The delivery of the third Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2710 bought by Swansea, UK-based High Speed Transfers has taken place at Damen Shipyards Antalya. Named HST Harri, she joins the HST Hudson, delivered in May 2018, and the HST Sofia, which was handed over in March this year. A fourth FCS 2710 for High Speed Transfers, to be named HST Euan, is currently nearing completion for delivery in December.
The HST Harri is booked to start immediately on a five-year contract in the North Sea with wind farm operator MHI Vestas, where her duties will include delivering personnel and equipment to multiple sites.
The FCS 2710 builds on the success of Damen’s highly successful FCS 2610, incorporating all the feedback and experience gained from the operations of its predecessor. While only one metre longer, it is capable of carrying 26 passengers, twice as many as the FCS 2610, and can operate in wave heights of more than two metres due to an extra metre of freeboard. Additional features include more flexibility, more tank capacity, greater deck space, increased comfort and more accommodation.
“We are thrilled to see a third FCS 2710 beginning operations and fourth one just a few months away,” says Arjen van Elk, Damen sales manager for the UK and Ireland. “Tom Nevin and his colleagues at HST have been great ambassadors for the new class and really demonstrated its capabilities and efficiency in both the North and Black seas to the offshore renewable and oil & gas sectors.”
Tom Nevin, CEO of HST, added, “The HST family are delighted to have taken delivery of HST Harri and we look forward to the voyage from Turkey to the North Sea. The FCS 2710 has been well received in the market and we will continue to showcase the vessel and, with it, our company’s capabilities.”
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,500 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers around 175 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, including the longest, 420 x 80 metres, and the widest, 405 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.