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Legacy Marine delivers 18 m dive support catamaran

Written by Nick Blenkey
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JANUARY 29, 2018 — South Africa’s Legacy Marine Group reports that Stapem Beluga, the first of two Incat Crowther designed 18 m aluminum dive support catamarans, has been delivered safely to Angola.

The Marshall Islands flagged vessel has been built under ABS survey by Legacy Marine’s Port Elizabeth, South Africa, shipyard for French oil and gas services company Stapem Offshore, this Marshall Island flagged vessel will operate off the Angolan coast.

The vessel design was fully customized to suit the client’s specific operational requirements and is equipped with a bow configuration specific to landings on FPSO’s and platforms for safe transfer of personnel.

The vessel has custom fitted NIBS fendering suited to the operational conditions.

Equipment fitted to the vessel includes a three man Unique Hydra Nitrox air dive system, complete with multiple video and two-way communication as well as data logging systems, onboard HP and LP air compressors, underwater welding facilities, Caviblaster underwater HP washer, full diesel engine driven hydraulics system for subsea tools and deck crane, twin aircon units and FP duty and standby diesel generators.

The vessel is also fitted with lighting to support night operations, including a FLIR camera system.

The aft deck is configured to support diving operations and has full CCTV camera coverage and is fitted with four dive ladders and three davits.

Classed to ABS +A1 (E) HSC Coastal Craft +AMS, the vessel has a full array of safety and detection systems suitable for use in the offshore oil & gas industry.

The vessel is a semi-planing catamaran and is propelled by two MAN (560 hp) inboard diesel engines coupled via ZF360 gearboxes to Hamilton HJ403 water jets with full MECS control giving excellent manoeuvrability, an operational speed of 20 knots and a sprint speed of 23.5 knots.

The fuel systems provided allow for high end water separation and filtration of diesel from main tanks to day tanks to accommodate substandard fuel qualities.

The vessel is designed to work alongside a “mothership” and is not required to provide crew accommodations. Its primary mission objective is to serve as an effective dive work station from which dive operations can be carried out on a 24/7 basis by a team of 14 personnel in a safe and comfortable manner.

Stapem Beluga’s sister ship, Stapem Narval is current under construction at Legacy Marine’s Port Elizabeth shipyard.

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