Grampian Defiance is the fourth and final ship in the series of four new D-Class emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRVs) constructed in northern Spain by the Balenciaga Shipyard.
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The vessel was launched in May 2012. She has been chartered to DONG E&P to support their offshore operations in the North Sea. The contract is set to start in September 2012.
The vessels are owned and managed by Aberdeen-based North Star Shipping, which owns and operates the largest wholly-owned fleet engaged in the British offshore industry. North Star Shipping is itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Craig Group.
The four D-Class vessels represent an investment of $43.7m. Total investments made by Craig Group in the new-build programme since 2003 stand at $337m. The vessels were ordered to replace the older tonnage with new ones.
The first vessel of the series, named Grampian Don, was launched in August 2011. The second and third vessels, Grampian Dee and Grampian Discovery, were launched in November 2011 and April 2012 respectively.
NSS-IMT 950 design basis for the ERRVs
The Grampian D-Class emergency response and rescue vessels are of NSS-IMT 950 design, developed by the ship designer OSD – IMT, the UK arm of Offshore Ship Designers.
The Grampian D-Class vessels have an overall length of 50.7m. Length between perpendiculars is 47.7m. Moulded breadth of the ships is 13m, while depth to main deck is six metres. Draft at full load is 4.3m.
Gross registered tonnage (GRT) of the ERRVs is 1,330t, while net registered tonnage (NRT) and dead weight (DWT) are 398t and 690t respectively.
Crew facilities and deck equipment of the Grampian Defiance
A total of 15 crew members can be accommodated onboard the vessel. There are 15 single berth cabins with water closets.
Recreation and leisure facilities include a mess room, two lounges, a sauna for steam baths, satellite TV and a gymnasium. There is also an office for the client.
North Star Shipping’s latest ERRV, Grampian Defiance, has tanks with capacities of 300 cubic metres for marine gas oil (MGO) / fuel oil, 150 cubic metres for fresh water and 350 cubic metres for ballast water.
The vessel’s deck is made of steel and measures about 120 square metres. It has a loading capacity of three tons per square metre.
The vessel is outfitted with a Helia deck crane which can lift 1.5t at 15m outreach. It can lift 3t at 10m outreach. There is also a winch, which when required can be fitted with a buoy recovery system.
Rescue and response equipment on all D-Class vessels
All four of the ERRVs are provided with a fast rescue craft and are equipped with a single or double daughter crafts.
The fast rescue craft is of Avon SR 6.4 model. It runs on petrol and carries up to 15 people. The Delta Phantom daughter craft measures 10.25m in length and runs on diesel.
Other rescue and emergency equipments include Dacon rescue scoop, Dacon rescue crane, Cosalt Rescue Basket, Jason cradles frames, a towing hook, dispersant tanks, dispersant spray booms and search lights.
Navigation and communication equipment
The new D-Class vessels are fitted with two (forward and aft) Furuno marine radars, both of which have automatic radar plotting aid (ARPA) capability.
Other navigation equipments include an electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS), a PLB system, a differential global positioning system (DGPS), gyrocompass, Anschutz autopilot, magnetic compass, echo sounder, digital depth recorder and Navigational Telex.
Some of the important communication equipment onboard the Grampian D-Class vessels include Sat Comm, MF/HF Radio, Smartpatch Phones and ICOM IC A110 radios.
Propulsion configuration on North Star Shipping’s Grampian Defiance
Grampian Defiance is powered by a Caterpillar MAK 6M20 main engine. There are two Caterpillar auxiliary engines of 547kW each, as well as an emergency generator of 365kW.
Propulsion for transit is provided by a single controllable pitch propeller (CPP). For smooth manoeuvring, the ship is fitted with an azimuth bow thruster connected to a joystick control system.
