American Offshore Services (A-O-S) has taken delivery of its first crew transfer vessel (CTV), Gripper, purpose built to support the U.S. offshore wind industry. The vessel is scheduled to be christened during an official ceremony later this month.
The Jones Act compliant aluminum catamaran was built by Blount Boats in Warren, R.I., based on Northern Offshore Services' (N-O-S) 30-meter G-class design. The newbuild features Volvo Penta's IPS propulsion system and is said to be "hybrid-ready", meaning it was built with space reserved for all the required components for future upgrade to hybrid propulsion.
A-O-S is a joint venture formed in 2020 by leading European CTV operator N-O-S and U.S.-based investment firm OIC.
The company, which plans to expand its CTV fleet with the growth of the U.S. offshore wind industry, currently has vessels on order at Blount Boats as well as Metal Shark in Franklin, La.
To date, there are more than 20 CTVs in service or on order in the U.S., according to data from Intelatus Global Partners. In the years ahead, it is expected that dozens more will be built in the U.S. to support the construction and long-term service of a pipeline of new wind farms slated to sprout up in the waters off of the country's East Coast.