Seacor's New FSV Redefines Offshore Speed, Comfort
Professional Mariner|American Ship Review 2018

“Fast, faster, fastest” is a buzz phrase that aptly describes the evolution of SEACOR Marine’s fleet of fast supply vessels (FSVs).

Brian Gauvin
Seacor's New FSV Redefines Offshore Speed, Comfort

First there was the Express class, then the Express Plus class, and now, with the delivery of the 194-foot Liam J. McCall in February, the Express Plus-Plus class. The boat, built by Gulf Craft LLC in Franklin, La., can reach speeds of nearly 40 knots while providing a new level of passenger comfort.

On an initial delivery run in February, Capt. Rick Oliver used the opportunity to show off that speed. When Oliver thrust forward on the five throttles, the vessel got up and seemed to fly over the water.

“SEACOR’s seventh-generation FSV designs are focused on maximum speed while maintaining crew and passenger comfort,” said Joe McCall, senior project manager for SEACOR.

At Port Fourchon, La., in August, fresh from a deep water charter for Chevron and about to begin a charter with Anadarko, Capt. James Taylor confirmed the early reviews: “We’re making some good speed with her.”

In addition to speed and comfort, the Express Plus-Plus boats, designed by Incat Crowther in Lafayette, La., also address deck cargo capacity and emergency evacuation capability — both important considerations as oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico are conducted hundreds of miles from the coast.

With those operations reaching ever farther to sea, demand has grown for more speed and more supply capacity, resulting in the birth of the FSV. On the leading edge of that development was Norman McCall of McCall Boat Rentals.

When SEACOR and McCall Boat merged in 1996, Norman McCall and his son, Joe, came in the bargain. The McCalls had built a highly reputable fleet of fast crew boats plying the Gulf Coast oil field. Bolstered by the international profile of SEACOR and the escalation of deep water drilling, the pair spearheaded the evolution of crew boats into FSVs.

Bu hikaye Professional Mariner dergisinin American Ship Review 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Professional Mariner dergisinin American Ship Review 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

PROFESSIONAL MARINER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Professional Mariner

Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed

Mariners’ role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed

time-read
6 dak  |
December - January2021
Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf
Professional Mariner

Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf

In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.

time-read
4 dak  |
December - January2021
Casualties
Professional Mariner

Casualties

NTSB: Dredge hit Texas gas pipeline, causing fire that killed four

time-read
4 dak  |
December - January2021
IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip
Professional Mariner

IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip

A recent report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reveals that global shipping emissions increased nearly 10 percent from 2012 to 2018, with the industry facing a growing challenge concerning methane slip.

time-read
3 dak  |
December - January2021
Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new
Professional Mariner

Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new

Zero non-conformities is what you want to hear when the U.S. Coast Guard inspects your tugboat. Once you’ve prepared your vessel, the inspectors come aboard to peruse your paperwork. They ask you pointed questions, to which they expect straightforward answers. Perusal completed, they then scrutinize all of the related safety systems, from bilge to antennas — even the ship’s bell.

time-read
5 dak  |
December - January2021
Signals
Professional Mariner

Signals

A year into the pandemic, thousands ‘essentially indentured’ on ships

time-read
3 dak  |
December - January2021
Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover
Professional Mariner

Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover

While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.

time-read
2 dak  |
December - January2021
Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand
Professional Mariner

Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand

Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market.

time-read
2 dak  |
December - January2021
New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities
Professional Mariner

New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities

In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year.

time-read
4 dak  |
December - January2021
Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline
Professional Mariner

Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline

It took a decade or two from the invention of the marine propeller in the 19th century for the technology to become widely accepted. Thereafter, adoption has been nearly universal, but progress toward improved efficiencies has come in fits and starts.

time-read
5 dak  |
December - January2021