BOSKALIS VESSEL CONVERTED TO CABLE LAYER

Rotterdam Offshore Group (ROG) has completed the modification and recommissioning of the Boskalis vessel Ndeavor.

ROG, based in the Waalhaven, Rotterdam, recently completed the conversion of the MPV (Multi Purpose Vessel) Ndeavor for Boskalis. The vessel was built in 2013 and measures 99m by 30m, with a gross tonnage of 7,413.

The vessel had been equipped for the last two years with rock dumping equipment. This included eight stone holds weighing 180t each, which had to be removed as part of the demobilisation.

These stone holds were lifted off the vessel using the floating sheerleg crane Taklift 4 from Boskalis, which itself is capable of lifting 2,200t. This formed one part of the complex process to completely clear the aft deck to allow it to be fully reinstated.

Once this was complete, ROG started the process of converting the Ndeavor to become a cable laying vessel. The conversion was an extensive exercise which included installing new equipment including a new 200t knuckle boom crane, a 15t standalone crane, an 18m diameter 227-ton carousel to store the cable, a Trencher, HPU’s, control centres, boatlandings and additional equipment to guide the cable.

Once the work had been completed the vessel left the yard to start operations on its first cable laying project, the Inter Array Cable Installation works on the Sandbank Offshore Windfarm.