RWE, in partnership with Commercial Rib Charters (CRC), are developing an amphibious vessel for reaching offshore wind farms in shallow waters. Naval architects Chartwell Marine carried out the design to the specifications requested. The vessel is now in construction and is being built by Isle of Wight based boat builders Diverse Marine; it will be operated for RWE by CRC, via a six-year contract.The fully sea-worthy vessel is to be named ‘CRC Walrus’ in honour of R.J. Mitchells’ classic 1930’s Supermarine amphibious biplane. It has two wheels at the front and one at the back, and is capable of transferring 10 technicians and two crew to any of the turbines within the array, including on the raised sandbank. CRC Walrus is a 12-meter type approved crew transfer vessel, with a 1000kg deck cargo capacity.
The crew transfer vessel has initially been designed to reach turbines at Scroby Sands. RWE’s 60MW Scroby Sands Offshore Wind Farm was built on a prehistoric sandbank and, because of natural changes in the marine environment and coastal erosion, this has risen over time effectively isolating four turbines from being accessed by service vessels.
