by Mike Schuler
The offshore wind turbine installation vessel Brave Tern conducts a “full-height jacket test” at the port of Rotterdam. During the test the jack-up reached a height of 70 meters using the vessel’s 5,300 ton capacity legs.
The Brave Tern is one of two identical jack-ups built by Gusto MSC with customizations for owner Fred. Olsen Windcarrier. The vessels are self-elevating and self-propelled with large open deck space, an 800 ton “wrap around leg crane”, DP2-class dynamic positioning, and fitted with a Voith Schneider propulsion system. The installation vessels also have accommodations for up to 80 persons in 56 cabins, as well as a heli-deck to facilitate transfers during offshore wind farm installations.
Brave Tern Characteristics
LENGTH: 132m
HULL BREADTH MID: 39m
PROPULSION: Transit speed of 12 knots, DP2
WATER DEPTH RANGE: 7.5 – 45m
CRANE: 800 tonnes at 24m outreach, 102m over deck
TYPICAL PAYLOAD: 6600 tonnes