Large Project Awarded to Elliott Bay

The new SOLAS regulations are at the center of a large project recently awarded to Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG). The Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm is providing a variety of services in conjunction with the installation of new lifeboat and davit systems aboard three large BP chartered ships. The retrofit program for the ships is being carried out well ahead of the requirement date, according to officials. EBDG is providing detail design, engineering, regulatory liaison and on-site construction supervision services for the project. The upgrade replaces the vessels' open lifeboats and gravity davits with new enclosed motor lifeboats that are capable of self-launching. To accommodate the new systems, EBDG designed structural modifications to support the davits, electrical modifications for the winch motors and emergency lighting, and a new elevated embarkation deck to allow loading of the lifeboats in their stowed positions. Installation has already been completed on the first two ships - B/T Alaska and B/T Prince William Sound - with only Denali remaining.