World�s Biggest High Speed Crew Boat

الوصف

New Zealand waterjet manufacturer HamiltonJet continues its dominance of fast crew / supply boat propulsion with four HT**0 waterjets selected for Incat Crowthers latest project - a first-of-type *0m Catamaran Fast Crew Boat for operations in the Caspian Sea oil industry in Azerbaijan.
When completed in *2 months time this vessel will be the worlds largest high speed crew boat operating in the global oil industry.  It will also be the largest vessel HamiltonJet has been involved in, and will further showcase waterjets performance and manoeuvring benefits over other forms of propulsion in this demanding marine sector. 

The DP2 class vessel will have four control stations, each utilizing HamiltonJets MECS control system integrating with a DNV DYNPOS-AUTR dynamic positioning system.  This system provides improved safety during crew transfers in conditions up to sea state 4.  

With four ***0kW MTU engines each turning **0mm diameter waterjets expected top speed is *6 knots with an efficient service speed of *0 knots at full load and *0% MCR.  This speed performance will make the vessel more cost effective than helicopter transfer of crew and cargo, while the semi-SWATH hull design of the vessel, along with active ride control, will reduce stress on passengers so they arrive at an oil platform fit to work.  She will be capable of carrying **0 passengers and *4 crew, along with **0 tonnes of deck cargo, in up to *0 knot wind and seas of 3m significant wave height.

The vessel is under construction at the Incat Tasmania shipyard, with the design by Incat Crowther and production engineering by Revolution Design. The final product incorporates key experience and strengths by each of the parties involved. Incat Tasmania has the specialized facilities, construction methodologies and experience of very large aluminium catamarans. Revolution Design has incorporated the production engineering design techniques optimized over multiple build projects at Incat Tasmania.

In designing this new *0m vessel class, Incat Crowther drew on its previous experience with the SEACOR CrewZer class of fast catamaran crewboats, with the forth of these recently launched in the US.  These vessels also utilize HamiltonJet waterjet propulsion (quad HM**1s) and the combination of catamaran hull form and waterjets has proven very successful.

HamiltonJet waterjets work particularly well in DP capable vessels, where the powerful **0 degree thrust forces generated by the jets split duct reverse deflector at any boat speed effectively act as an azimuth thruster.  The effect of the waterjet manoeuvring thrust is further enhanced with the wide spacing of the jet units in a catamaran configuration two jets per hull which provides even better control of the vessels stern and can even assist with sideways movement of the bow.  It is in no small part his low speed manoeuvrability provided by HamiltonJet waterjets compared to other waterjet manufacturers that has seen the company dominate in the fast crew boat sector.

Prior to this vessel, the largest vessel HamiltonJet waterjets were used in was the *8.5m Gulf Craft-built crew boat Ms Netty.  This monohull, designed by Incat Crowther, also utilizes quad HT**0 waterjets and has a top speed of *2 knots.  

HamiltonJet has not yet seen its largest waterjet model, the HT***0, fitted in a crew boat vessel.  But this waterjet model has proven its worth in the patrol boat sector, so as crew boat designs develop further and the size of vessels increases, HamiltonJet will continue to be the propulsion of choice.