“We believe this will result in a more efficient work vessel, enabling us to achieve more work in the same time, as well as increasing safety onboard.”
Scottish workboat operator Inverlussa Marine Services has taken delivery of two new service vessels.
Launched in August, Charlie Knight from Norwegian shipyard Salthammer marks a significant upgrade for Inverlussa’s operations.
The catamaran is the first boat in Scotland to be outfitted with SHM equipment, which includes load cells on its winches.
Load cells are used to monitor the tension or pulling force on the cable, wire, or rope being wound or unwound on the winch. By having a load cell on a winch, operators can ensure they are not exceeding the safe working load of the equipment, prevent overloading, and ensure the safety of lifting or pulling operations.
The boat is built in anticipation of Scotland’s move to larger 200m pens.
“Installing and maintaining grids for customers is a big part of what we do. As sites move to more exposed locations the equipment gets heavier, the requirement of the vessels increases and at Inverlussa we are always looking to be ahead of the game,” Inverlussa Managing Director Ben Wilson told SalmonBusiness.
The vessel also ensures improved conditions for the crew with four ensuite cabins, a large messroom and separate galley to improve living conditions onboard.
Charlie Knight becomes forth hybrid vessel to be built for Inverlussa. The vessel also complies with low emissions notation from DNV, achieved with Tier 3 engines in addition to a hybrid battery pack.
“Charlie Knight is a big step forward in terms of incorporating the latest technology and equipment into a service catamaran for Scotland. We believe this will result in a more efficient work vessel, enabling us to achieve more work in the same time, as well as increasing safety onboard,” said Wilson.
The company also recently took delivery of Mimmi, renamed John Wilson, and is the third NabCat catamaran in Inverlussa’s growing fleet of workboats.
John Wilson was built in 2019 for Norwegian owner FDA, and is based on the versatile Nabcat 15×10 design which includes SHM deck equipment similar to Charlie Knight.
The addition of Charlie Knight and John Wilson takes Inverlussa’s fleet up to 22 vessels and 130 specialised crew.
