Acta Marine Group consolidates and grows – by Jack Gaston

Those steps include a change to the structure of the Group, the introduction of new plant and placing an order for a powerful new tug for their fleet, which now totals some 40 vessels.

Until recently Acta Marine has been operating alongside two well known and long established subsidiaries, Acta Waterweg and Acta Van Stee. Those companies have now been merged and have become a fully integrated part of the parent group. In future the combined fleet will operate under the title Acta Marine.This move has led to further efficiency improvements, and means that customers now have far better access to a wider range of plant and expertise.

Managing director of Acta Marine, Govert Jan van Oord, is optimistic about the future of the business, telling Maritime Journal that; ‘Although there has been a slight slowdown, compared to the market conditions of 2008/2009 there still is a healthy demand for our services. New and interesting contract awards include, the supply of five workboats to support the NordStream gas pipeline project in the Baltic and a further two workboats will be mobilized to Sakhalin to assist with the construction of a new oil pipeline. We are working on the UK shore end of the new Brit-Ned power cable and contract extensions have been secured in the Caspian Sea. We are also supporting a variety of projects with dredging contractors.’

His aims for the future are, ‘To seek more growth for the company and promote increasing professionalism within the organisation. Plans are in place for a continuous fleet renewal programme, aiming for a sufficient mix of vessel types capable of supporting our activities and clients wherever they are required. Ultra shallow water operations will remain one of our specialities.’

Considerable investment is being made in new plant. In October 2009 Acta Marine took delivery of the Coastal Discovery. The hull for this truly unique ultra-shallow draught support vessel was fabricated by Staalbouw Groningen and fitted by Scheepswerf Bijlsma.

Suitable for deployment worldwide and operating up to 200 miles offshore, Coastal Discovery measures 35m in length overall and 12m beam, with a minimum draught of just 1.40m. With this draft the vessel is perfectly suited to carrying out work in ultra-shallow waters such as the Wadden Sea and in other inshore applications.

The vessel will be suitable for a wide range of tasks including towing, pushing, supply work, installation applications and anchorhandling. A spacious work deck, is equipped with a 200 tons/m marine crane and 50 tons capacity winch. Fully airconditioned accommodation is provided for a crew of up to 12 persons in five double and two single berth cabins.

Coastal Discovery is equipped with four Caterpillar C18 main engines, each delivering 608bhp. Two engines power two conventional fixed pitch propellers rotating in fixed nozzles via TwinDisc MG516DC gearboxes. A third engine located on the centerline drives a single, fully azimuthing Schottel propulsion unit. The fourth main engine is located in the bow and is coupled to a Gill type bowthruster capable of directing its thrust through a full 360 degrees.

This remarkable 2,432bhp powerplant and the Dynamic Positioning system installed enables the vessel to maintain its position with extreme accuracy without the use of anchors, a capability unique among craft of this type. A bollard pull of 24 tons is specified, along with a maximum speed of 9 knots.

Clients quickly recognised the advantages of the DP system on the Coastal Discovery. It recently, proved to be very efficient at the Belwind Offshore Windpark when the vessel was deployed to remove an old subsea telecom cable. The DP system will also be put to work this summer at the NordStream project, when the vessel will be used as positioning unit for precise backfilling of the dredged trench in which the pipelines are being laid.

The latest delivery, in March of this year, was the Coastal Fighter, a Eurocarrier 2209 from Neptune Shipyards. This is the fourth unit of this type in the Acta Marine fleet. The other three were newbuildings delivered in 2007 and 2008. This latest addition is an improved version with more propulsion power, a permanent deck store and improved wheelhouse.

An order was placed recently with Damen Shipyards for the delivery of a Shoalbuster 3209 in December of this year. Already allocated the name Coastal Vanguard, this will be the most powerful tug in the Acta Marine fleet, with a bollard pull of approximately 40 tons and capable of Unrestricted Service