Christening with fireworks

The worldwide first 25m SWATH@A&R Windpark Tender was christened on the 9th April 2010 during a formal ceremony. Erna Bekker, daughter of Dr. Arngolt Bekker, main shareholder of the BARD Group, dropped a bottle of champagne onto the bow and named the vessel “Natalia Bekker”.  The BARD-Group placed the order for this specialized maintenance and supply vessel for their offshore-windfarms in 2008. The 25m Windpark Tender was built in SWATH@A&R-Technology by Abeking & Rasmussen. It will commence service shortly.

High seastates make boarding of the offshore structures a difficult and dangerous task. Therefore, a special fender system is installed at the vessel’s bow to further dampen the already low ship’s motion. The vessel will be permanently situated in the offshore windfarm where a team of service personnel will be readily available 24/7 on a living platform.  

This delivery presents a new chapter in the SWATH@A&R track record, as it is already the 11th vessel of the SWATH@A&R construction. Since 1999 several vessels with lengths of 25m, 40m, 50m and 60m as Pilot Tenders and Pilot Station Ships, as well as a private owned Motoryacht are worldwide in service. Furthermore the SWATH@A&R technology was chosen by the Latvian Navy for a series of patrol vessels. The Estonian waterways authorities have also opted for a hydrographic research vessel with SWATH@A&R technology.

The design of the 25m SWATH@A&R Windpark Tender derives from the proven design of the Pilot Tenders and was adapted to the needs of the offshore windenergy industry. The most important task will be to get the service team on the windturbine before any work can start. This must be done in a safe, economic and reliable way. A safe transfer of service personnel will be possible up to a significant waveheight of 3.5m; boarding at the turbine up to a significant waveheight of 2.5m.  The SWATH@A&R Windpark Tender will maximize the days of accessibility of the windturbines.