Smit Lamnalco Takes Delivery of ‘SL Mbissi’

The recently delivered ‘SL Mbissi’ will be the next Damen-built vessel in fleet of Smit Lamnalco. The 25 metre shallow water workship is special in more ways than one.

Although Smit Lamnalco, leading provider of integrated marine services, already deploys a lot of Damen-built vessels – six of which having been delivered in the past 15 months alone – it had yet to order a Damen Shoalbuster SD. The series’ name is a poetic licence to ‘shallow draught’ (SD).

The ‘SL Mbissi’ was built by Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld (the Netherlands) which also designs all Damen Multi Cat and Shoalbuster ‘jack of all trades’ workships series. The SBu 2508 SD is also special in that it is a standard design turned tailor-made vessel.

“We sought a draught not exceeding 1.80 metres, to cope with a bar in the vessel’s operational area”, Smit Lamnalco’s CTO Rick Maliepaard says. “The shipyard’s engineering added a good metre to their 23.8 metre long standard design and suggested lighter main engines, to get the draught down (or up if you will). It has taken a minimum 20 centimetres off the standard 2308 SD’s draught, whilst still maintaining a truly potent 19.7 tonne bollard pull.”

“By changing a proven standard design into a bespoke, ‘made-to-measure’ vessel, we’ve united our group’s edge in both fields. Which itself is a unique selling point”, Palle Bonemeijer, the project manager involved with Damen Shipyards Harxdinxveld adds.

Smit Lamnalco will mainly deploy the versatile Shoalbuster for marine support services for offshore oil facilities. This will include buoy maintenance and hose handling.

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damen, February 17, 2014