Maritime News

Oceanicasub V Designed, Built, and Operational to do the Job

A state of the art dive-support vessel is a marvel of modern technology and design. Seldom has this been more evident than in the Oceanicasub V delivered in February 2017 to her Brazilian owner Oceânica.

Oceânica provides subsea services to the petroleum company Petrobras. The Oceanicasub V is the second in a pair delivered from the Arpoador Shipyard in Guarujá, Brazil.

The 43 by 9.3-meter vessel was designed by Incat Crowther in cooperation with the shipyard and owner.

Builders believe that allying shallow diving to a wide range ROV performance, all contained in a light DP 2 vessel, will establish a new benchmark in subsea operations, reducing costs, increasing work flexibility and safety compared with the previous existing concepts.

10OceanicasubV SunSetPhotos courtesy of Cummins Marine

For such a vessel, choice of engine power and propulsion method is of paramount importance. For reliable power the owners chose four Cummins QSK19M main engines and coupled them to ZF 2000 gearboxes driving Hamilton HM521 water jets. With each of the four engines delivering 660 HP, the vessel, at just under 500 Gross Tons, has a maximum speed of 12,5 knots and a cruising speed of 10 knots. The jets eliminated the danger that propellers can present for divers.

However, the primary function of the four jets, along with three 150 kw Intermarine bow thrusters, is to provide precise and safe station keeping when divers are working below. The vessel is also fitted with a Kongsberg DP2, Hipap, Spot Track and Radius systems to automatically hold position as well. Zero speed stabilizer fins are also installed to reduce roll and make the working deck safer for crews.

Electrical power for the bow thrusters and a variety of deck cranes and winches is provided by three Cummins QSM11-powered 300 ekW gensets as well as a Cummins 6BT5.9-powered 92 ekW emergency genset. The vessel is also equipped with a hyperbaric chamber, Caviblaster, dive bell, one ROV for 1,500m and one for 300m, ROV A-frame and every conceivable piece of equipment required to handle a wide range of subsea tasks.

Accommodation is provided for 36 people including divers, dive support staff and ship’s crew. The wheelhouse has fore and aft controls with excellent visibility down to the working deck and up for those times that the boat is working near an offshore rig.

In the hull the main engines and jets are arranged in two pairs, port and starboard, with the three QSM11-powered gensets forward of the propulsion engines. Forward of the engine room an auxiliary machinery room contains, among other equipment, the main switchboard, five compressors, the ROV power pack, and three water makers. Forward of that, six 4-person cabins, with a head in each cabin, share a companionway and stairs up to the main deck.

The main deck cabin includes a large galley and pantry forward on the starboard side with two dinning areas, one of which can double as a meeting room. Aft of the galley and mess area, a large TV room provides for relaxation to port with an office and laundry room to starboard. Aft of the office is a workshop and aft of the TV room is the dive operations office with a separate computer room and access to the main deck.

Just aft of the main deck house are two A-frames, one for a dive bell and one for the ROV. Both can extend over the starboard side while on the port side is the hyperbaric chamber. An open work area aft supports port and starboard deck cranes.

Above the main deck house, and just below the wheelhouse, a mid-deck cabin contains two single berth cabins for the captain and a charterer’s representative. Two 4-person and one 2-person cabin, all with their own head, are also located on this deck.

The Vessel is classified by RINA C + Special Service, DYNAPOS AM/AT R, DIVING SUPPORT, AUT-CCS, Unrestricted.

From design, to build, to delivery and operations, this vessel, and its earlier delivered sister-ship, is a celebration of experience, thought and practice. No doubt it will be a model for dive support vessels worldwide.

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