Dungeness-based new venture, Technical Marine Support Ltd, has taken delivery of its first vessel, a design-enhanced CTruk 20T MPC.
Destined to start work this week on the Lincs offshore wind farm as part of CWind’s growing charter fleet, Endeavour sports this popular support vessel’s latest design refinements. These include a three pod wheelhouse system with accommodation pod and porch module, features which stand to enhance the 20T’s already proven and well-documented versatility.
CWind fleet director Dave Quested commented, ‘CWind Endeavour is the result of a close working relationship between operational teams out in the field and CTruk’s designers. She represents the latest in cost-effective vessel design for both the construction and O&M phases of the offshore wind sector – capable of crew transfer, generator management, refuelling and numerous other tasks’.
New renewable energy venture
Technical Marine Support (TMS) was set up by Stuart Richardson, a fifth generation fisherman from Dungeness who spent 15 years operating a small fleet of trawlers. Stuart, who comes from a family of lifeboat volunteers, has spent the last ten years as a full-time lifeboat coxswain based out of London and Dover. He became involved in offshore wind farm support work a year ago and established TMS soon after, with the aim of concentrating solely on the renewable energy sector.
Speaking about his choice of vessel, Stuart said, ‘With my background and the fact that I spend most of my life at sea, the inherent safety features of the 20T design were of paramount importance. The fast build time was also an incentive, alongside the boat’s fuel efficiency and versatility. Endeavour’s three pods allow her to be utilised in a number of configurations, and combined with her high payload capacity this means she can quickly move from a fuelling task to a crew transfer function and so on.’
CWind Endeavour is the ninth 20T MPC delivered by CTruk since its launch in 2010. She was named by Stuart’s mother, Judith Richardson, during an informal ceremony in CTruk’s home town of Brightlingsea, Essex last weekend.
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Press release, January 28, 2013; Image: ctruk