The shipping company Esvagt A/S was founded in Esbjerg, Denmark, by local investors in 1981. The aim was to establish the company as service provider for the offshore industry. In the meantime the Svitzer Group, a 100% subsidiary of AP Møller-Maersk Group, owns 75% of Esvagt A/S. The company started stand-by services in the North Sea with two rebuilt trawlers in 1982. More rebuilt second-hand trawlers were commissioned during the following years. They were supplemented with two second-hand AHTS. Esvagt’s first new building, the ESVAGT OBSERVER, was delivered in 1999. She was the first of four almost identical sisters delivered to Esvagt A/S and Maersk Supply Service:

In the aftermath of the disaster of the production platform PIPER ALPHA in the North Sea with 167 casualties and just 62 survivors on 6.07.1988 the requirements for stand-by vessels were significantly raised in the UK. As a result the rebuilt trawlers were not deployable without restrictions anymore. Therefore new buildings had to be considered for fleet extensions. The four vessels were designed by Ole Steen Knudsen A/S, now OSK-ShipTech A/S, in close co-operation with the shipping companies. Baltija Shiphandling Yard in Klaipeda, Lithuania, a subsidiary of the Dansk Odense Steel Shipyard Ltd, built all four vessels. ESVAGT OBSERVER was delivered in 1999, all others in 2001. ESVAGT CONNECTOR is the only one in this series that didn’t undergo major refitting. The three other vessels received one or more Fast Rescue Daughter Craft (FRDC) as replacement for their original Fast Rescue Craft (FRC). FRDC’s have closed superstructures while FRC are open boats. A FRDC can additionally be used within defined weather limits in regular offshore work. The FRDC types MP-1111 were provided by Maritime Partners AS. MAERSK DON and MAERSK DEE were overwritten to Esvagt in 2006. MAERSK DON was renamed ESVAGT DON while MAERSK DEE kept her named and remained in Maersk livery and Maersk management until 27.05.2009 when Esvagt took over. She was renamed ESVAGT DEE but still carries the Maersk colors. Following is a description of ESVAGT CONNECTOR. All photos not showing a ship’s name in the caption show her.

General: Esvagt refers to the four vessels as multirole- AHTS. They are prevented from taking up normal supply duties by the lack of under deck powder and liquid storage, instead of which they are provided with tanks for large quantities of recovered oil. They are certified as Emergency Response Rescue Vessel (ERRV) for up to 300 rescued persons. The four vessels are conventional deep sea tugs / AHT with two propellers in fixed nozzles. A Becker high performance flap rudder is mounted behind each nozzle. The hull is built on transverse frames of 600 mm spacing and reinforced according to Lloyd’s ice class 1D. This corresponds with ice class E of Germanischer Lloyd and is sufficient for drift ice in river mouths and near coast lines. The tugs are equipped with two MaK type 8M25 diesel engines as main propulsion units. They develop 2x 2,400kW (2x 3,264bhp) at 750rpm as maximum continuous output (100 percent (%) MCR) and are coupled to MAN B&W Alpha Diesel type VB 860 controllable-pitch propellers. The propellers have a diameter of 3.15m with a hub diameter of 860mm. The tugs reach a speed of 14kts at 85% MCR. They are equipped with one bow and one stern traverse thruster type 1300K/BMS-cp with controllable-pitch propellers manufactured by KaMeWa, now Rolls Royce. The thrusters deliver an output of 441kW. Additionally a retractable rudder propeller type UL 1201 CP with controllable-pitch propeller in a nozzle and an output of 736kW is mounted at the bow. KaMeWa provided this component too. ESVAGT CONNECTOR achieved a bollard pull of 91t at 100% MCR and 102t with the assistance of the retractable rudder propeller at the bow. The pull varies from tug to tug. The bunker capacities are 543m³ fuel oil, 243m³ fresh water, 1,042m³ ballast and/or drill water, and 512m³ recovered oil. The vessels are equipped with three Stamford HCM 734F2 generator sets of 872kW each and one emergency generator of 217kW.

Tank top deck:

From bow to stern there are the following compartments: Bow thrusters well, workshop with sidewise adjacent tanks, room with three generator sets and wing tanks to the shell plates, and engine room with MaK main propulsion units. Between the MaK engines are a number of plant rooms. To the side are wing tanks. Behind the engine room are tanks with the embedded stern thruster room are following.

Tween deck:

In the bow tanks surround the bow thruster compartment. Next located above the workshop but spread over the full breadth are lounges and sanitary facilities for survivors. The engine control room follows at starboard with a boiler and the funnel at port as well as a hydraulic unit in-between, all above the generator compartment. Above the main engines the deck has a large opening. Behind the opening is a full width ballast tank is located, followed by more tanks divided by a service alleyway leading to the hydraulic room for shark jaws and pins, the rudder machinery room, and the stern thruster room. The alleyway is accessible from below.

