French bring wind farm flavour to Seawork
The French workboat builder and first time Seawork exhibitor Navalu has received orders from UK wind farm service provider Enviroserve Ltd for what are believed to be the first offshore wind farm support vessels to be built in France.
The first of the two 24m wind farm catamarans will be named Sea Fox, in keeping with the theme on Enviroserve’s other vessels. This first vessel is to be launched in January 2013.
Navalu was established in 2001 when owner M. Bernard Minguet acquired two new companies and changed the name of his existing company from MPH Constructions to Navalu. The company is flourishing in its principal market building workboats for the domestic shellfish market but also builds hydro survey boats, dive boats and passenger vessels.
Working in close collaboration with Enviroserve, Navalu’s in-house design team has been able to produce a crew boat, designated the NxS 24, with an innovative solution to the demands of wind farm service operators, who require speed, good sea-keeping, low fuel consumption, and maximum reliability.
Designed to MCA category 1 and Bureau Veritas Classification for Wind Farm Service Ships, the Navalu NxS 24 is best described as a 4 by 4 marine utility vehicle. The collaborators mean this quite literally, as the Navalu NxS 24 is powered by four separate engines driving four independent propulsion lines. Even with an engine, or drive line failure, the NxS 24 will be able to operate effectively while maintaining a reasonable speed.
The design goals were very simple: Reliability, Simplicity, Strong, Economical. Navalu and Enviroserve discussed the realities of operating a crew vessel in the real world and in direct contrast to what they saw as a current trend for ever more sophisticated, and therefore more expensive designs, with often unreliable systems, the NxS 24 could best be described as ‘back to basics’.
For vessels operating in areas with limited access to sophisticated boat repair centres, it is important to be able to repair or replace parts easily so the systems are designed for reliability and ease of maintenance.
The power plants are rugged Doosan 4V158TI engines producing 600 bhp each, with power transmitted through Doosan reduction gears to straight shaft drives which can be easily changed. The propellers can be easily replaced.
The fine entry displacement hulls are easier on equipment and crew and, most importantly, allow for economic operation. The Navalu NxS 24 will be efficiently and economically driven up to it’s maximum speed and is designed to remain on location offshore for long periods of time. It will sleep 12 in four cabins, has a full galley, head and shower, and ample stowage for personal gear.
The wheelhouse will have the usual array of electronics and special attention has been paid to power conservation with details such as LED for both interior and exterior lighting as well as search lights. In crew transport mode, it will carry 12 technicians on suspension seats. The main cabin will have plugs for computers and feature flat screen televisions.
Measuring just under 24m in length with a 9.7m beam, the NxS 24 will carry 12 tons of cargo. Deck equipment includes a Guerra M 60 hydraulic crane, and a transom ‘A’ – frame with 2 ton lift capacity. The design allows for a versatile multiple-use workboat.
