Damen Twin Axe News

Damen Shipyards Group has unveiled a new vessel design geared toward the developing offshore wind market in North America: the Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 3410 service accommodation and transfer vessel (SATV).The new design builds on Damen designs that have been proven in the European renewables market. The main premise is the patented Damen Twin Axe bow design, which combines the Axe Bow with a catamaran hull to allow the vessel to cut through waves instead of slamming, thereby improving seakeeping and onboard comfort.

Damen Shipyards Group has delivered a Damen Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2610 workboat, named AOS SWIFT for the Atlantic Maritime Group on 20 August 2015. This is the first Damen Twin Axe vessel to be used in the Middle East for safe passenger and crew transfer as well as for the transport of industrial persons, materials and equipment to unmanned offshore platforms in the Strait of Hormuz. Within less than 3 months, and this includes the vessel’s transportation from Damen Shipyards Gorinchem, Damen has customised, commissioned and delivered the stock vessel. Damen signed the contract with Atlantic Maritime Group, in the United Arab Emirates, on 1 June 2015. The vessel is going to be chartered to a Norwegian oil and gas company  for its platform operations Offshore Oman.

Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam have a decade-long relationship with the family-run Groen Offshore, Guard & Support, having built seismic research vessels and completing a majority of its repairs in the past. On July 17, the two parties were united again in an event marking the naming of the newly purchased Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier 2610 to be customized with offshore oil and gas standby capabilities. Named after the 10-year old granddaughter of Groen’s Managing Director…

To develop its large fleet, Groen Offshore, Guard & Support has selected the first Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier 2610 to be customised with Offshore Oil & Gas standby capabilities. The Netherlands-based company will deploy the new vessel on long-term charter for a major E&P operator in the Danish part of the North Sea, following quick delivery this summer from Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam. On 13 May, Henk Groen, Director of Groen Offshore, Guard & Support (in Dutch known as Rederij Groen), signed the contract for the new FCS 2610 with Frits van Dongen, Director of Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam – the Damen yard in the Netherlands that will finish the vessel from stock.

Severn Offshore Services announced that its new vessel Severn Provider has commenced operations in the German sector of the North Sea. The 26-meter Damen Twin Axe crew transfer vessel Severn Provider was recently christened at Damen Shipyards, Gorinchem and mobilized immediately to her first job earlier this month. She is now transporting personnel and equipment to and from the Meerwind Offshore Wind Farm. Managing Director of Severn Offshore Services, Ryan Hopkins, explained…

Damen Shipyards and SeaZip Offshore Service signed another contract for two Damen Fast Crew Suppliers (FCS) 2610 at Wind Energy in Hamburg. The two new vessels, to be named SeaZip 3 and SeaZip 4, will be mobilized in transporting personnel and small quantities of freight to North Sea offshore wind farms. The new orders follow the delivery last year of two FCS 2610 – named SeaZip 1 and SeaZip 2 – that have been performing successfully at the NordseeOst and DanTysk offshore wind farms in the German Bight.

Offshore Wind Services’ (OWS) latest Damen vessel – the Fast Crew Supplier 2008 Offshore Waddenzee - was officially named at Damen Oranjewerf Amsterdam, on August 22. The FCS 2008 is the second Damen vessel ordered this year by the Dutch company, which is a specialist in the provision of crew transfer vessels to the offshore wind industry. In January, OWS became the first company to order the next generation Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier 2610. This vessel is being built in Singapore for delivery later this year.

Damen announced that Windwave Workboats will be the launching customer of the Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2008.The Twin Axe FCS 2008 is a smaller version of Damen’s successful FCS 2610 which launched in 2011 and has subsequently become the industry standard for the offshore wind market, given its capability of operating further offshore in rougher weather conditions, while ensuring safe and comfortable transfers for those on board. Based in Penzance, Cornwall, Windwave Workboats…

Njord Offshore from Essex, U.K., have taken delivery of their first 26m Twin Axe built by Damen Shipyards Group. The vessel was ordered early January 2014, and the delivery took place on February 27. During this seven-week period, the vessel was modified from a basic, standard vessel to suit the specific Njord Offshore requirements. Njord Offshore, established in 2011, focuses on the Offshore Wind industry and operates vessels ranging from 21-26m. In 2014, the Njord fleet shows nine vessels with further fleet expansion in 2015.

British company Sure Wind Marine Ltd. has taken delivery of its second Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier – the Sure Swift - in a little over a month after the first joined the company’s fleet. Established in 2009, Sure Wind is a specialist in the German offshore wind market and now has 10 dedicated wind farm service and crew transfer vessels, the latest two being the first newbuild Damen vessels. Sure Wind also owns the first FCS 2610 ever built – the pioneering Shamal (renamed Sure Shamal) - which it acquired in July 2013.

The first of two Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Suppliers has officially been handed over to British company Sure Wind. A specialist in the German offshore wind market, Sure Wind already has work for the two newbuild FCS 2610 vessels. The first vessel Sure Star will head straight to Esbjerg and will then be deployed in the German market. A second sister vessel, Sure Swift will be delivered end-February. Established in 2009, Sure Wind now has 10 dedicated wind farm service and crew transfer vessels but this is the first time the company has ordered a Damen vessel.

