST C RANE FOR S UBSEA 7

Huisman announces that it has been awarded a contract from Subsea7 for the delivery of a 500mt
Offshore Mast Crane. The full electric crane will be installed on one of Subsea7’s pipelay vessels and
will be deployed for deep water installations. Huisman to deliver 500mt Offshore Mast Crane for
Subsea7. The 500mt Offshore Mast Crane will be equipped with a state-of-the-art passive and active
heave compensation system on the main hoist to counter-act the vessel’s heave motion when
landing a product onto the seabed. Huisman has upgraded its heave compensation system with a
variety of new control modes to extend the operational window. The crane will be built in
Huisman’s production facility in Schiedam, the Netherlands. David Roodenburg, CEO of Huisman
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25TH VOLUME, NO. 07 DATED 24 JANUARY 2024

says: "We are delighted to announce this contract of our valued client, Subsea7. Our pursuit of
continuous improvement has
led to the upgrade of our
Offshore Mast Crane to an
impressive 500mt, showcasing
our dedication to innovation
and client satisfaction." The
small rectangular footprint of
this crane allows for easy
integration with the vessel's
steel structure and direct
installation of the crane on the
stern, achieving a large
effective outreach and reducing
integration costs. Huisman Offshore Mast Cranes are renowned for being lightweight, built up from
high tensile steel, eliminating the need for ballast weight. Furthermore, the exceptional height of
the mast provides a superior load curve. The Huisman Mast Cranes have been used within the
industry for over 30 years and have become a standard in the design and construction of heavy lift
cranes. The company boasts a track record of nearly 50 Offshore Mast Cranes successfully deployed
for offshore construction and ultra-deepwater operations, reaching depths of up to 5,000 meters.
(PR)

R ED R OCK TO S UPPLY C RANES FOR N EW N EXANS A URORA C ABLE

L AYER
Norwegian offshore crane
supplier Red Rock has been
hired once again by Ulstein Verft
to deliver upgraded crane
package for a new and updated
version of the DP3 cable laying
vessel (CLV) Nexans Aurora. The
cable-laying vessel will feature a
split turntable on deck capable of
holding up to 10,000t of cable,
an under-deck turntable with a
3,500t cable capacity. It will be
one of the world’s most advanced cable layer vessels, measuring 31 meters in width and 149.9 meters
in length. The updated Nexans Aurora vessel will be able to accommodate a crew of 90. In addition
to the upgraded crane package from Red Rock, the delivery will include two work baskets at the
stern, with common hydraulic power unit. “Red Rock is proud and excited to be part of the new
Nexans CLV. A repeat order from Ulstein Verft for the new vessel shows that the custom-made Red
Rock products is a good fit for an advanced vessel as this one,” said Red Rock’s Sales Manager Bjørn
Mossestad. The products will be delivered in 2025, Red Rock informed. To remind, Nexans Marine
Operations and the Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein Verft entered into a contract for the construction
of a large DP3 cable-laying vessel, which will be an updated version of the Nexans Aurora vessel,
delivered in 2021. The vessel is an ST-297 CLV design by Norway-based Skipsteknisk. (Source:
MarineLink)
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WEBSITE NEWS
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Last week there have been new updates posted:

1. Several updates on the News page posted last week:
• An agreement between ENAP and SAAM will make Chile the first country in Latin
America with an electric tugboat
• Damen Shipyards hands over twin ASD Tugs 2813 to the Ghana Ports and Harbours
Authority
• Sanmar delivers first two tugs to new customer Boluda Towage
• Svitzer Takes Delivery Of ‘Svitzer Estelle’ From Uzmar
• SAAM Towage receives from Turkish shipyard first two electric tugs for its
Canadian fleet
2. Several updates on the Broker Sales page posted last week.
(New page on the website. If you are interested to have your sales on the website)
(pls contact jvds@towingline.com)
• Platform Supply Vessel – ‘TEK-OCEAN SPIRIT’ for sale (new)
3. Several updates on the Newsletter – Fleetlist page posted last week
• WUZ - Gdansk by Jasiu van Haarlem (new)
• Vroon Offshore Services by Jasiu van Haarlem
• Rebarca - Barcelona by Jasiu van Haarlem
• Suez Canal - Ismalia by Jasiu van Haarlem
• AVRA Towage - Rotterdam by Jasiu van Haarlem
Be informed that the mobile telephone number of Towingline is: +31 6 3861 3662
mailto: jvds@towingline.com
This site is intended to be collective exchange of information. Information on this site has been pulled from many sources; we have
attempted to credit these sources. But due to the multitude of sources sometimes we are unable to note all the sources. If you feel that
material that is posted here is of your authorship and you have not been credited properly please alert us and I will correct the credit or
remove it in accordance to the author's wishes.

D ISCLAI MER
The compiler of the Tugs Towing & Offshore Newsletter disclaim all liability for any loss, damage or expense howsoever caused, arising
from the sending, receipt, or use of this e-mail communication and on any reliance placed upon the information provided through this
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