Vestdavit wins record multi-davit contract with Seaspan for Canadian Coast Guard vessels
Vestdavit has landed its biggest-ever order with a major contract to deliver high-specification davits for six Multi-Purpose Vessels to be built for the Canadian Coast Guard at Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver, according to the company's release.
The leading Norwegian davit supplier will initially provide a total of six FF-15000 davit systems - one for each vessel - with options for a further 10 such units under its second contract secured with the Canadian shipbuilding group.
It comes on the heels of an order that Vestdavit won last year with Seaspan to supply RHIB davits for the Polar Icebreaker, also soon to be under construction for the Canadian Coast Guard.
The hydraulically operated FF-15000, which is an adaptation of a larger FF-type davit delivered for an earlier project, is based on the F-frame system that comprises a large frame with no structure behind or underneath the daughter craft. This allows for greater flexibility in the shape and volume of the boat being handled, with the main structure aft/forward of the boat.
The flexible, deck-mounted davit, with a 15000kg safe working load (SWL) capacity, can operate in both single and dual-point configuration for optimal performance with various sizes of craft.
It will be able to handle both a 9m self-propelled barge and 7.5m RHIB, as well as a 20-foot ISO container by incorporating into the system adjustable lifting points that allow for handling of boats and containers with different lifting points, size and weight.
The motion-compensated davit also incorporates advanced features such as shock absorbers, dual winches that each have independent constant tension and an anti-pendulation device with guide arms for maximum stability to safely launch and recover boats in rough sea conditions.
The Canadian Coast Guard’s operations are dependent on a high level of davit efficiency and availability, as well as redundancy, for frequent launch-and-recovery operations to perform a variety of essential tasks, such as rescue missions.
The new Multi-Purpose Vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard are intended to operate year-round on Canada’s eastern and western seaboards and will support critical services such as icebreaking in moderate conditions, maritime search and rescue, scientific research, environmental response, emergency towing, maintenance and deployment of buoys, as well as support for offshore fisheries patrols.
