Malaysia-based Centus Marine has taken delivery of the first of two 42-m fast crew boats (FCBs) from the Singapore shipyard of Strategic Marine
Named Centus Nine, the FCB is the result of a close collaboration between Strategic Marine and Centus Marine to meet specific operational requirements. Both owner and builder are well known to each other; Centus Nine is the ninth vessel built by Strategic Marine for Centus Marine’s fleet and follows the delivery of a 40-m FCB in February 2021. The second vessel is a sister ship that will be delivered in Q4 2021.
Shaped by feedback from charterers and crew, Centus Nine has new features and additions such as dedicated bow loading, an enlarged wheelhouse and crew cabins.
The crew accommodation area features 12 berths in seven cabins while the main deck lounge can comfortably accommodate up to 100 people in spacious business class recliner seats. Furthermore, the vessel offers dedicated luggage racks, large deck storage and wide walkways to facilitate crew transfer in demanding offshore conditions.
Following completion of sea trials in June, Centus Nine received ‘glowing feedback’ from the owner, reported Strategic Marine. In particular, noted the shipbuilder, the ‘impressive’ results from the speed trial were evidence of the benefits of strict weight control measures implemented across its vessel range. With the presence of an independent surveyor, the FCB achieved a service speed in excess of 30 knots and a top speed in excess of 31 knots in sea state 2 conditions.
Propulsion power is supplied by three Cummins KTA50 engines. The design incorporates engineering lessons incorporated into Strategic Marine’s generation 3 hulls which are designed for crew comfort and safety, which is reflected in the interior arrangement of the vessel.
Commenting on the vessel handover, Strategic Marine chief executive Chan Eng Yew said “This is the second vessel we have delivered for Centus Marine this year and the fifth we have built under our new ownership. Despite the challenges of Covid restrictions, we have proved that meeting our customers’ requirements and schedules are front and centre of what we do with vessel construction proceeding extremely smoothly thanks to our team’s flexibility and hard work.”
Centus Marine commented, “This latest delivery from Strategic Marine demonstrates the confidence and strong relationship built between the two companies. Working with Strategic Marine, we have been able to enhance vessel technology and incorporate new and innovative design features so our new bespoke vessels are both better operationally and able to deliver a superior service to our customers.”
Noting the vessel’s high efficiency, RINA Service chief executive Paolo Moretti noted, “Centus Nine is the perfect example of an evolving industry.”
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