Catamaran Dive Support Vessel from Incat

Incat Crowther has worked in collaboration with Bhagwan Marine and Neptune Marine Services to develop a first of type, fully-integrated catamaran dive support vessel which has been designed from the keel up to perform six key roles; Dive Support, Geophysical Survey, Geotechnical Survey, Cargo Transport, Hyperbaric Rescue and Safety Standby.

The high redundancy propulsion system integrates a pair of Schottel STP 550 azimuthing drives. The vesel will be fitted with four generator sets made up of two Cummins QSK38-M’s and two QSK19-M’s. An advanced power management system will make optimal use of the four generators and a battery bank to ensure each power source is used in the most effective way. The battery bank will store enough power to propel the ship for short periods. The vessel will have a top speed of 13.5 knots.

The QSK- 38-M generator sets are also directly coupled to fire pumps, which drive full immersion fire monitors whilst a separate pump will power a complete deluge system.

The Schottel drives combine with a pair of drop-down azimuthing bow thrusters and a Kongsberg control system to give the vessel DPS-2 manoeuvrability. The innovative system lends itself to the shallow draft dive operations the vessel will specialise in, as the forward azimuthing thrusters are able to maintain operation as tunnel thrusters when retracted. Further positioning capability is provided by a HIPAP 501 acoustic positioning system, which allows the vessel to maintain station relative to undersea reference points.

The vessel will also be fitted with a 100 tonne, four point mooring system featuring four deck winches and diagonally oriented fairleads on all four corners of the vessel. Unlike any other vessel of its size and type, this vessel will have all dive equipment designed and built in from the outset. A dedicated dive control room will be fitted with a pair of decompression chambers, with a hull compartment directly below dedicated to support equipment such as compressors and dive gas storage tanks.

A pair of diver launch and recovery systems is to be fitted to starboard side, whilst a separate launch and recovery system is to be fitted to port for ROV operations. The vessel will also have the capacity to launch, retrieve and store a hyperbaric lifeboat.

The aft main deck’s 160m2 of cargo space is supplemented by a multitude of purpose-fitted deck equipment, including launch and recovery systems, tow pins, waterfall winches, stern roller, A-frame and container securing lugs. Accommodation cabins for a complement of 44 are situated in the hull and the mid-deck.

Technical specification

Length overall: 56.8m

Beam: 16m

Draft (hull): 2.50m

Propulsion: 2 x Schottel STP 550

Maximum speed: 13.5 knots