Vestdavit expands Antarctic survey capabilities

Now renamed HMS Protector, the 5,000 tonne displacement vessel has been converted by the Royal Navy for the new task of handling a large survey boat. The flight deck was moved back and the requirement to be able to launch and recover a 30ft 10 tonne boat was introduced.

Karl Scheen, the superintendent responsible for HMS Protector, said: “When we chartered out the ship she had five davits already. To make that safer and to extend the operational window we have now fitted the larger Vestdavit workboat davit system. We are just finishing commissioning. It will give them a much great capability in the Antarctic.”

GB Rieber chose Vestdavit to respond to the requirement by custom designing and installing its most advanced davit. The HN-10000 davit is computer controlled and has independent winches with wave compensation which allows the boat to remain level while hooking and unhooking in heavy seas and cold temperatures.

The davits are operated by a remote control unit which manages all main sequences. The operator of the davit receives feedback on an integrated display, making the operation significantly safer and more secure, particularly in adverse weather conditions.