Vestdavit Inks Deal for Davit Systems for NOAA RV Newbuilds

Vestdavit secured a contract with Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors to supply one of its HN-5000 workboat davits for each of the two vessels, NOAA ocean reasearch vessels. To be named Oceanographer and Discoverer, the ships are under construction for the NOAA at the Louisiana-based fabrication yard.

The HN-5000 davits, due for delivery in mid-2023, are designed for reliable launch and recovery in variable sea states of workboats that will be used to carry out diverse missions ranging from general oceanographic research and exploration to marine life, climate and ocean ecosystem studies. The two vessels, each with a 20-strong crew and accommodation for up to 28 scientists onboard, will also be required to perform maintenance on buoys and moorings, deploy scientific instruments to collect weather and water column data, and conduct seafloor mapping surveys.

Survey and data collection work will entail operations in different marine environments across the globe spanning shallow coastal and continental shelf waters to deep ocean conditions.

The davit system incorporates motion compensation and safety features such as independent dual winches with independent constant tension, shock absorbers, guide arms and a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for digital remote control.

Independent dual winches can operate separately or synchronized, and each winch can independently provide constant tension, which is “a really advantageous feature when recovering boats in really rough weather”, according to Oding.

Shock absorbers, with one for each wire fall, remove 80% of peak loads to ensure a smoother ride for the crew of the workboat while guide arms serve as anti-pendulation devices that follow and stabilise the boat during davit in/out operation.

The PLC allows for pre-programmed motion sequences, which enables the davit operator to focus on the small boat and crew.

Vestdavit´s HN-5000 workboat davit is designed for robustness and reliability. Image: Vestdavit