Aquaculture support vessel unveiled

A new landing utility vessel (LUV), designed by Damen and built by Coastal Workboats Scotland, has been unveiled. The first in a new class of LUV 1608 vessels is suitable for a wide range of support tasks in the aquaculture sector, including the transport of people, equipment and fish feed to fish-farming locations offshore.
The LUV 1608 can be equipped with a HS Marine AK67 E4 crane, which has a lifting capacity of almost 14 tonnes at an outreach of 3.5m, and 3 tonnes at 13m. This is an unusually high capacity for a 16m-long vessel, the companies said. The length of the vessel can be extended to 19m if additional deck space is required.
The landing craft capability has been incorporated into the design to provide a wider market scope in areas where port infrastructure may be limited. As is customary with Damen’s standard vessel designs, each LUV 1608 can be customised to meet particular requirements. The first vessel in the series, which has now been banded over to salmon-farming company Lock Duart, was equipped with optional features including tyre fenders, foot pedals and specific location of capstans.