Damen Delivers Shoalbuster 3209 to Acta Marine

Coastal voyager on its way for offshore wind farms

Lady sponsor Annemie van der Ven- Scheeren, who named the ‘Coastal Voyager’ of Acta Marinein Amsterdam (The Netherlands) on 28th February, has not taken her task lightly. The spouse of the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Acta Marine not only wished vessel and crew well, but also held a speech on the history of inauguration customs. Beforehand, she took the opportunity to go on board to witness the trial of the Damen Shoalbuster 3209 Coastal Voyager.

In a way the inauguration took place in an historic environment: that of Het Scheepvaartmuseum (the National Maritime Museum) at the Amsterdam city center. Both shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld and customer Acta Marine look back on a festive event of the new Shoalbuster, which was delivered precisely on the contract date. “That is customary”, remarked Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld MD Jos van Woerkum, who added that the multi-purpose vessel has been custom-built to do the dredging and marine contacting projects on hand. The Costal Voyager is planned to be deployed for offshore wind farm projects in the North Sea.

More vessels
Acta Marine MD Govert-Jan van Oord said that it is possible to deploy the Shoalbuster anchor handling tug elsewhere, in case its assistance is needed. “End last year, early this year, we also bought three of these older vessels from the existing Damen Marine Services charter fleet.  The fourth one is newbuild. In fact it is the fifth of the series, as Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld delivered the Shoalbuster Coastal Vanguard December, 2010.”

Van Oord added that – having five Shoalbuster vessels deployed – Acta Marine can be considered as being one of the larger players worldwide in the dredging and marine contracting market, in the oil and gas industry and in the market for offshore wind. Its Shoalbusters 2609 are deployed in the Persian Gulf. The third of the series Shoalbuster 3209 – active in Singapore – and the new vessel are larger: 3,300 horsepower units and a Bollard Pull of 45-50 tons. These two vessels are the sister ships of the Coastal Vanguard.