Strategic Marine hands over 10th vessel to Malaysian operator

Singapore’s shipbuilder Strategic Marine has completed its first vessel delivery in 2022 after handing over a new fast crew boat (FCB) to Malaysian offshore operator Centus Marine.

Strategic Marine recently handed over Centus Ten to Centus Marine, which marks the tenth overall vessel delivery to this operator. This marks the third fast crew boat that was handed over to Centus in the last 12 months.

Chan Eng Yew, Strategic Marine’s CEO, remarked: “We look forward to delivering more exceptional vessels for Centus in the future. This is the first vessel delivered by Strategic Marine in 2022 and there will be many more deliveries in the pipeline for the rest of this year.”

To remind, Strategic Marine reported in December last year that it secured a new contract for a 42m fast crew boat (FCB) from a repeat client, Centus Marine. At the time, the firm confirmed that two vessels were successfully delivered to the offshore marine service provider in 2021, despite the challenges of the global pandemic and one was slated for delivery in early 2022.

Based on the company’s latest statement, the latest vessel’s design incorporates the robust engineering of Strategic Marine’s generation 3 hulls which has been well proven in tough marine environments while special attention has been paid to crew comfort and safety, which is reflected in the interior arrangement of the vessel.

While the crew accommodation area features 12 berths in seven cabins, the main deck lounge can comfortably accommodate up to 100 personnel in spacious business class recliner seats. In addition, the vessel also offers dedicated luggage racks, large, incorporated deck storage and wide walkways to facilitate crew transfer in demanding offshore conditions. 

Paolo Moretti, CEO of RINA Services, commented: “For RINA, to be part of this project as the classification society is an honour and an opportunity to respond to the evolving needs of the offshore sector with the most appropriate and advanced solutions.”

Centus Ten completed its sea trials at the end of the first week of January.

Centus stated: “We are delighted to take delivery of this latest and much-anticipated sister vessel which further cements our long-established relationship with Strategic Marine and demonstrates our confidence in the team delivering high-quality services and vessels, enhancing our fleet and helping us to exceed our customer’s expectations.”

Both of these offshore support vessels have been developed to feature new capabilities to meet Centus’ detailed and specific operational requirements, with the vessel design directly influenced and enhanced by feedback from Centus’ customers and operational staff, according to Centus Marine’s statement.  

Moreover, the shipbuilder claims that both vessels have benefited from Strategic Marine’s rigorous quality and weight control measures and deliver an operational service speed of more than 30 knots and a top speed in excess of 31 knots in sea state 2 conditions, propelled by three Cummins KTA50 engines. 

Just like its sister ship, the latest vessel has a range of bespoke features and additions such as dedicated bow loading, an enlarged wheelhouse and personnel cabins.