Offshore support vessel operator Seacat Services has taken up its option to build a second multimillion-dollar Chartwell 24 catamaran for the offshore wind sector. Seacat Rainbow, designed by pioneer in next generation vessel design, Chartwell Marine, will enter construction immediately at Isle of Wight shipyard Diverse Marine.
Recent multi-vessel contract wins and charter extensions have led to high levels of forward utilization for the Seacat Services fleet, creating a strong commercial case for further expansion. Seacat Rainbow will join sister Chartwell 24 vessel Seacat Weatherly, which is currently in build at Diverse Marine, on track for delivery and due to be completed in April 2020.
The newbuild will be identical in specification to Seacat Weatherly, including a number of innovations to optimize the safety of crew and cargo transfers, and maximize the performance and technical availability of the vessel – ultimately translating to more ‘time on turbine’ for wind farm technicians.
Andy Page, Managing Director, Chartwell Marine, said, “The offshore wind sector is at a pivotal point, where lessons learnt from development and operation to date must quickly be applied to achieve true global scale. Seacat Services continues to demonstrate that it is not willing to compromise on the attributes that make a safe, reliable and efficient offshore energy support vessel.”
Ian Baylis, Managing Director of Seacat Services, said, “Chartwell Marine’s pioneering approach, backed up by strong technical R&D expertise and extensive dialogue with operators and wind farm stakeholders, gives us enormous confidence in the design. The investment case for this second vessel was clear cut, and we look forward to bringing both Rainbow and Weatherly into the fleet to show how this translates into the highest levels of performance and service for our customers.”