High Speed Transfers order second Damen FCS 2710

UK-based offshore access company High Speed Transfers have ordered a second FCS 2710 vessel from Damen.

The contract for the new vessel, HST Sofia, was signed at the WindEnergy conference in Hamburg on 26 September.

A successor to Damen’s FCS 2610 design, the FCS 2710 was announced in May and differs from its predecessor in being a metre longer and higher and having a completely redesigned interior, allowing it to carry twice the number of passengers.

The FCS 2710 is 26.8 m long, has a beam of 10.8 m and a depth of 4.3 m. The vessel has 30 dwt and an 80 m² deck area, with a Heila HLM 20-2S foldable deck crane.

There is capacity for 26 passengers and a crew of eight. The vessel has a maximum speed of 25 knots and a range of up to 1,200 nautical miles.

The vessel features a twin aluminium Sea Axe hull design which means lower water resistance, cutting fuel usage by 20% and resulting in lower emissions.

Propulsion options include conventional shaft, water jet, Volvo inboard performance system and Voith linear drives.

HST Sofia will join HST Hudson, delivered in July at the Seawork International event in Southampton, in service with High Speed Transfers.