Exclusive: Marine Core fast supply vessel passes sea trials

Albwardy Damen, in the United Arab Emirates, has delivered the first of two fast supply vessels to Dubai-based owner Marine Core & Charter. Ampi will transport passengers and cargo to offshore oil fields at speeds of more than 30 knots, when it starts commercial operations in early October.

Offshore Support Journal had exclusive access to sea trials of Ampi at Albwardy Damen’s shipyard in Sharjah Hamriyah Freezone. It witnessed the Damen-designed and built vessel operated at a flat-out speed of between 31 and 32 knots in the Arabian Gulf.

The successful sea trials included Marine Core & Charter chief executive Adib Abdel Massih confirming the vessel’s stability in strong wave and sea currents and reviewing the slamming effects of wave actions on the Sea Axe design hull.

Ampi has four Caterpillar engines and two auxiliaries in the engineroom. It has an integrated forward bridge system supplied by Alphatron with JRC radar, and a control chair and display in the aft section of the wheelhouse.

Mr Massih told OSJ that Ampi will go on long-term charter in Kuwait from early October. It has capacity for 90 passengers and 150 m² of deck space for cargo. Mr Massih said a second vessel of the same design and capacity is scheduled to be delivered from Albwardy Damen in mid-November. He said these vessels increase the fleet of different types of vessel to 20.