Page 34: of Marine Technology Magazine (September 2019)

Going over the n May this year, an unmanned sur-

Use of unmanned surface vessels is face vessel (USV) made the jour- ney from West Mersea, in Essex,

IEngland, to Oostende in Belgium. becoming a commercial reality – re-

The 22-hour journey, between the UK and the European mainland, to deliver ducing emissions, cost and health a 5 kg box of oysters caught around

Mersea Island was largely symbolic (by road, including the Channel Tunnel, it and safety risk in the offshore indus- would take just under ? ve hours, cov- ering 200 miles). It showed that an un- try. Elaine Maslin takes a look at manned vessel – in this case a SEA-KIT operated Maxlimer, built by UK-based

Hushcraft – could transit safely across projects BP has been running.

one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes

September 2019 34

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