The recently christened the Seacor Cheetah crewboat has a sprint speed of 44 knots and can carry 150 passengers. (Image courtesy of Seacor Marine)

Seacor Holdings Inc. subsidiary Seacor Marine launched a new crewboat on Feb. 19, 2008, the most recent step of a fleet expansion project that will help make up the deficit in the crewboat and supply boat industry. The new vessel, the Seacor Cheetah, will be used for both personnel and cargo transfer. It is the first of three in the CrewZer class to be added to Seacor’s fleet.

John Gellert, senior vice president of Seacor Marine, said the company is investing in fleet expansion internationally and has spent more than US $1 billion in new vessel construction and next-generation technology since the mid-1990s. The company’s fleet includes platform supply vessels, anchor handlers, crewboats, large utility boats and mini supply vessels that serve the Gulf of Mexico, Latin America, West Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as well as standby safety boats that are used in the North Sea.

There are 200 vessels in the Seacor fleet, including the largest “fast support” fleet, which comprises 70 boats. The new CrewZer class vessel fits into the “fast support” category. It is larger than others of its type on the market and is considerably faster. Robert Clemons, Seacor Marine vice president, said the Seacor Cheetah has a sprint speed of 44 knots and can hold an average speed of 38 to 40 knots, compared to the top speed of 30 knots achievable with monohull crewboat designs.

According to Gellert, there is a growing need for bigger and faster vessels. “With so many fields in deepwater, crewboats are working at greater distances from shore. The boats are getting bigger over time so they can carry more payload, and we are on a constant quest to go faster.”

The Seacor Cheetah was designed to provide a faster and more stable delivery platform than the industry standard. Speed, in fact, is the reason for the vessel’s unusual catamaran twin-hull design. Though there are vessels with a somewhat similar design working offshore Brazil and the Mexican Gulf of Mexico, there are none in the market with the same high specifications as the Seacor Cheetah. According to Gellert, “This newbuild, which is named for the fastest of the cats, sets the pace. It can cover 150 to 200 miles (241 to 322 km) in four to six hours.” The next CrewZer class boat in line, the Seacor Cougar, is scheduled for delivery in January 2009.

The 170-ft (51.85-m) catamaran can carry 150 passengers. “It is designed for people,” Gellert said. “It is comfortable.” The vessel has business-class type airline seats, satellite television and wireless internet access and includes a meeting area so travel time can be put to productive use.

“This boat offers features that are a huge advantage over a helicopter,” Gellert said. “Onboard a helicopter, it is nearly impossible to carry on a conversation, and a helicopter isn’t laid out in a way that is conducive to holding meetings.” Furthermore, he said, “It is more difficult to bundle services using a helicopter.”

The Seacor Cheetah enables logistics managers to establish efficient loop-style routes between high-traffic platforms and shore-base operations. The idea is to use what Gellert called a “hub and spoke approach.” The crewboat can carry out crew changes from an offshore accommodations barge, dropping off crew and picking up workers for dispatches farther away from shore.

Evacuation needs were also considered when the new vessel was being designed, with particular attention placed on crew transfer. Seacor selected Reflex Marine to develop the nine-person Frog personnel transfer system. Previous iterations of the Frog were proven effective in more than a million passenger transfers, some in extreme conditions. The system has been used in emergency situations and in down-manning operations in hazardous conditions where helicopter evacuation was not an option.

The Gulf Craft Inc. shipyard in Patterson, La., was involved throughout the design of the hull, Clemons said, including the component parts and accommodations module. “Gulf Craft worked with Seacor through the fabrication, construction and installation of these components, all of which were tested to the environmental conditions in which the crewboat will work.”

The Seacor Cheetah is equipped with sophisticated electronics, communications and navigation systems. And its DP-2 rating makes it unique, Gellert said, noting “It is the only fully ABS classed DP-2 crewboat in the world.”

The DP-2 system, combined with a wide, stable work deck, allows the vessel to hold station in weather conditions where other vessels cannot work. “We believe the Seacor Cheetah represents a truly innovative addition to Seacor’s crewboat fleet and a culmination of a sustained period of pioneering development,” Clemons said.