Multi-purpose ship for Belgium

The Belgian DAB Vloot Group has taken delivery of a multi-purpose ship that will fulfil a variety of roles in the Belgian section of the North Sea.

Called Sirius, the new ship has been designed to be capable of operating on buoy laying operations, hydrographic survey, pilot transfers, oil pollution operations, search and rescue and fire-fighting. The DAB Vloot Group is a government department that operates a fleet of over 40 vessels covering all aspects of official and semi-official operations such as pilotage, survey, buoyage and emergency requirements.

The 45 metre long Sirius was built at the nearby shipyard of French shipbuilder Socarenam in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The order for this new ship was placed in 2015 and the design was developed by the naval architecture firm Bureau Mauric. The vessel is 45.1 metres long for a beam of 10.6m and a draught of 3.6m.

Known as the ‘Swiss army knife’ of harbour and coastal service vessels the Sirius will be based at Ostend, and will carry out operations along the entire Belgian coast. The Sirius has Fire Fighter 1, or FiFi1, class notation with fire fighting equipment comprising to two water cannons that have a capacity of 2,800 m3/h at 12.5 bar.

For buoy servicing operations the Sirius has two winches for handling moorings plus a deck crane that can lift 6 tonnes at 9 metres reach. On each side of the boat deck there is a pilot launch for transfers and these boats can be used for other duties. They are mounted in fast launch and recovery davits. A towing capability is provided with a towing hook on the aft deck.

For hydrographic surveys, the Sirius is equipped with a Kongsberg EM2040 multibeam echo sounder in addition to the normal satellite navigation and charting facilities. The Sirius is also fitted with a gyroscopic stabilisation system provided by Gyromarine which is said to reduce rolling in a seaway and thus extend the ship’s operational capability even at very slow speeds.

The main engine is a 1,325 kW ABC 6DZC diesel but there is also a 250 kW ABB electric motor that can be coupled into the drive shaft which is fitted with a Masson fixed-pitch propeller. Three Caterpillar generating sets supply power to both the electric drive motor and the ship’s distribution system. This hybrid system, combined with a heat recovery system, ensures economical performance over a wide range of speeds including low-speed operations that might be required for hydrographic surveying or during pilot transfers.

On sea trials the Sirius achieved a top speed of 13kts while meeting the required noise specifications in the living areas. The Sirius offers accommodation for a crew of 20 plus 10 passengers and the fuel capacity gives a 10 day endurance.