Page 14: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2014)

Vessels May 201414 MTRour clients and understand that bigger is not always better for some of their usage scenarios but they have demands for ves- sels that require greater performance than anything else cur- rently available on the market. ?The Damen FCS 2610 was a game changer when it was  rst introduced and kick started the trend for larger boats and is still the preferred large boat option, as can be seen by their demand in the North Sea. Our clients have had a lot of success in using them; however it is too large for some operations. In response, Damen have now developed the FCS 2008 which makes it the obvious choice for our applications.? Arjen van Elk, Damen Sales Manager U.K. & Ireland, said, ?Windwave Workboats came to Holland to take the FCS 2008 for sea trials in a rough North Sea. The experienced crew was immediately impressed by the capabilities of the vessel. We are now out tting a vessel to Windwave Workboats? require- ments.? The company wanted to have accommodation on board to overnight in the harbor, so two cabins with three bunks are being installed in the hulls. As well as this, the railing on the foredeck has been changed making the foredeck more spa-cious. A crane is also being placed on the foredeck. The FCS 2008 can also carry 2 x 10 ft containers, on the stern and bow. ?The 20m version is the perfect boat for near-shore wind farms and ideal for transferring personnel safely, as well as light cargo, said Peter Robert, Damen Business Development Manager Offshore Wind. ?With this move the Twin Axe off- shore wind range is completed. Damen decided to row against the current in 2011 when we decided to build the bigger 26 m vessel. We saw that there was simply nothing suitable avail- able. Meanwhile, the turbines were getting larger, wind farms were going further offshore, so developers were less interest- ed in the smaller 14-15 m vessels. We started with the large vessels and now others have followed.? The FCS 2008 will of cially launch at Seawork International in June. Being built at Damen Shipyards Den Helder, three more vessels are available from stock, the  rst from end-April. The Twin Axe FCS 2008 (20 m x 8 m) is an aluminum, high- speed vessel for transferring personnel and light cargo. It has 2 x MTU engines (1930 BHP) giving a speed of 24.5 knots. Classed by Bureau Veritas, the vessel has a capacity for 12 passengers on deck level and spacious accommodation. The vessel includes 12 passenger seats, a galley and two toilets are on deck level, together with ample storage space. There is internal access from the deck level to the wheelhouse, which has a helmsman?s seat, navigation seat and chart table. The two hulls accommodate engine rooms, storage and op- tional cabins.www.damen.com MTR #4 (1-17).indd 14MTR #4 (1-17).indd 145/12/2014 12:32:34 PM5/12/2014 12:32:34 PM