A safe pair of hand for CWind’s latest vessel

The new vessel, named CWind Endeavour, is the result of a close working relationship between CTruk’s designers and teams working in the real world of the offshore windfarm support industry and capable of a number of support operations during windfarms’ construction and O&M phases including crew transfer, generator management and refuelling.

The boat will be operated under CWind’s ‘joint venture boat share’ initiative by Technical Marine Support Ltd (TMS), a new venture established by Dungeness, Kent seafarer Stuart Richardson, for whom the move marks the culmination of a career with small boats that will ensure CWind Endeavour is in a safe pair of hands once in operation.

Mr Richardson is a fifth generation fisherman who has spent 15 years operating a small fleet of trawlers. Like many such people living in coastal communities he also comes from a family with a long tradition of involvement as lifeboat volunteers and for the last ten years has been coxswain of RNLI lifeboats at both Dover and on the river Thames in London. He became involved in offshore windfarm support work a year ago and established TMS soon after with the aim of concentrating solely on the renewable energy sector. CWind Endeavour is due to commence work on the Lincs Offshore Windfarm off Skegness following the naming ceremony, which was carried out at Brightlingsea by Mr Richardson’s mother, Judith Richardson.

CWind Endeavour is an example of CTruk’s designs, featuring the company’s novel patent applied for flexible modular pod system, enhancing the design’s already proven and well documented versatility. The system comprises a three pod wheelhouse layout with accommodation pod and porch module which allows the vessel’s configuration to be adapted for various tasks through relocating the pods to provide combinations including more or less deck space and accommodation provision.

The vessel’s multi-purpose capability is illustrated by its role-call of tasks that includes: personnel transfers up to12 people, fuelling with a 16,000 litre fuel capacity, rescue vessel capability, survey with moon pool attachment, large lift HIAB pod provision, twenty tonne deck cargo capacity and dive support capability.

The vessel is classed with DNV to 1A1 HSLCR2 Wind Farm Service notation and MCA SCV Category 2. Vital statistics include LOA 18.5m, beam overall 6.1m, draft 0.86m – 1.26m (carrying 20 tonnes cargo), lightship 24 tonnes, forward/aft deck space up to 37/34m2, top speed 30 knots. Power for the twin Rolls-Royce FF41 waterjets is derived from two Cummins 610hp main engines. Auxiliary power is provided by a Beta 11kW generator and the electronics are provided by Simrad.

By Peter Barker

Technical Specification:

Length overall: 18.5m

Beam: 6.1m

Draft: 0.86m – 1.26m

Power: Two Cummins rated at 610hp

Speed: 30 knots