Great Yarmouth-based aluminium workboat builder Alicat Workboats Ltd has signed contracts with Renewable Energy Support Ltd. (RES) for the construction of MCS SWATH 2, a 26-metre Typhoon SWATH crew transfer vessel (CTV).
It is understood RES has signed a contract with Maritime Craft Services (Clyde) Ltd to manage and market MCS SWATH 2, Alicat Workboats said.
MCS SWATH 2 is being designed by Ad-Hoc Marine Designs and is a development of the company’s existing vessel, MCS SWATH 1, delivered from the Far East in 2016.
Alicat Workboats won the order through a competitive tender process and, despite not being the cheapest, offered the most compliant technical and commercial proposal, the company said. Peter Curtis of DS Leasing has provided the financial solution that RES needed to facilitate the order. The vessel will start construction in October 2017 and be delivered in October 2018.
The vessel is to be powered by quad Scania DI16-076M 600kw main engines coupled to Hundested marine gears driving two shafts to controllable pitch propellers that will drive MCS SWATH 2 to speeds in excess of 25 knots in 2.5m Hs.
The craft will also have active ballast management and an active ride/motion control system.
“In conjunction with RES, we are very pleased to bring the Typhoon SWATH construction to the UK following extensive development of the hull form in independent model testing,” Ben Colman of Alicat Workboats said.
”We have worked with John Kecsmar at Ad-Hoc for many years and we are delighted that Dirk and RES have selected us for the construction of delivery of this technically advanced vessel. This project proves that SWATH vessels can be built in the UK and yards such as ours can offer the technical and commercial solutions required by vessel operators and financial package providers.”