Hamburg-based Opus Marine has signed an order for a Twin Axe hull Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) from Damen Shipyards Group. The FCS 2610, being constructed at Damen Shipyards Singapore, will be the first Damen vessel in Opus Marine’s fleet.
Following delivery, the FCS 2610, which Opus Marine is going to name Verdi , will provide crew transfer services to and from offshore wind farms.
Managing Director of Opus Marine Bernhard Messer stated that the reputation of the FCS 2610 was instrumental in the company’s choice of vessel: “It is very well known on the market for its excellent performance. Furthermore, Damen is able to build the vessel in accordance with German regulations – which is important as she will be sailing under German flag in the North and Baltic Seas.”
The contract for the order was signed on 24 February. The vessel will be delivered in week 25 – representing a fast project execution of just 16 weeks.
Damen is customising the vessel to the client’s specific requirements. This includes a full paint job in the company’s colours and increased onboard accommodation capacity from 12 to 24 persons in compliance with the new German SPS rules.
“We increased the person onboard capacity to cater for customer demand,” explained Mr Messer . “We had quite a number of charterers asking for increased capacity, so we thought we would offer them this opportunity with Verdi.”
The FCS 2610, which can operate at speeds of up to 25 knots, is a proven vessel design with an excellent track record said Damen Sales Director North, West and South Europe Frank de Lange : “Since we started building the FCS 2610 in 2011, the vessel has been widely adopted on the market. The Verdi has yard number 40, meaning that 40 vessels of this type have been built since then. This is a testimony to the excellent operability and efficiency of the FCS 2610 and to the best possible sea keeping behaviour, courtesy of the Twin Axe hull.”
Image: Damen