DP2 catamaran ‘fills gap between survey and subsea support vessels’

Under the agreement, Klaipėda University has appointed Mark Offshore as commercial and operational manager for the vessel in the renewable and offshore energy domains.

Mark Offshore said the addition of Mintis “represents a strategic expansion of Mark Offshore’s service offering towards flexible, cost-efficient subsea support solutions that are specifically tailored to the growing demands of offshore wind, marine survey, and nearshore energy projects.”

Originally designed as a scientific research vessel, Mintis combines high-end research capabilities with practical offshore functionality.

Mark Offshore said the vessel “enables commercial clients to benefit from a highly versatile platform that bridges the gap between traditional survey vessels and dedicated subsea support vessels.”

Mintis is a 40-m DP1 catamaran research vessel built in 2014, with proven operational experience in the Baltic, North Sea, Mediterranean and Eastern North Atlantic.

Since 2015, the vessel has been actively involved in international marine research projects, many of which are linked to offshore renewable energy.

Mark Offshore founder and managing director Mark van der Star said, “What makes this vessel truly special is the combination of scientific capability, operational flexibility, and cost-efficiency. It provide exceptional stability, a smart layout, and a proven track record in demanding environments. This allows us to offer our clients a highly capable platform that delivers real value across a wide range of offshore projects.”

Mintis has a moonpool between its twin hulls and a dedicated midship A-frame, enabling it to deploy subsea vehicles. The aft deck has a 14-tonne SWL A-frame and multiple winch systems, enabling the deployment and recovery of subsea equipment such as CPT systems, buoys, landers, clump weights, measurement pods and environmental monitoring equipment.

With a dedicated four-point mooring system and shallow draft, Mintis is suitable for nearshore and shallow water projects requiring a stable working platform. The 120 m² free deck space accommodates project equipment and containerized diving spreads, including decompression chambers.