Seacat Services places a £6 million, two-boat order and prepares to launch second tank-tested 26m catamaran ahead of 2017 construction boom.
Class-leading offshore energy crew transfer vessel operator Seacat Services has placed an order worth £6 million with local boat builder South Boats IOW for two DNV-GL class-certified next generation 24m catamarans as it looks to bolster its fleet ahead of the next phase of European offshore wind construction.
While new construction is set to slow during 2015 as a number of sites reach completion, throughout 2016 installation activity is projected to steadily increase and, in 2017, a significant uptick is anticipated as numerous large projects get underway. Concurrently, demand for larger, more versatile crew transfer vessels to service deep water developments in Germany, Denmark the Netherlands, Belgium and soon France will continue to grow steadily as the industry expands.
In order to cater for this expected spike in demand for high-quality support vessels, Seacat Services has committed to extending an ambitious build programme with South Boats that has already seen the launch of eight state-of-the-art catamarans, each building on the unparalleled quality, reliability and safety standards set by the last.
With Seacat Courageous – the firm’s second 26m tank-tested offshore energy support vessel – currently in build and due for launch in mid-February this year, the two new 24m catamarans, named Seacat Mischief and Seacat Magic, are scheduled for launch in October 2015 and January 2016 respectively.
Once complete, the vessels, built to a custom design specification, will expand the Seacat Services operational fleet to 11 and will be available for charter in both the domestic and wider European markets.
Seacat Services
www.seacatservices.co.uk
Filed Under: Construction, News, Offshore wind
