Osiris Projects expands fleet
Seabed mapping and coastal survey specialist Osiris Projects of Merseyside UK has added a fifth vessel to its fleet with the addition of the new 14m GRP catamaran, MV Proteus.
Designed for inshore and coastal operations and with a maximum speed of 24 knots, it can work up to 60 miles from a safe haven.
Built by Blyth Workcats in Essex, the vessel is equipped with high-grade positioning equipment including a Sonardyne inertial navigation system (INS) and an ultra short baseline (USBL) acoustic positioning unit for towfish tracking. A Reson multibeam sounder and an Edgetech sidescan sonar are among other lead items of onboard equipment. These also include an electric sonar winch which, when combined with a hydraulic A-frame, allows for the safe launch and recovery of geophysical equipment such as sub-bottom profilers and marine magnetometers. A separate hydraulic lifting winch enables oceanographic and benthic survey equipment to be launched and recovered together with a small inspection class ROV drop down camera.
Meanwhile, Osiris has also commissioned a new 27.5m offshore vessel for launching next winter, Bibby Athena. The company says it will be permanently mobilised with a dual-head multibeam system to improve productivity of bathymetric data acquisition. A water treatment facility will also be added to extend offshore endurance while a large survey laboratory will ensure improved volumes of onboard data processing and so reduce amounts required at head office. Bibby Athena is being constructed over a period of 15 months by specialist French shipbuilder Socarenam in Boulogne.
