Vestdavit To Equip Norwegian Coast Guard’s Next Gen Polar Vessels.

Boat launch and recovery specialist Vestdavit has secured an order to supply three new Norwegian Coast Guard vessels with davits equipped for polar conditions, in a project which also calls for the installation of a deck-mounted transfer system for rapid deployment.

Vestdavit’s boat (Picture source: LMG Marin)

The ships are being built by Vard Group within the P6615 project to replace Nordkapp-class ships with a new generation of search-and-rescue, surveillance, and oil recovery vessels. The 136m length new buildings have been developed for worldwide operations including arctic areas and will feature ice-strengthened hulls and ice-class notation on their delivery from Vard Langsten, Norway, one apiece in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Each vessel will come complete with one telescopic TBD-10000L davit system plus two PLR-5003KV units, built to Vestdavit standards for minimum availability of 330 days a year up to upper Sea State 5, based on actual North Sea conditions 1958-2018. In line with the areas of operation envisaged, the davits will be winterized for full functionality in temperatures as low as -25deg C, as required in the Polar Code.

“This contract continues an unbroken run of davit system orders from the Norwegian Coast Guard but the project merits special attention as the customer continues to push forward davit performance requirements,” says Bjørnar Dahle, Business Development Director, Vestdavit.

The Vestdavit TDB-10000L is a hydraulically-operated 10 T SWL single point telescopic davit suitable for handling auxiliary boats at hoisting and lowering speeds of 40 m/min. Project specifications include a dynamic shock absorber system, Vestdavit’s constant tension solution and hydraulic boat-guiding arms.

In addition, the Norwegian Coast Guard has opted for a wagon-based boat transfer system operating on deck-mounted rails. Featuring a pair of wagons, or cradles, the solution includes elements of Vestdavit’s leading-edge and patent-protected MissionEase multi-boat transfer system, in that it can present two boats to the davit in quick succession for rapid deployment.

The Vestdavit PLR-5003KV units also specified within the contract are A-frame, all-steel davits with a 5-ton SWL, which will feature Vestdavit’s wave-compensation system and shock absorber system. The solution will feature 50m/min lifting and lowering speeds. The units installed are designed to handle FRBs of up to 8.5m in length.

The complete order also includes telescopic painter booms to run parallel to the ship and pick up the painter line to keep auxiliary boats at a safe distance to the ship’s side, controlled from the boat launching operators station.