The WaveCraft Offshore Service Vessel is manufactured by Umoe Mandal in Norway and is part of the next generation of offshore wind farm service vessels. Earlier this year Umoe Mandal chartered the first commercial WaveCraft to Dong Energy for use at its Borkum Riffgrund Wind Farm off the coast of Germany, but the second commercial vessel, the Umoe Firmus is coming to the UK.
Tidal Transit has entered into a Ship Management contract with Umoe Mandal to be the UK operator of the Umoe Firmus. The WaveCraft is a Surface Effect Ship [SES] which uses an air cushion between its catamaran hulls to lift 80% of the vessel out of the water. The small draught that this creates provides the vessel with easy access to ports, and enables it to travel at high speeds [40 knots] whilst maintaining a low fuel consumption resulting in a range of more than 700 nautical miles. Importantly, managing the pressure of the air cushion according to wave height allows for smoother voyages and provides a greatly increased opportunity for access to turbines -up to wave heights of 2.5 metres, or even higher in a swell.
