MCS takes delivery of its first Damen Multi Cat 3013
Maritime Craft Services (Clyde) Ltd has taken delivery of its first Damen Multi Cat 3013. Based in Fairlie, Ayrshire, the Scottish company is one of the largest operators of Damen vessels in the world, with 14 in its fleet, the company said in its press release.
This order also represents an important milestone for Damen as it is the first vessel to be built at Damen Shipyards Sharjah, which opened in 2014.
Managing Director of Maritime Craft Services, Menno Kuyt, comments: “This latest vessel fills a gap in our fleet, we were looking for a larger vessel, particularly with more crane capacity for dredging support work and Damen can make this happen very quickly!” MCS ordered the Damen Multi Cat 3013, now named MCS ELLY II on April 28 and it was delivered on May 27, less than a month later.
The Damen Multi Cat 3013 includes two Heila HLRM 340 cranes, which each have a 33 tonne capacity over 9.4 m. Coupled with this, the vessel has a very spacious, unobstructed deck, says Mr Kuyt.
“We have a fantastic relationship with Damen, which dates back a long time,” stresses Mr Kuyt. Menno’s father founded MCS nearly 40 years ago and the first vessel purchased was a Damen Stan Tug 1. The former MCS ELLY was a Damen Dredgehelper 2510.
MCS ELLY II will be going straight to work in the Middle East on a major dredging project.
Jos van Woerkum, Managing Director of Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld, says: “We were pleased that we could build this vessel on the spot for MCS as it will be directly deployed in the region, saving the company mobilisation costs.”
The Damen Multi Cat 3013 is very flexible for a variety of tasks, he emphasises. “It is powerful and this is combined with a shallow draft and substantial crane capacity.”
Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld has built several vessels for MCS. In March 2014 the shipyard delivered the MCS Rosie, the sixth vessel built by the yard. Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld has also built three Shoalbusters 2609, a Shoalbuster 2709 and a Multi Cat 2611 for MCS. “We have a very close cooperation based on trust,” adds Mr van Woerkum.
