At an official signing ceremony held today, Vestland Offshore and Safeway signed a purchase agreement for the delivery of one plus two (1+2) Seagull class motion compensated gangway systems.
The first system will be installed on the Vestland Cygnus, a Wärtsilä VS485 MKIII. The vessel will undergo a conversion program at the Fjellstrand shipyard where an accommodation unit will be installed to raise the total capacity to 134 persons on board. Furthermore a knuckle boom crane with subsea capabilities and Safeway’s motion compensated gangway system will be installed.
“Safeway’s unique gangway features enable us to offer our clients unsurpassed workability and safety which is crucial for Walk-to-Work capabilities. The smart and innovative technology used in the Safeway really stands out from current available technologies in the market” says Hans Martin Gravdal, board member of Vestland Offshore. “The unique gangway performance in combination with the well-proven Wärtsilä design allows us to operate in increased weather windows and safely transfer offshore personnel at a year-round basis on demanding projects including the North Sea”.
The main features of Safeway’s (patent pending) system are:
• Roll compensation; To safely transfer people at heights of 20 meters above sea level it is a must to compensate for the vessel’s roll movement, as otherwise the workability is very limited, especially in deteriorating sea states.
• Height adjustment; a 10 meter step-less vertical height adjustment allows horizontal landings in all tidal conditions and on a large variety of elevations above sea level.
• Counterweight; The bridge is mechanically balanced through a counterweight and can stay connected to the offshore structure for longer periods which greatly reduces power consumption, improves safety and eliminates the risk of overloading the landing area of the offshore structure.
