Gobbler OSRV Harnesses Fire Suppression Tech

The new Gobbler Offshore 290 oil spill recovery vessel (OSRV) not only excels at remediation, but harnesses the latest in environmentally sound fire suppression technology, according to its developer. The boat comes standard with a Sea-Fire pre-engineered system and 3M's Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid.

"We chose Novec 1230 because it's in line with Gobbler Boats' ethos of protecting the environment," said Simon Jauncey, Gobbler Boats' technical manager. 3M's next-generation fire suppression fluid is a replacement for Halon. Electrically nonconductive and noncorrosive, expensive machinery and electronics aren't damaged during discharge. With a low toxicity value, it also offers a high margin of safety for workers within occupied spaces. Environmentally clean, it has a global warming potential of 1—the same as CO2—and will not deplete the ozone.

What makes the 29-foot Gobbler Offshore 290 unique is that it doesn't store recovered oil, instead it tows 3,434 gal. detachable bladders behind the vessel. This allows the boat to operate almost nonstop and collect up to 6,400 bbls of 98% water-free reusable oil per day. It will operate in less than 1.5' of water, making it ideal for shoreline work, but carries a Lloyds G3 certification for offshore coverage to 60 nm. With an 8.5' beam, it's easily trailerable, or stowed on a ship or platform. The boat was awarded the Seawork 2015 Spirit of Innovation trophy and was a category winner for Vessel Design & Construction.