German offshore vessel operator Opus Marine has acquired two WINDFLEX-27 Crew Transfer Vessels built by Penguin Shipyard, a unit of Singapore-based Penguin International Limited.
Incat Crowther, the vessel designer, said that the two vessels, to be named Valkyrie and Wotan, would be delivered to Opus Marine and will start working with Orsted in Taiwan shortly.
"Built as stock vessels, the WINDFLEX-27 is yet another successful co-operation between Incat Crowther and Penguin. The latest project follows on from the successful joint development of Penguin's Flex Ferry X, a stock passenger ferry," Incat Crowther said.
The WINDFLEX-27 is a development within Incat Crowther’s Sea Sherpa design portfolio. In addition to European flag state compliance, Incat Crowther’s Sea Sherpa designs are fully compliant with US, Taiwan and Japanese flag state requirements, Incat Crowther said.
"The WINDFLEX-27 offers excellent speed, deadweight and seakeeping, making them capable of many roles in the Offshore Wind industry. The design’s 27m by 9m platform sports a deadweight capacity in excess of 50 tonnes, offering considerable versatility in terms of fuel and deck cargo transfer," Incat Crowther said.
The WINDFLEX-27 vessel features two working decks. A large working deck forward can accommodate up to 4 x 10ft containers or 2 x 20 ft and is equipped with a deck crane. The aft deck can accommodate a 10ft container. Both decks feature multiple tie-down points for flexibility, accommodating every possible requirement or spares and equipment, the designer said.
Inside the main cabin is a large wet room with multiple showers, toilets and lockers. The main deck passenger space is large and open, with forward visibility, seating up to 24 personnel in comfortable business class seats. The upper deck features an elevated wheelhouse with commanding views over the bow for safe transfer operations.
Behind the wheelhouse is a crew space with mess, bathroom, and twin cabin. The twin hulls feature 2 single crew cabins per side and bathrooms. All accommodation is MLC compliant.
"The designs all benefit from the use of Incat Crowther’s resilient bow technology (patent pending), a bow fendering system designed to maximize vessel wave-height transfer capability whilst minimizing impact loads," Incat Crowther said.