Damen Shipyards Group, a shipbuilding company based out of Holland, recently announced a new design for a vessel suited for the U.S.’ developing offshore wind market.
The Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 3410 service accommodation and transfer vessel (SATV) contains numerous design features that ensure its suitability for operations in the U.S. market, the company says.
Built on current designs used in the European market, the vessel features a Damen twin axe bow design. The axe bow, a patented design that allows the vessel to cut through waves instead of slamming, significantly improves seakeeping and onboard comfort, according to Damen.
The company has sold over 45 FCS 2610 vessels in Europe. Damen recently developed this design further with the FCS 2710 – a new FCS vessel one meter longer than its predecessor. Now, the FCS 3410 further develops this design, tailoring the concept to meet the requirements of the emerging U.S. offshore renewables market, as Daan Dijxhoorn, Damen’s U.S. sales manager, explains:
“This vessel is well-suited to numerous markets; however, we have given it long endurance capability so that it can remain at sea for up to five days at a time – a requirement typically seen in U.S. operations. To facilitate this, we have designed a vessel six meters longer than previous FCS types, able to host more on-board personnel and accommodation.”
The FCS 3410 also draws on the Damen Accommodation Support Vessel 9020, a walk-to-work vessel designed for transporting and providing accommodation for offshore personnel for up to a month. The FCS 3410 would be built on location in the U.S., the company notes.
