We are pleased to announce that the build for our brand new amphibious crew transfer vessel, CRC Walrus, has been completed and the boat has been safely delivered to our client in Great Yarmouth on the East Coast!
Walrus was a tricky build from the start as a ‘first in class’ vessel and has been fitted with complex hydraulics and new equipment never before used commercially in the marine industry. We are very pleased with the quality of the build and its design and pass on our thanks to the designers, Chartwell Marine, builders Diverse Marine, and many of the crucial suppliers including Proteum, Hydraulic Alliance and BEE Boat Electrics.
Walrus is now on site in Great Yarmouth and carrying out commissioning trials with our local crew and training instructors ahead of what is likely to be a busy year for the vessel. Due to the nature of the wind farm and the speed in which sand banks have built up over just a few years, some turbines have become all but inaccessible. Walrus provides access to these turbines at all states of tide allowing our client to carry out O&M support to keep them running at their full potential.
Our first “ACTV” is an MCA Category 2 coded 12 meter vessel with seating for 8 passengers and 2 crew. Combining the safety and comfort of a traditional CTV with the functionality of an amphibious Open Rib, Walrus is fitted with three 40” off-road tyres provided with individual hydraulic motors and powered by a 37kW inboard hydraulic power unit.
When at sea, Walrus is driven by twin OXE 300hp diesel outboards – the first diesel outboards to be fitted in the CRC fleet. We are excited to see how this new technology develops and whether there is potential for diesel outboards to be fitted more widely in our fleet of over 40 vessels in the coming years.
From the outset we knew Walrus would require bespoke features to suit our client’s unique requirement. One of these includes the 3 meter extendable gangway on the bow which enables the vessel to sit safely away from deep scour pools typically found around wind turbines, giving safe access for technicians to access offshore structures without the need to descend onto the sand.
We’re excited to share further developments and progress updates on Walrus throughout the year but in the meantime, read through our full spec sheet here and check out this awesome video of the vessel undergoing sea (and land!) trials in the Solent last month.
