IHC Merwede announced the launch of a new diving support and offshore construction vessel for
Bermuda-based Toisa Limited. The launch will took place on November 24 at Merwede Shipyard and was performed by Lorena Vázquez de Hernández, wife of José Hernández Cantarell, President CICSA.
In March 2006 Merwede Shipyard won the order, which included the integration of the complete owner furnished dive spread and cranes within the required short delivery time. The vessel has been built under yard No 712.
The ship has been developed by Merwede Shipyard in close co-operation with Toisa Ltd (Owners) and
Sealion Shipping Ltd (Managers). It will be a fully Dynamically Positioned Construction Class Diving
Support Vessel, suitable for worldwide operation.
As an enhanced sister vessel to the Toisa Proteus, Polaris and Perseus, with a fully in-built Saturation
Diving System, the vessel can, and will, support a wide variety of subsea operations worldwide. Within the
saturation diving market the existing world fleet of such vessels averages over 20 years old. This order will
provide the market with a DP3 vessel capable of meeting the higher and more demanding standards of
safety, dynamic positioning capabilities, saturation diving and the use of environmentally sensitive vessels
that can only be met by the introduction of new vessels.
The vessel boasts the flexibility in design of its previous sisters. The vessel will be built with a 18
man twin bell saturation system. Her under-deck configuration allows for a wide range of equipment to be
installed whilst her large clear deck area provides scope for a range of other applications.
The increasing need for subsea construction vessels to accommodate large numbers of contractor’s
personnel has also been addressed in designing the ship to accommodate up to 199 persons in future (excluding any divers in saturation) depending on the Charterer’s requirements.