Damen delivers purpose-built offshore chasers
The Aquarius G and its sister vessel were recently delivered
Designed by Saltwater Engineering in close cooperation with Rederij Groen and Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam, part of Damen Shipyards Group, where they have been built, the vessels are 40m long, 9.3m wide and have a draught of 3.3m. Accommodation is offered for a crew of 14, and the top speed is 14 knots.
The Aquarius-G and its sister ship Astra-G are guard vessels or chasers. One major task is to ensure that other vessels, mainly fishing ships, will keep distance from seismic survey vessels engaged in offshore exploration. The trawlers’ nets might otherwise damage the costly seismic streamers trailing behind the survey vessels.
A further key activity for the new vessels is the alongside operation, featuring a variety of services to the seismic survey mother ship. The assistance includes the board-to-board transhipment of goods and equipment.
The delivery marked a milestone in OSV construction, since such chasers have never before been purpose-built.
“All our other chaser vessels so far involve converted fishing trawlers”, Henk Groen, director and proprietor of offshore company Rederij Groen, said. “Having designed them to our specific needs right from the drawing board significantly enhances the vessels’ applicability and performance”, he added.
As a significant improvement, the two purpose-built chasers feature superior nautical capabilities over the converted fishing trawlers. Their sharply lesser sway benefits both the alongside operations and the crew’s comfort, the Dutch shipbuilder said.
