Safehaven’s first wind farm boat at Seawork 2010
Seawork exhibitor Safehaven Marine is nearing completion of the first of its new GRP Windfarm Catamaran design, the Wildcat 53/16m.
This is a completely new design based on Safehaven’s highly respected Wildcat 36/40 design. It incorporates the same high buoyancy bow, twin chine catamaran hull form that has proved so successful in providing exceptional levels of sea keeping and performance from Safehaven’s Wildcats over the past five years.
The new catamaran design is 16m long with a 6m beam and will provide a very stable platform suitable for a multitude of commercial workboat roles but which is specifically designed as a wind farm support vessel. To this end, the bow area has been designed to accommodate a specially developed fender system from Ocean 3. The fender design features a high density foam core 300m by 400mm with a heavy 50mm thick rubber wall to cushion impacts and stresses when the bow is held against wind farm platforms in heavy weather.
No stranger to building exceptionally strong GRP hulls, Safehaven’s Wildcat 53 will have the same heavy duty scantlings as the builder’s pilot boats to provide a vessel that can withstand tough use in the harsh wind farm support vessel environment. The vessel is powered by twin Scania D12 650hp engines driving Ultra Dynamics waterjets to provide a speed above 25 knots.
The superstructure is a raised bridge deck design with the helm and navigator’s position elevated to provide excellent visibility. The cabin is centrally positioned in an ‘island’ configuration, with a clear 750mm walkway each side and around the bow, where there is a cargo lifting space. This provides a safe passageway and a spacious work and boarding area at the bow. Twin dive platforms at the transom of each hull give waterline access through transom gates, and the well decked aft cockpit features a HIAB crane and a large clear cargo area.
Accommodation is spacious and designed to provide a comfortable and luxurious environment, with a combination of aircraft style transit seating and dinette and table designs for standby. The cabin design is open plan with a full galley in the port hull and bunk berths in the starboard hull. A useful feature is the incorporation of a wet room, featuring aft cockpit access, hanging space, toilet and shower facilities with access from there direct to the main accommodation. This allows personnel the ability to disrobe from work gear and enter the living area clean and dry.
The first vessel of two Wildcat 53s ordered by Island Shipping is due to be exhibited on the floating pontoon at Seawork 2010 alongside Pathfinder, the second of Safehaven’s pilot/patrol boats delivered to the Seawork hosting Port of Southampton UK.
