WSA Department Cuxhaven to Receive New Survey Ship

October 10, 2012

No Limit Ships Shipyards has been commissioned by the German Wasser- und Schiffahrtsamt to build a purpose-designed No Limit 1640 survey ship for the WSA department Cuxhaven. The vessel has a limited draught, which allows it to inspect shallow waters and groynes in the River Elbe, while its robustness also makes it suitable for difficult sailing conditions in the outer Elbe area.

“The Elbe has a reputation for strong currents, fast -rising and sometimes extreme water levels, dangerous shallows and in the estuary turbulent tides”, says marketing manager Dick Westera. “In the outer Elbe area, the tides are also turbulent and this environment is therefore notorious for the high and steep waves that are formed in the so-called current against wind situation. With prevailing north-westerly winds, this situation occurs at outgoing tide two times six hours a day. The crew of the survey ship must be able to work safely and effectively in any situation. And that is why in cooperation with the client we have developed a customised No Limit vessel.”

Fully seaworthy under all circumstances

The hull construction and the wheel house have been adapted to suit the sailing area. “The shape of the underwater hull is flatter and thus more shallow with a greater lifting capacity“, Westera explains. “The maximum draught is only one metre and the robustness of the hull construction makes it suitable for use over a stony seabed. Since the centre of gravity is low, the stability is excellent and the tube, which is so characteristic of the No Limit vessels, provides extra upward power in the event of rolling or pitching.”

Special features for survey work

The vessel will be provided with hydrographic survey equipment. “It will be installed in cooperation with the Norwegian company Kongsberg“, says Westera. “For this equipment to perform properly, it is important that the vibrations and sounds from the ship do not themselves cause any disturbance of the complex echo sounders. The extremely sensitive sensors will be protected in such a way that the throughflow of water is not disturbed, because this could affect the measuring data.”

No Limit unique specialisation

“Our customer was clearly looking for a ship with very specific qualities for a work area comprising both the river and a rough sea”, says Westera. “No Limit would then seem the obvious choice. As far as we know, we are the only shipyard in the world which, besides building general construction vessels with lengths of up to 30 metres, is specialised in the development and construction of survey ships for hydrographic research.”

Order book and new developments

Besides the construction of this ship for the German client, No Limit Shops is currently working on the finishing stages of five 22-metre tenders for the Dutch pilot services. This order was secured in cooperation with the main contractor Barkmeijer Shipyards. The last vessel of this order will be completed by the end of 2013. Negotiations with an existing client about the construction of another No Limit construction ship are in advanced stages. This client also purchased No Limit vessels in the past.

Strong organisation

No Limit Ships B.V. was founded in 1996. The organisation employs twenty permanent staff and, where necessary, engages several subcontractors for the fitting-out stages, thus significantly increasing its capacity. Over the past five years the turnover has more than doubled.

Trade fair Hydro 12 at Rotterdam

From Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 November 2012, the SS Rotterdam will be hosting the international trade fair Hydro12 held in Rotterdam. Management and staff of No Limit Ships Shipyards will also be attending this event, which offers trade-specific news with respect to hydrography. The stand number of the shipyard is P12.

Specifications No Limit 1640 survey ship

– Overall length 16.4 metres

– Overall width 5.4 metres

– Draught 1 metre

– Displacement approx. 30 tonnes

– Fuel 3,000 litres

– Drinking-water supply 400 litres

– Waste-water tank 500 litres

– Maximum speed 11.5 knots

– Hull steel

– Superstructure aluminium

– Two engines MAN D 2866 190Kw continuous power