Damen Shipyards Group has announced a new design for the fast crew supplier (FCS) 3410 service accommodation and transfer vessel (SATV).
Numerous design features of the FCS 3410 vessel ensure its suitability for operations in the developing North American offshore wind market.
The vessel will be built on location in the US and is based on the Damen twin axe bow design. This allows the vessel to cut through waves instead of slamming into them.
Damen noted that the Axe Bow design also improves seakeeping and on-board comfort.
Damen US sales manager Daan Dijxhoorn said: “This vessel is well-suited to numerous markets, however, we have given it long-endurance capability so that it can remain at sea for up to five days at a time – a requirement typically seen in US operations.
“To facilitate this, we have designed a vessel six metres longer than previous FCS types.
Damen recently developed the FCS 2610, which combines the Axe Bow design with a catamaran hull form.
It was developed further with the FCS 2710, a new FCS vessel that is 1m-long compared to its predecessor.
The FCS 3410 also draws on Damen’s walk-to-work Accommodation Support Vessel 9020, which has been designed to transport and provide accommodation for offshore personnel for up to a month.
Partner yards in the US have built Damen designs at domestic locations for several years, giving ship owners access to the company’s designs while complying with the requirements of the Jones Act, Damen said.