Main deck:

the deck is divided in the open aft deck and the superstructure area. The aft deck carries the hydraulic KaMeWa type TAW 1500 H reversed waterfall winch with two drums. The forward drum is lower than the aft one. The winch has a pulling power of 156t and a brake power of 250t. There is a chain lifter for rig chains at the starboard side of the winch. The winch is fitted in a kind of garage, limited at starboard by a store, the CO2 room, and the emergency generator room, and at port a garbage room. In front of the winch is the superstructure, behind it the crucifix which additionally carries the deck above the winch. The separate spooling device is fitted between winch and crucifix. A KaMeWa Rauma type MW 300 H tugger winch is mounted at port of the spooling device. The winch has a pulling power of 10t and a brake power of 30t. The work area of approx. 280m² is designed for a load of 5t/m². At both sides are heavy cargo rails with wood cladding in-between. Capstans are located on both sides behind the cargo rails near the stern. They were provided by KaMeWa Rauma and are types CA50H with 5t pulling power. A roller of approx. 2.80m length and approx. 1.50m diameter is fitted in the stern. One Triplex Shark Jaw and two Triplex pins with 200t safe working load (s.w.l.) are mounted ahead of the stern roller. In the photographs the ESVAGT CONNECTOR is shown with an A-frame at the stern for work with remotely operated vehicles (ROV). In front of the towing winch the accommodation area begins. At starboard are two crew single-berth rooms and four double-berth guest rooms, at port a treatment room, a change room and a large survivor’s room. Directly ahead of the winch is a reception followed by a staircase and a laundry. The cabins have their own sanitary facilities.

Deck A:

Inside the superstructure stores are located in the bow. Behind follow six single-berth crew cabins and a change room at starboard, mess, galley, and provision stores at port. In-between from aft to ahead the air-conditioning unit, staircase, and two double-berth guest rooms are placed. All crew and guest rooms have their own sanitary facilities. The open deck carries a FRC with its special davit at port. A second FRC with an identical davit is mounted on a platform attached to the deck at starboard aft as the area in front of it is occupied by a 6m long Dacon Scoop. The Dacon Scoop is a semi-rigid, maneuverable rescue net which is operated by the deck crane. A third FRC, required by British regulations, is fitted on the cover above the towing winch. It is launched by the hydraulic knuckle boom crane, which is mounted at starboard aft. It is a Heila type HLRM 80-3S with an s.w.l. of 5.3t at the maximum reach of 12.04m. A KaMeWa Rauma type SU 100 H storage winch with 10t pulling power and 20t brake power is mounted between third boat and superstructure. A rescue basket is stored beside the winch.

Forecastle deck:

The captains and chiefs single-berth cabins with separate bedrooms are located at the forward bulkhead of the superstructure. Behind two officers’ single-berth cabins are arranged at each side. They are followed from port to starboard by the funnel, the staircase and a single-berth crew cabin. All cabins have en-suite sanitary facilities. At the aft end the ship’s office and a saloon were placed. A KaMeWa Rauma combined anchor and towing winch is mounted on the forecastle. The winch has one split towing drum, two chain lifters and two warping heads. The drum has a pulling power of 30t and a brake power of 130t. At both sides of the superstructure two inflatable life rafts are fitted.

Bridge deck:

In the forward port corner of the deck a lifeline gun is mounted. The wheelhouse is located approx. 3.5m from the forward edge of the deck. The forward bulkhead is just approx. 5.2m wide and is completely occupied by the main control console. Further aft the wheelhouse widens to almost the full deck width resulting in enclosed bridge wings. At port you find the funnel casing and at starboard a table with chairs and a settee. In the middle are the stairs and a console with chart table and communication equipment. The aft helmstand consists of three lengthwise consoles with two chairs in-between. Here the wheelhouse is as narrow as at the forward bulkhead. The navigation and communication equipment are state of the art. The vessel is additionally equipped with a Kongsberg dynamic positioning system.

Top deck:

Here the magnet compass and four remotely controlled Seematz searchlights are located. It carries the mast with navigation lights and antennas as well as separately mounted antennas including two radar antennas. The mast and the radar antenna supports can be tilted to reduce the air draught.

Crew:

The vessels have accommodation for a crew of 15 persons in single-berth cabins and 12 passengers in double-berth cabins. As Class B ERRV the ESVAGT CONNECTOR is licensed for sole operation at offshore installations with up to 300 persons according to British regulations. The same ERRV regulations require a minimum crew of 12 persons. The accommodation is fully air-conditioned