New Mobimar windfarm service vessel

Finland’s multi-disciplined boatbuilder, Mobimar Ltd, has been doing well in the offshore wind farm service market with its unique crew transfer CTV trimaran - the Mobimar 18 Wind.

Mobimar says that the vessel enables safer crew transfers by the stable trimaran hull and a unique gripper system attached the bow - while other vessels have to push with full throttle against the wind turbine to remain stable.

With the 18 Wind, disembarkation is possible in up to 2.5m swell, which means more operational days with less downtime.

A 180 degree approaching angle allows the most convenient approach to be taken based on sea and wind currents. During the landing, the engines can idle, while the gripper can be used either in gripping or sliding mode to attach the vessel to the platform.

Antti Immonen, Mobimar's sales development manager, told Boating Business: "We have now done all the laboratory and structural analysis, we have fine tuned the hydraulics in practical conditions and measured the real affecting forces. Our current challenge is to get all the vessel owners and the energy companies that are currently using the conventional mooring to demand more safety and higher utilisation rate from the vessels."

The company says that the gripper makes underwater maintenance, especially, safer and easier to perform.

The trimaran hull also reduces impact on the platform considerably when compared with corresponding CTVs. Because it also offers less water resistance, it means lower fuel consumption. The CTV trimaran has one main engine rating at 750 kW, a catamaran would have two similar engines for power.

Mobimar delivered its first trimaran crew transfer vessel to Finland's Meriaura Ltd in March 2012.