‘Esvagt Froude’ ready for service

ESVAGT’s two new SOVs are now in operation. Experienced crew chosen to establish working procedures on a completely new vessel in a market that is almost as new.

The vessel is a new one and for most of the crew, this is the first time they have worked together.

The boats on board are the newly developed Safe Transfer Boats, ESVAGT STB, and much of the equipment on board is completely new in the ESVAGT context.

The offshore wind industry is becoming more familiar but largely speaking, experience is something gained rather than something you bring with you.

This means that the crew of the ‘Esvagt Froude’ have plenty to do.

”It is learning by doing in many ways,” says Vidar Nielsen, master.

These words ring very true. Apart from the fact that the ‘Esvagt Froude’ is a new vessel, it has also performed different tasks to the ones originally planned for it. The “Esvagt Froude” was built to service the “Baltic II” in the Baltic but because the park was not ready when the vessel was delivered, the “Esvagt Froude” has debuted with a three month charter for the “Westermost Rough”, which is a wind farm being built in the English sector.

”It has been a busy start up with a number of ad hoc duties and short term planning. Assignments for wind farms still under construction can be harder to predict than for those already in service so we have had plenty of chance to test a great deal during those three months,” says Vidar Nielsen.

Many transfers

Over the three months, the ‘Esvagt Froude’ has had approximately 800 Crew Transfer Vessel transfers and a large number of transfers using the new “Walk-to-Work” gangway system from Ampelmann.

“We have had ample opportunity to train transfers and landings. We have transferred about 1,000 people, so we have had plenty to do,” says Vidar Nielsen.

The work has proven that the ‘Esvagt Froude’ is optimal for this type of task.

”We can already say that the vessel is fantastic at doing the work it was designed for. Our vision of the Walk-to-Work gangway is perfect and everything functions and is well organised. Dialogue between the crew and the designers has been good and we really feel that the technicians have listened to our needs and created a fantastic workplace. Good solutions can be seen everywhere and I cannot see that anything could be improved upon ahead of the tasks that await us,” says Vidar Nielsen.

Shared crew

On top of the many tasks involved with having a new ship, the crew and master have the added detail that all this experience learning will take place in front of a live audience. The “Esvagt Froude” will always have its customers on board.

“This is part of the job that we have been excited about and look forward to,” says Vidar Nielsen:

“Up to now, all our experiences have been positive. Experience so far has been that close dialogue with the customer is advantageous for our daily work. Siemens has an on-site manager with whom we work very closely – and this cooperation has been flexible and trusting from day one,” he says.

Here too, the layout of the vessel gives a major advantage. There are shared facilities in the form of lounges and mess areas and that bring the crew and technicians together as one team:

“Relations are strengthened by being together. We feel that we are part of a common crew with different activities, and that relationship will only get stronger as time goes by,” says Vidar Nielsen.