SEACOR: Raising the Bar, Again

Long acknowledged as a firm to watch in U.S. crewboat and fast supply boat innovation, SEACOR Marine will be attracting industry attention once again when their latest set of new boats begin delivery in 2014. While this new class of mono-hull boats have some big dimensions, the more noteworthy feature will be the size of their engines.

During the 2013 International Workboat Show in New Orleans, SEACOR’s Senior Project Manager Joe McCall took some time from his busy schedule to explain the boats. With ten vessels in three different classes, all over 200-feet long, this is undoubtedly the largest single order of fast supply boats of their size. Cummins QSK60-M engines, each delivering 2,700 HP, will power all of the vessels on order.

There will be four boats in the “202-Class.” Two of these are building at their designer’s Gulf Craft yard in Franklin, Louisiana (hulls #477 and #478), while the other two are taking shape at C&G Boat Works in Mobile Alabama (hulls #125 and #126 ). Each of these boats will have four of the big 2700 HP Cummins QSK60-M engines. The engines will drive Hamilton 810 jets through Twin Disc 61500 gears with 2:1 ratios. The boats will each have capacity for about 68 passengers and a cargo deck in excess of 3,500 square feet.

A second set of vessels, designated “Express Class” to denote their higher speed, will deliver from C&G Boat Works (hulls #127-130). At 210 by 33 feet, these boats will have five Cummins QSK60-M engines for a total of 13500 HP each. These vessels, three of which were already started in October this year, will have a fifth booster jet on the center line. The same Hamilton model as the others, the center-waterjet will not require steering and reversing buckets as it will only be used in transit for extra speed. And it is speed that gives these boats the “Express” designation as they have a design speed in excess of 37 knots when running light. These vessels will have the same cargo deck space of about 3,500 sq. ft. “They are pretty much the same below the waterline,” McCall explained, “but Incat-Crowther gives them a different look above the waterline.”

The third set of boats is the “Express Plus Class”. At 206 by 33 feet, with five Cummins QSK60-M and Hamilton jets, they are also designed by Incat-Crowther’s Louisiana office. “This class will be just as fast as the “Express Class”, but will have capability to transport 100 passengers,” McCall said, “100 passengers is more than a typical crewboat can carry.”

Construction of the “Express Plus Class” boats will begin in 2014 at Gulfcraft Shipyard. “These boats are being built on spec,” McCall said, “but we feel that vessels with these capabilities will be in high demand. These vessels will deliver in late 2015 and early 2016.”

All three classes of vessels will be ABS Classed DP2 and will have three 200-HP bow thrusters. This is enough redundancy that they would still be DP2 even if they lost one bow thruster. The same engines, gears and jets have also been specified for the three classes of boats. “These boats will make better than 20 knots loaded, but we are marketing them for their light boat speeds,” explained McCall.

McCall described SEACOR Marine as a global company that builds for the global market. “The IMO and U.S. Coast Guard requirements are not perfectly aligned so we build a fully compliant vessel capable of meeting the needs of all relevant oilfield markets. We also have built in redundancy to most systems so if something goes down we can continue to operate until the next scheduled maintenance.”

General Arrangements of four-engine 202-Class and five-engine Express Plus-Class courtesy of SEACOR Marine: