St. Johns Ship Building, Palatka, Fla., held a keel laying ceremony earlier this month for the first of a series of 82' aluminum crew transfer vessels (CTVs) for Atlantic Wind Transfers.
Rhode Island-based AWT will use the CTVs to service U.S. offshore wind farms. St. Johns was acquired by Americraft Marine earlier this year.
The Chartwell 24 aluminum catamarans have the capacity to transport 24 personnel to and from wind turbines with speed, safety, and stability, St. Johns said. These AWT vessels marks the first St. Johns Ship Building partnership with AWT to build future-focused vessels.
“We are proud to be chosen as part of Atlantic Wind Transfers successful CTV operation," Jeff Bukoski, president of St. Johns Ship Building, said in a statement.
“We will also continue to make improvements to our facilities that allow us to construct greater numbers of similar, newbuild vessels,” Jeff Bukoski, president of St. Johns, said at the ceremony.
“Our team is excited to be moving forward building with St. Johns,” Charles A. Donadio Jr., founder of AWT, said in a statement. “This collaborative design-build strategy will enable AWT to parlay its experience to provide future charter clients with the most reliable multipurpose crew transfer vessels in the U.S. in the years to come.”
The Ambitious, Chartwell Marine’s flagship CTV design, will be U.S. Jones Act-compliant, certified under Coast Guard Subchapter L and able to operate at any wind farm under the safety and inspection standards of the USCG.
AWT currently operates the only two CTVs in the U.S. under long-term contracts, servicing the Block Island Wind Farm for Orsted and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm (CVOW) for Dominion Energy.
“We are excited for the opportunity to commence building this series of CTVs for Charlie and his team at AWT,” said Edward Sheets, executive vice president, Americraft Marine Group. “With the owner’s choice of a proven vessel design and our dedication to quality craftsmanship and manufacturing, I look forward to an outstanding result as we further bolster our contribution to the growth of renewable energy.”
(No additional specifications have been announced.)
