Halter Delivers Versatile 195-Foot Offshore Supply Vessel

Halter Marine Services, Inc., New Orleans, La., has delivered the new 195-foot offshore support vessel Highland Light to its owner, Offshore Logistics, Inc. of Lafayette, La.

The Highland Light is the fourth in a series of large rig towing, anchor handling and supply vessels being built at Halter's Lockport, La., division for Offshore Logistics.

The ships in the Highland Light size and versatility range represent a new class of combination towing, anchor-handling, supply vessel for Offshore Logistics, a company with more than 100 offshore support vessels in its worldwide fleet. Into the overall characteristics of the vessels is incorporated diesel-powered towing, anchor-handling and bow-thruster equipment, and reliable EMD main engines with kort nozzles and minimum draft of the ship itself provide optimum bollard pull without sacrificing operation in shallow-water conditions. Accommodations are provided for 21 passengers and crew in centrally heated and airconditioned quarters.

The Highland Light is certificated American Bureau of Shipping Class A-l, AMS Ocean Towing/Supply Service, and Ice Class 1-C. Maximum speed of the vessel is 16 knots; service speed is 14 knots.

Overall length of the ship is 195 feet, beam is 42 feet, depth is 15 feet 6 inches, draft is 13 feet, and displacement is 1,900 long tons. The deck area of the boat is 125 feet by 32 feet overall, and is equipped with a 5-foot stern roller.

The main engines on the Highland Light are two EMD 16-645E-5, providing 5,600 continuous and 7,840 indicated horsepower.

The anchor/towing winch is a Smatco-72 double drum, five-speed with a 350,000- pound line pull. The Highland Light is equipped with a 500-hp bow thruster powered by a General Motors 12V71 diesel engine, with a diameter of 55 inches and providing approximately 11,000 pounds of thrust. The unit is situated as low as possible to avoid surfacing in rough seas with the pitching of the vessel.

There are two steering stations on the vessel—one in the wheelhouse and the other facing aft on the bridge deck—equipped with electronic hydraulic steering with a differential system. Rudders are two single-spade type with a minimum area of 42 square feet each and a maximum swing either side of amidship of 35 degrees.

The Highland Light is equipped with the following navigation and communications equipment: automatic pilot, gyrocompass, direction finder, depth sounder, loran, radar and single sideband radio.

Halter Marine Services, Inc., whose main offices are in New Orleans, owns and oper- operates six shipyards in the United States, and is the world's largest builder of offshore support vessels.