Spain’s Freire Shipyard launches Briggs Marine’s new maintenance and repair vessel, Forth Contractor
Spain’s Freire Shipyard has launched the repair and maintenance vessel Forth Contractor (Source: Freire Shipyard)
The northern Spanish shipyard Freire Shipyard in Vigo launched the new repair and maintenance vessel Forth Contractor of the British shipping company Briggs Marine Services on July 5.
The 40m vessel has been designed by Cintranaval Defcar and the shipyard’s own in-house design team and has been configured to support Briggs Marine’s ongoing contracts to support the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the Royal Navy’s naval bases around the UK, as well as the UK's fast-growing offshore windfarm markets and operations in commercial ports.
Forth Contractor will undertake the inspection, maintenance, and replacement of navigational aids and heavy coastal berths in the UK and overseas. The newbuilding will also handle various tasks, such as diving and ROV operations and a range of offshore maintenance support work, while maintaining its core functional ability.
Notable features of the new vessel include an A-frame, a four-point mooring system, a heave-compensated crane, and a survey project office.
Additionally, the design incorporates a crew transfer vessel (CTV) boarding ladder for support of offshore wind farm projects.
The Forth Contractor is expected to enter service by the end of 2024.
