Page 12: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2016)

Renewable Energy

Offshore Wind North America

First U.S.-? ag Wind Farm Vessel Christened by Eric Haun erving notice that U.S. yards can farm to take shape in the U.S. with a farm; it doesn’t get any better.” and do build workboats for the ? ve-turbine site that will provide 30MW “This is the ? rst vessel of its kind built

Snascent North American offshore power for Block Island. in the United States. No one has built a wind farm industry, Blount Boats has Designed by South Boats IOW (Isle of boat like it. That’s what makes it very, delivered the Atlantic Pioneer, Ameri- Wight), which has designed and built very unique,” said Charles A. Donadio ca’s ? rst U.S.-? agged crew transfer ves- approximately 81 crew transfer vessels Jr., President of Rhode Island Fast Ferry.

sel (CTV) for Atlantic Wind Transfers. for service to the European offshore Donadio said Atlantic Pioneer is also

Atlantic Wind Transfers is the commer- wind sector, Atlantic Pioneer was built a “cross-platform vessel.” It is dual cer- cial wind support services subsidiary by Rhode Island’s Blount Boats, which ti? ed to USCG subchapter L (offshore of Rhode Island Fast Ferry, which se- in 2011 signed an exclusive licensing supply vessel) to carry up to 16 offshore cured a 20-year contract from Deepwa- agreement with South Boats covering workers and subchapter T (small pas- ter Wind Block Island, LLC to operate the U.S. offshore wind industry. senger) to carry up to 47 passengers. the vessel for the nation’s ? rst offshore “We take pride in every boat we build, “We can carry the technicians, but we wind farm, beginning in May 2016. but this boat is very special – the ? rst also went one step further . . . certifying

Christened on April 22 at a ceremony U.S.-? agged vessel serving the ? rst off- as a T passenger boat,” Donadio said. at Quonset Point in North Kingstown, shore wind farm in the United States,” “So we can actually take this boat out

R.I., Atlantic Pioneer is a 21-meter twin said Marcia Blount, president and chief with 47 passengers and do a little tour hulled, all-aluminum catamaran built ? nancial of? cer at Blount Boats. “Built around the bay or some small wind farm to service the Block Island Wind Farm, in Rhode Island for a Rhode Island op- tours.” which will be the ? rst offshore wind erator servicing a Rhode Island wind Atlantic Pioneer’s propulsion system .

Atlantic Pioneer features a special fendering system for connecting to wind turbines (Photo: Eric Haun)

May 2016

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