SeaZip Offshore Services has taken delivery of two Damen Fast Crew Suppliers (FCS) 2610. Continuing the company’s vessel-naming trend, the new additions will be known as SeaZip 5 and SeaZip 6. The offshore service provider now has six Damen FCS 2610 vessels in its fleet.

"Once again, it’s a great pleasure to work with SeaZip Offshore Services," states Damen Sales Manager Benelux Roel van Eijle. "We are proud to be involved with the development of their fleet since day one. An April delivery suits their needs perfectly – these two vessels can get to work straight away as this year’s offshore wind O&M [operations and maintenance] period begins."

A key modification made to both vessels was to increase their draught. Jan Reier Arends, SeaZip Offshore Services managing director, highlights the importance of this design rethink: "By strengthening the hull in certain areas, the vessels are able to sit 5 cm lower in the water. This will allow us to load an additional 5 tonnes of cargo – this is a 25 per cent increase of loading capacity. We will be able to carry a lot more equipment and materials."

The new vessels exhibit a number of additional adaptations, says Arends: "You can call this fine tuning – coming from lessons that we have learned from the earlier SeaZip vessels. For example, together with the fender supplier, we have improved the bow fenders."

The SeaZip 5 and SeaZip 6 will join their four sister vessels – SeaZip 1, 2, 3 and 4 – in what Arends describes as a pool of vessels. "Together with our conservative financing strategy – we are financed approximately 60 per cent from bank loans and 40 per cent from private equity investors – having a pool of vessels means that we are well positioned to handle market fluctuations."

SeaZip Offshore Services, part of the JR Shipping Group, has taken delivery of six FCS 2610 vessels in no less than three years. "We have a good working relationship with Damen. This helps a lot when we are discussing new concepts and new vessels.