Briggs Marine has expanded its fleet with a new maintenance support vessel, MV Forth Constructor, built by Freire Shipyard in Spain.
The vessel will enable Briggs to continue to expand and develop its offering in contracts with the UK government and port and harbour authorities, as well as providing services to the offshore wind sector.
It was designed to Briggs’ specification by Cintranaval in conjunction with Freire Shipyard, and its primary role will be the servicing of heavy moorings and navigation marks.
The vessel is also equipped to carry out a range of offshore support tasks, including diving and ROV, seabed investigation and surveys, offshore wind support and inshore cable laying operations.
MV Forth Constructor has accommodation for six crew members and up to 10 project workers.
Briggs said crew comfort has been prioritised, with well-appointed en-suite cabins, while efforts have also been made to minimise noise and vibration levels throughout the vessel.
Additional features of the new maintenance support vessel include an active heave compensated crane, a moonpool, a demountable A-frame, four-point mooring capability, and a dedicated survey office to provide greater flexibility for a diverse range of clients.
The demountable Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) boarding ladder enhances the ship’s ability to support offshore wind farm projects.
Briggs Marine’s director of port and marine Iain Ross said: “Partnering with Freire Shipyard has seen Briggs’ concept developed effectively and efficiently.
“They have not only provided the technical aspects of construction but have brought innovative solutions to the project.
“Their comprehensive approach has been crucial in achieving the project’s milestones, and we look forward to bringing our new vessel into service and to working with Freire in the future. We are also pleased to continue our positive relationship with Lombard for financing arrangements on this project.
“The ship, which has taken over two years to conceptualise and build, represents a genuinely novel solution to a wide range of demands, including our mainstay of moorings and aids to navigation maintenance.”