Vestdavit wins US contract to supply davits for research ships
NOAA research vessels are required to deploy workboats with scientific crew in variable sea states
Source: NOAA
Norway’s Vestdavit has won a contract to supply two high-tensile HN-5000 davits for a pair of scientific ships currently under construction at Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors in Louisiana. The vessels are being built for the United States government agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The sophisticated davits, designed for the safe launch and recovery of workboats in a range of sea conditions including very rough weather, are due for delivery in 2023. Safety features include motion compensation, independent dual winches with independent constant tension, shock absorbers, guide arms, and a programmable logic controller for digital remote control.
The vessels, Oceanographer and Discoverer, will have home ports of Honolulu and Rhode Island respectively. With crews of 20 and capacity for up to 28 scientists on board, the vessels represent a significant expansion of the NOAA fleet. As well as maintenance on buoys and moorings, they will collect weather and water column data, and conduct sea floor mapping surveys.
The latest contract follows orders for some 20 other davit systems supplied by Vestdavit to the NOAA over recent years.
