Scots yard to build NZ wind farm design
The versatile Teknicraft design will carry 12 passengers and up to five tons of cargo at up to 35 knots.
Scottish boatbuilder Buckie Shipyard has entered an agreement with Veecraft Marine of Capetown SA to be the UK builder of the Teknicraft design of Wind Farm Service Vessels.
The design is a foil assisted catamaran using the proven hull form by Nic de Waal of the New Zealand firm Teknicraft Design, to which Veecraft has the European marketing rights. Buckie Shipyard has been working with Teknicraft on several variations of the concept of this aluminium catamaran for various sectors of the commercial marine industry, from patrol boats to crew transfer to leisure craft, as it expands its aluminium boatbuilding section of the business.
This new design is for a 20m High Speed Service Catamaran for the transfer of personnel and equipment to offshore wind farms. The vessel will carry 12 passengers and up to five tons of cargo (three tons on the foredeck). The vessel will provide fast and efficient running at a cruising speed of approximately 27 knots and a sprint speed of up to 35 knots.
The hull is well proven and is designed for maximum fuel efficiency, with good sea keeping and roll damping qualities. The hull form is a semi-planing type catamaran. It employs a combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical sponson shapes, thereby combining the attributes of both shapes in one hull. The symmetrical bow section ensure directional stability in short swell conditions and following seas, whilst the asymmetrical amidships and aft sections ensure softness of ride and reduced wetted area, which enhances comfort and economy.
The hull will be fitted with an adjustable hydrofoil system. The hydrofoil will not protrude below the lowest point of the hull, thereby reducing vulnerability to damage to be no more than the hull itself.
Buckie Shipyard exhibited at the EWEA Offshore 2011 exhibition, which concluded in Amsterdam earlier this month. On show was video footage of Deodar III, a similar vessel built for the Marine Unit of the New Zealand Police. The multi-role vessel was seen performing intercoastal policing and patrolling duties, customs work, SAR and fast transport roles. Powered by twin MTU 8V2000 M92 engines driving HamiltonJet HJ403 units, the vessel produced a top speed of 43 knots.
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2012. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
