Southeast Asian owners bring new crewboat designs to market

Among the owners and designers of these developments is Indonesia-based PT Wintermar Offshore Marine (WINS), which is expanding into the market for aluminium-hulled fast crewboats, having recently acquired full ownership of Fast Offshore Supply (FOS) Pte Ltd. In doing so, it has acquired an initial five high-spec vessels designed by Incat Crowther in Australia specifically to meet a requirement from Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) for a new generation of vessels.

In June 2026, WINS confirmed that it had acquired a 52.5% shareholding in FOS, which is based in Singapore. It also acquired 49% of PT Fast Offshore Indonesia (FOI), in which WINS previously had a 51% stake, thereby gaining full control of FOS and its subsidiary FOI. 

FOS has a significant presence in Brunei, having supplied offshore vessels there for 10 years. In 2025, it won an international tender to supply five next-generation aluminium crew transfer vessels to BSP, with delivery in 2027. The five units will be owned by FOS and chartered for an initial five-year period with options to extend. Subsequently, FOS was awarded a shipbuilding contract by the same client to build an additional five crew transfer vessels by 2028. WINS said these 55-m vessels “are designed to meet stringent requirements, particularly for availability and operability throughout the year.”

Highlighting the key features of the newbuilds, WINS said they will have a motion-compensated gangway for safe personnel transfer to offshore platforms, a DP2 dynamic positioning system, triple bow thrusters, and will be powered by four Cat engines delivering 9,000 bhp and four Hamilton HT810 waterjets. “These high-tier vessels provide critical station-keeping capability for safe personnel and cargo transportation services,” said WINS.

In a statement, Australia-based Incat Crowther, the designer of the vessels, said they are already under construction at a number of yards, including FOS’s own yard, and will provide offshore personnel and cargo transportation services for BSP. The designer noted that it had worked closely with FOS during an international tender to develop a design specifically to meet the stringent demands of BSP, particularly for availability and operability throughout the year. 

Incat Crowther said the new vessels will be capable of transporting 80 passengers and a payload of 150 tonnes at speeds of up to 30 knots. With a length of 55 m, waterline length of 52 m and beam of 9.00 m, the crewboats will be built from marine-grade aluminium. They will be capable of transporting 34,342 gallons of fuel oil, 9,246 gallons of fresh water, 528 gallons of black water and 528 gallons of grey water. They will have a service speed of 25 knots and maximum speed of 30 knots, with a powerplant based on four CAT 3512C engines and installed power of 1,678kW at 1,800 rpm. 

The new vessels will have a gangway supplied by SMST in The Netherlands, and will also have a large, 200-m² aft cargo deck capable of transporting supplies and equipment to BSP’s offshore assets. Having DP2 notation and the trio of thrusters mentioned above will support gangway operations. The newbuilds will also have spacious, air-conditioned passenger cabins with business-class-style seating, three bathrooms, two twin cabins and ample cargo storage spaces. The hull deck accommodates each vessel’s 16 crew in comfort with six twin cabins, two single cabins, a crew mess and kiosk area. 

In another ‘first’ for the crewboat segment, Penguin International recently unveiled a ‘full-hybrid’ crewboat, Pelican Peace, a 42-m multirole crewboat of Flex-42MX Hybrid design. The yard said the key feature of the design is that, unlike vessels with shaft-generator or ‘hybrid-assist’ systems, Pelican Peace “has a true parallel hybrid architecture that automatically switches between operating modes.”

The hybrid system on the vessel includes a 232 kWh battery energy storage system integrated into the main DC grid and a hybrid propulsion train enabling engines and motors to drive the shafts. This configuration enables ‘generator-off’ operations during low-load, standby and overnight modes, along with peak shaving and load levelling for optimal engine efficiency. It also results in reduced running hours for the main engines and generator sets, and a reduced fuel burn, emissions and maintenance footprint. Operationally, said the company, this delivers: full-electric sailing at 6-8 knots for low-speed/standby operations; up to nine hours of generator-off hotel load support overnight; quiet, zero-emissions port and standby capability; engines operating closer to optimal load bands; and measurable fuel savings. The design of Pelican Peace was developed in partnership with Reintjes Group, Danfoss Drives, Noris Automation, Chengrui Power Technology, Razor Blunt Labs, and Z-Power Automation, which played important roles in the development of the drivetrain, power electronics, battery management, controls and automation, system integration, and modelling.

Another design, with an innovative trimaran hullform, was launched earlier in 2026 by Marsun Public Co Ltd in Thailand. Uniwise Commander – built for Uniwise Offshore, which owns and operates the largest crewboat fleet in the Gulf of Thailand – was designed by Wind Naval Architects, which has designed a number of trimaran vessels/semi-SWATH vessels for the offshore sector. The new vessel is capable of a service speed of 34 knots while maintaining operational stability in wave heights of up to 2.5 m. The trimaran hullform is expected to provide a high level of stability, reduced vessel motions and increased deck space compared with a conventional hullform. Marsun described the design as “providing an effective alternative to helicopter transport, allowing personnel and equipment to be transported to offshore installations at reduced operational costs per trip compared with a helicopter and without the need to rely on aviation infrastructure.”

Another yard in the region, Strategic Marine, recently delivered two 42-m fast crewboats to Abu Dhabi-based NMDC Logistics & Technical Services. The vessels were built as part of a collaboration between Thailand’s Prima Marine Public Co Ltd (PRM) and Singapore-based Strategic Marine. A partnership between Strategic Marine and PRM’s subsidiary Truth Maritime Services Company Ltd (TMS) underpinned the delivery of the two ‘Generation 4’ fast crewboats, which were designed in close collaboration with Australia’s Southerly Designs. They use a proven hullform to maximise fuel efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance seakeeping performance. Each vessel is equipped with a gyro stabiliser system to reduce roll and increase stability for safer and more comfortable crew transfers. They can accommodate up to 80 personnel and are prepared for upgrading with hybrid propulsion and walk-to-work gangway systems.