Herman Sr. BV orders first Damen DP2 Shoalbuster

Dutch marine services provider Herman Sr. BV has announced at Offshore Energy 2018 that it has agreed with Damen Shipyards Group to order the first of a newly-developed DAMEN Shoalbuster type with full DP2 capabilities. This will be the first of a new class within the Shoalbuster series and one of the largest available. The vessel will be built at DAMEN Shipyards Hardinxveld, the company said in its press release.

35 metres in length, nearly 14 metres wide and with a free deck space of 150m2, the Shoalbuster 3514 will be a substantial working platform. Her SD (Shallow Draft) notation is derived from her exceptionally shallow draft of 2.70 metres at full tank capacity and just 2.40 metres at 50%. Among the many roles that this first DP2 Shoalbuster will be capable of fulfilling will be anchor handling, for which she will have an open stern complete with roller, and towage. With 60 tonnes of bollard pull she will be a powerful and effective towage asset.

Four Caterpillar C32 ACERT engines will deliver a total of 3,879 bkW (5,280 hp) to four 1900mm nozzles, an arrangement that contributes significantly to her shallow-waters capability. The vessel will carry a crew of five to six mariners, but she will have accommodation for up to 22 personnel, allowing her to support projects both ship-based and elsewhere.

Herman Sr. intends to use its Shoalbuster 3514 for wind farm support and maintenance, where its shallow draft will allow it to work both near as well as off shore. Its vessel will have a DP2 Kongsberg dynamic positioning system including ancillary thrusters to ensure precision position-holding on the open sea as well in the vicinity of turbines and other structures. Its open stern will also make the vessel suitable for cable-laying operations and a sturdy aft deck knuckle boom crane will be capable of lifting a wide assortment of cargo and equipment.

Jack van Dodewaard, managing director of Herman Sr, commented: “We are very happy to be continuing our more than 70 years of cooperation with the DAMEN group, in particular with DAMEN Hardinxveld. That was where in 1947 the first vessel, the HeGeJo with a 77 hp Caterpillar engine, was built for our family. Many more vessels have followed since.

“Our new Shoalbuster 3514 will be the first DP2 vessel in our fleet and will be named Brutus. With a bollard pull of 60 tonnes we are aiming for a versatile, dynamically positioned vessel, suitable for performing a wide range of works in shallow waters. These will include PLGR, ROV surveys, mass flow, UXO surveys, wind farm support and all the other services that our clients are used to receiving from Herman Sr. BV. With accommodation capable of taking more than 20 people she will also be able to work for extended periods offshore. And of course she will undertake many other functions such as towage, anchor handling and rig relocations.  In addition, the vessel is able to dry out completely for cable handling and other works. We are looking forward in receiving the vessel built to Damen’s high standards, as always.”

“The 3514 represents an appreciable uplift in capability for the Shoalbuster class and is a very special vessel with a wide range of options available,” added Jos van Woerkum, managing director of DAMEN Shipyards Hardinxveld. “We are very pleased that Herman Sr is the launch client. They have been a longstanding client of DAMEN for three generations and we greatly appreciate the confidence that they have shown in us over all that time. This will be their fourteenth DAMEN vessel and at DAMEN Shipyards Hardinxveld our eleventh order, as well as their ninth and largest Shoalbuster to date. Other expressions of interest that we have received in the 3514 gives us confidence that it will be a successful addition to our offshore support vessel portfolio.”

Delivery of the Brutus is scheduled for spring 2020.

Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 35 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. DAMEN has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 160 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept DAMEN is able to guarantee consistent quality.

Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, DAMEN vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.

Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.

For nearly all vessel types DAMEN offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. DAMEN also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating and (covered) drydocks, the largest of which is 420 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.