Soon after VOS Start’s arrival in Amsterdam, SMST was on location for installation of their 50t subsea knuckle boom crane with active heave compensation. This crane for VOS Start and the identical crane for sister vessel VOS Stone are the fifth and sixth offshore cranes SMST delivers to Vroon.
By installing the SMST knuckle boom crane, Vroon increases the operational flexibility of both VOS Start and VOS Stone. Besides that the full active heave compensated crane can be used for all kind of subsea work, it can also be fitted with a motion compensation knuckle module to perform 3D compensated lifts up to 5t. The module can be exchanged between the cranes of both vessels resulting in maximum flexibility.
The motion compensated knuckle provides a large operational window enabling the vessel and its crew to perform in harsher sea conditions, with increased workability. It offers a great solution to handle loads to offshore structures in all kinds of wave conditions.
Although it was a tight schedule, the installation of the crane and first load testing were carried out successfully.
VOS Start, Vroon’s first DP2 subsea-support walk-to-work vessel, will shortly be delivered to charterer MHI Vestas Offshore Wind.
