Zumaia Offshore Acqires MPP Workboat Aitana B
In April 2016 Zumaia Offshore, S.L., leading workboat owner and operator based in the Basque Country, took delivery of the Cummins-powered MPP workboat “Aitana B” from Neptune Shipyards in the Netherlands. At 27 by 12-meters with a three-meter draft it is one of the largest models of Neptune’s Eurocarrier series of workboats, which are specifically designed for dredging assistance, port construction & maintenance, dive & ROV support, sea renewables, Geotechnical survey and general offshore support in shallow waters.
The range of equipment built into the rectangular platform is remarkable. An accommodation and wheelhouse block set on the port side provides six staterooms, mess and galley for up to 12 people. In addition there is another 150 square meters of clear working deck. Tankage includes 124 cubic meters of fuel and 76 cubic meters of fresh water.
Mounted on that space is a veritable state of the art deck equipment capable of handling a wide range of marine projects. A forward deck crane lifts up to 11 tons at 18.5-meter extension, also mounting a 10 ton SWL winch for swift deployment of survey equipment. The aft mounted deck crane lifts ten tons with a 12.17-meter extension. In addition to the vessel’s 15ton tugger winch located starboard aft, the vessel is fitted with an anchor-handling winch with a 125-ton braking hold force and capable of lifting 100 tons at nine meters per minute or 18 tons per minute with a high speed setting. The A/H winch carries 400 meters of 52-m/m wire. This workboat is fitted as well for towing with a dedicated 50ton winch with a 65-ton braking hold force with 550 meters of 36/mm wire, a 30-ton SWL towing hook and towing pins aft.
The bow has a 6000 by 1220 m/m heavy duty roller with a Triplex guide pins, stopper and shark-jaws set up. The wooden deck has flushed-in container twist lock fittings for multiple container configurations. On request, the vessel can also be “plug&play” fitted with a 4 point mooring installation and hydraulic connections for LARS-ROV and diving support operations. The vessel also has deck fittings both fore and aft to allow an a-frame for related jobs.
On top of the above, this workhorse has a Bureau Veritas certified AM/AT dynamic positioning system, based in independent rudders and powerful tunnel thrusters fore and aft, which provides safety and versatility for an increasing number of works in the current offshore support market. The vessel has been working on DP requiring projects non-stop from delivery, with a proven record of station keeping capacity during support operations on difficult conditions, proving a remarkable DP plot. The vessel is also equipped with a side-moonpool to assist survey operations with GAPS.
With a speed of 10.8 knots, a pair of Cummins QSK38-M diesels powers the “Aitana B” producing 1381 bhp each at 1800 RPM. The engines turn 1850 m/m fixed-pitch propellers in nozzles. This provides a 35-ton certified bollard pull, which together with the towing-winch allows the boat to provide reliable towing services. In addition to the propulsion and rudder system, both thrusters mounted fore and aft, provide this vessel with increased manoeuvrability on close quarters.
A configuration of three 200 kW gensets provides ample electrical power for services and hydraulic pumps, including transfer pumps for both fuel and fresh water with dedicated transfer hoses and reels. A smaller air cooled genset is included in the set up for port or stand-by operations, as well as for a cost effective navigation between jobs or projects on mob/demob. A power management system ensures always reasonable use of power.
