A1 Offshore Solutions ApS and SMST installed an SMST motion compensated gangway aboard the PSV Eurus Express in just 7 days from the contract signing, a record for the industry thus far. The Platform Supply Vessel is now equipped to safely transfer technicians from vessel to transition piece in the Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm. The rented gangway is SMST’s Telescopic Access Bridge (TAB) M-series, including 4 stacking modules for working at height and was fully installed on 16th May. The Eurus Express is contracted by GeoSea for 45 days to support the installation of transition pieces in the offshore wind farm located 120km off the Yorkshire coast.

Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu) has begun work on the conversion of the 8,072gt/2002 built trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Samuel de Champlain from diesel-electric propulsion to dual-fuel capability combining MGO and LNG. The ship is the first such conversion to be done by DSDu and the yard is proud to be at the forefront of this project. Re-delivery is scheduled for December 2018. The current propulsion system of the Samuel de Champlain is diesel-electric burning MGO, so the package includes the change of generators to dual-fuel models and the installation of onboard LNG storage facilities. The new engines will be installed on a new block which is currently being prefabricated in DSDu’s workshop and this will be installed later this year while the vessel is in drydock. The Samuel de Champlain was built in 2002 and is the largest vessel in the GIE Dragages Ports fleet. Based in the Grand Maritime Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire, she divides her time between the Loire and Seine estuaries.

Maersk Supply Services’ Maersk Minder was delivered on 31st May by Kleven Verft. Build no. 385 is the fourth vessel in the 95m long Starfish series of six anchor handling vessels ordered by Maersk Supply Services. The naming ceremony was held at the shipyard, led by the new CEO of Kleven Karsten Sævik, with Mrs. Anni Bak as sponsor. Built for deep water anchor handling and oilfield operations, the Maersk Minder’s three sister vessels, Maersk Master, Maersk Mariner and Maersk Mover, went straight to work after delivery from Kleven and are performing very well. The vessels carry out services such as decommissioning, towing and installation as well as supply and anchor handling duties. Another milestone was reached with the launch of the sixth and last vessel in the series at Kleven Verft. The fifth of the sisters is currently under construction and will be ready for delivery later this year. The Starfish Series of vessels have been designed by Salt Ship Design.

Solstad Farstad has sold two of its anchor handling tug and supply vessels (AHTS) to an unnamed owner. Farstad Supply, a wholly owned subsidiary of Solstad Farstad, sold and delivered the AHTS vessels Far Senior (3,125gt/1998 built) and the 3,057gt/1997 built Far Sailor to the new owner on 25th May 25. The company has already sold two of its AHTS vessels this year, namely the 1,943gt/2011 built Sea Badger, the 2,705gt/2008 built Nor Chief, and one PSV, the Far Supporter.

Van Oord marked its 150th anniversary with the christening of the Subsea Rock Insallation (SRI) vessel Bravenes on 21st May at the Wilhelminakade in Rotterdam. The ship was was christened by Ms Yvon Van Oord-Barbier, the wife of CEO Pieter Van Oord. The Bravenes (above) is the third vessel to join Van Oord’s SRI fleet. SRI vessels stabilise and protect subsea pipelines, cables and other structures at depths down to 1,500 metres. This class of SRI has a unique ability to install rock in three different ways. The Bravenes can install rock through a fall pipe inserted through the moonpool, through a fall pipe over the side, and through a tremie pipe over the side.