Cummins power remains popular in SE Asia
Rendering of SEAS Cummins-powered support craft (picture: Pirou/SEAS)
The French have long been noted for their marriage of art and design, writes Alan Haig-Brown. The latest design for a fast support intervention vessel (FSIV) demonstrates this once again.
Artist’s renderings of the vessel currently under construction at Piriou’s South East Asia Shipyard (SEAS) show a sleek hull. From the nearly plumb bow to the trim stern the look promises speed and claims beauty.
This good-looking DP2-capable boat is 53.4m length oa with a slim 10m beam and a middle-draught of 2.25m. Accommodation is provided for a crew of 10 and seating is installed for 80 passengers. In addition to the passenger capacity the vessel’s after deck can support 2.5ton/m2 for a total deck cargo capacity of 226tons. Tankage is provided for 31m3 of vessel-fuel and 104m3 of cargo-fuel. Water for boat use is 7m3 and lube oil is 1.9m3.
In build at the SEAS yard in Vietnam, the vessel will be powered by four Cummins KTA50-M2 engines. Each of these engines will deliver 1,800bhp at 1,900rpm to Twin Disc MGX6848SC to power Hamilton HM811 water jets. This power will give the boat a 30-knot light speed and a 20-knot speed with a big 226ton payload. Cummins will also provide two 6CTA 8.3 D(M) auxiliary engines, to power150kWe Leroy Somer alternators. Another pair of Cummins 6CTA 8.3 D(M) engines rated at 200kW at 1,500rpm will turn to clutched hydraulic pumps. A pair of hydraulic powered 150kW bow thrusters will enhance the vessel’s manoeuvrability when operating in the dynamic positioning mode.
Designed to provide for fast crew changes and as a service vessel for offshore platforms, the boat will be classed ABS +A1 HSC Crew Boat, +AMS, +DPS2, +Fire Fighting Vessel Class 1. The owner and delivery date of the new vessel have not yet been disclosed.
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2012. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
