Shoalbuster 3209 ‘Aria’, and a Stan Pontoon 4113 are off to work in the marine contracting business in the Southern Caribbean where construction of roads, hotels, shore bases and other buildings is booming particularly in Guyana.
A. R. Singh Contractors Ltd. signed the contract for the Shoalbuster with Damen in December 2021. As the vessel neared completion, Damen was able to deliver the pontoon within a month after contract effectiveness thanks to its practice of building vessels in series and keeping them in stock for short lead times.
As the hull of the Shoalbuster had already been constructed, it was easy to add specific customer requirements including adapting the electrical network to be better suited to the vessel’s operating region. The large working deck, alongside the heavy-duty crane and winch, will provide the perfect working tools for the rough work required. The vessel is also equipped to work offshore as a Fire Fighting 1 system including spray has been fitted.
This is the second time that Damen has delivered a vessel to A. R. Singh Contractors, which took delivery of a Stan Tug 2208, named Adamant, in 2008.
Mark Singh, director at A. R. Singh said, “Having had a good experience with Damen when they supplied our tug ‘Adamant’ a few years ago, we decided to approach them again when we required a new addition to our fleet. Once more, Damen have been able to provide us with exactly what we required, going the extra mile to accommodate our wishes, and tailoring the vessel to our requirements.”
Damen Area Manager Caribbean Bram van der Plas said, “We are very grateful to A. R. Singh for placing their trust in Damen again. We were confident that our standard Shoalbuster 3209 design, with a few adjustments, is perfectly suited for the upcoming jobs. The addition of the Stan Pontoon 4113 serves as a clear demonstration of the benefits of building vessels in series, providing operators with rapid access to proven, reliable technology, whenever they need it.”
The Damen Shoalbuster 3209 is 32.27 x 9.35 metres and delivers 45+ tonnes of bollard pull. It is a versatile, multi-functional vessel able to conduct a wide range of duties including (ocean-going) towage, mooring, pushing and firefighting. The vessel's elongated 80m2 deck space ensures its suitability for anchor-handling operations.