Dutch company Offshore Wind Services B.V. (OWS), a specialist in providing crew transfer vessels to the offshore wind industry, is the first to order the next generation Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier 2610. With the contract signed end-December 2013, the construction of the new vessel began immediately and is set to be delivered in October this year. According to Damen, Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier 2610, introduced to the market in 2011, has already established itself as “The Industry Standard” for the offshore wind market…

Marineco UK placed another order for two more Damen FCS 2610 Twin Axe vessels to serve its offshore wind activities, and Sure Wind, a British company specializing in the German market and new customer for Damen, has ordered two as well. The Scottish company Marineco was the first customer for the Damen Twin Axe vessel, which has become the industry standard since its introduction just over two years ago. Marineco’s two new additions will be delivered in 2014. These vessels are identical to its fourth FCS 2610 Marineco Thunderbird…

Trading in preowned vessels continues to be a popular choice for many customers. Damen Trading facilitates the sale and purchase of both Damen and third-party vessels. Recent deals highlight how trading in vessels results in a win-win situation for buyer and seller. Under these arrangements vessels have been sold in Australia and bought by clients in Uruguay, U.K. vessels have gone to Zanzibar, Colombian vessels to Jamaica, with customers worldwide seeing the benefits of trading in.

Northern Offshore Services has taken delivery of its first Damen Twin Axe, just weeks after the order was placed in August. The 26-meter Fast Crew Supplier is already being deployed at an offshore wind farm in the North Sea. Crewboat operator Northern Offshore Services has offices in Sweden and Denmark and a fleet of nearly 20 vessels. The company specializes in the safe and reliable transport of personnel and equipment to the offshore (wind) industry and is a new customer for Damen. The new vessel is sailing under the Danish flag.

Danish company Sea Consult ApS has taken delivery of its first Damen Twin Axe as the company prepares to enter the offshore wind market. Based in Marstal, Sea Consult is a new customer to Damen and this will be the first Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2610 to be operated by a Danish company. The vessel already has work at Belgian and German offshore wind farms for the next year and the company’s new vessel is expected to be deployed in the next two weeks. According to Damen, the short delivery time was a major reason the Danish company decided to choose the Damen high-speed catamaran.

With its latest delivery, Maritime Craft Services (MCS) said it has become the largest Twin axe owner and operator to services for offshore built wind turbines. Maritime Craft Services (Clyde) Ltd. took delivery of three more Twin Axe wind farm support vessels in June and two more will arrive next month. With the introduction of the five new Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Suppliers, MCS has the largest Twin Axe fleet in the offshore wind industry. The addition of the latest three Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier 2610s follows the successful introduction of two vessels of the same type in 2012…

The new SeaZip service catamarans are set to sail for North Sea offshore wind farm. In Harlingen (the Netherlands), two newly-constructed Damen ‘Twin Axe’ catamaran ships of the FCS 2610 type were officially named on March, 22. These ships will soon be deployed in the completion stage of a large-scale wind farm on the North Sea, 90 km northwest of the island of Borkum. This offshore wind farm is being constructed by the German BARD Group, which will charter the vessels from their owner, SeaZip Offshore Service - a sister company of JR Shipping Group in Harlingen.

Three more Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Suppliers are on their way to Maritime Craft Services (Clyde) Ltd and are expected to arrive in Europe in early May. Based in Largs, Ayrshire, MCS ordered three Twin Axe FCS 2610s, just months after taking delivery of its first two catamarans. All of the vessels are deployed in supporting offshore wind farms and in maintenance activities. With more than 30 years experience, the Scottish family firm operates a 19-strong fleet of tugs and workboats internationally and already has several Damen vessels including Multi Cats and Shoalbusters.

Maritime Craft Services (Clyde) Ltd has ordered three more Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Suppliers just months after taking delivery of its first FCS 2610 catamarans. Based in Largs, Ayrshire (UK), MCS signed for three Twin Axes in November. The vessels will be delivered in the first quarter 2013. With more than 30 years of experience, the Scottish firm operates a 16-strong fleet of tugs and workboats internationally and already has several Damen vessels including Multi Cats, Shoalbusters and Dredge Helpers.

A Scottish maritime company has taken delivery of a second Twin Axe Design offshore wind farm support vessel. MCS Pampero, sister vessel to MCS Sirocco which joined the fleet in June, was handed over to Maritime Craft Services in Singapore and will go straight to work in NW Europe from mid-December. They join crew transfer vessels MCS Zephyr and MCS Maestro South Boat catamarans which were acquired last year. The Largs-based company also announced it is to invest €11m in a further three Damen Twin Axe Design FCS 2610s which will be delivered in March…

Damen is putting the finishing touches on an innovative “Twin Axe” High Speed Support Vessel 2610, a vessel design which is believed to be one of the most innovative design concepts developed by Damen in the last decade, and which will serve the burgeoning offshore wind farm market. Compared to conventional catamarans with the same displacement the new concept offers reduced peak accelerations upto 75%, reduced calm water resistance upto 15% and reduced added resistance in waves upto 60%, according to Damen. To date Damen has delivered 25 Sea Axe monohulls and 22 are under construction.