New Damen crew supplier completes sea trials

The 74m crew change vessel can accommodate 122 passengers and offers a viable alternative to helicopter transport. Damen reports that it has already received significant interest from clients in the southern North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and West Africa thanks to its ability to transfer large number of personnel for longer distances at speeds of up to 40 knots.

With journey times of up to 12 hours, comfort and safety are key. To achieve this the design incorporates the Damen Sea Axe bow, the positioning of the accommodation just aft of amidships, and interceptors fitted within the vessel’s stern, all to minimise sensations of motion.

The FCS 7011 also features a range of motion-compensating technologies to ensure safety when crews are transferring. These include a Kongsberg dynamic positioning system, a tailor-made Ampelmann gangway and a VEEM gyrostabiliser, operating alongside the MTU main engines, Hamilton waterjets, Danfoss shaft generators, Reintjes gearboxes and Veth bow thrusters.

On arrival in the Netherlands, the Ampelmann gangway system will be installed, making the FCS 7011 ready for fully-integrated, proof of concept trials in the North Sea.