Tidal Transit Limited has entered into a Ship Management contract with Umoe Unda to be the UK operator of their Surface Effect Ship.
Umoe Firmus is a WaveCraft, which uses an air cushion between its catamaran hulls to lift 80% of the vessel out of the water. The small draught that this creates provides the vessel with easy access to ports, and enables it to travel at high speeds [40 knots] whilst maintaining a low fuel consumption resulting in a range of more than 700 nautical miles.
This is Umoe Mandal’s second commercial vessel while the first one was charted to Dong Energy for use at its Borkum Riffgrund Wind Farm off the coast of Germany.
Tidal Transit Commercial Director Leo Hambro said: “This is an exceptionally well designed and engineered vessel, and our skippers and their crews are greatly looking forward to their vessel induction and training programmes which will take place on the Umoe Ventus over the coming months.”
The vessel is expected to arrive in the UK by mid-February 2016.