Seacontractors Milestone with Three Damen Workboats

Customized vessels demonstrate capabilities in demanding global markets.

Seacontractors has expanded its workboat fleet with three new orders at Damen Shipyards Group, including the maritime services provider’s ninth vessel from the Shoalbuster range, a Damen Shoalbuster 3209. In addition, Seacontractors’ order for two Stan Tugs makes it the launching customer for the new 70-tonne bollard pull STu 3011 design. Extensive customisations increase the multifunctional design’s capacity for anchor handling and firefighting.

At a ceremony yesterday in Middelburg, the Netherlands, Seacontractors Managing Owner Xander Schanssema and Damen Sales Manager Benelux Jeroen van Woerkum signed the contract for the new vessels. The new orders represent a milestone in Seacontractors’ fleet expansion strategy, noted Mr Schanssema, who saw the potential in the new Stan Tug design to increase the company’s offshore oil & gas as well as terminal services capabilities.

“What drew us to the new STu 3011 is the wider design – compact with extra space on deck,” he commented. “And we also knew that we could rely on Damen for our pretty demanding list of customizations.”

Client specifications for new Stan Tug design
Seacontractors plans to deploy the two new vessels in anchoring handling and terminal works. Following extensive customisation at Damen’s new Song Cam yard in Vietnam, the vessels ¬– to be named Atlantis and Dian Kingdom - will be delivered in June 2015.

Damen’s customization of the multipurpose STu 3011 into an anchor handling tug includes changing the layout of the aft deck and lengthening the aft part of the vessels by 1 metre to create an open stern with stern roller. In addition, Damen will install a waterfall winch from supplier DMT and a bow thruster. The STu 3011 has capacity for a 15-20-tonne anchor on deck.

“We’ve put a lot of thought into these vessels,” Mr Schanssema continued, “ensuring they meet the tough requirements set by our clients, particularly in the Middle East. Damen has done a great job for us in developing these customized designs and the end result is worth it.”

Range developed with client feedback
Mr Van Woerkum says Damen introduced the new STu 3011 design in anticipation of new MLC regulations and to incorporate an efficient 70-tonne bollard pull and wider design with increased stability.

“Seacontractors is the perfect launching customer for us,” he stated. “Working at a high calibre and well known in the industry, Seacontractors is an important customer for Damen.”

In future, Damen plans to engineer standardised options for anchor handling and firefighting into the next STu 3011 vessels built for stock. These additional capabilities broaden the wide range of benefits in this new tug type while ensuring short delivery times.

Shoalbuster fleet expansion
Seacontractors’ new Damen SBu 3209, to be named Sea India, is the first Shoalbuster in the existing fleet equipped with FiFi-1 fire fighting. As well as additional engineering, Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld is supervising the customization of the vessel from stock at Damen Shipyards Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Damen expects to deliver the vessel in November.