Atlantic Towing, Limited has purchased a second Anchor Handling Offshore Supply vessel from JAYA, and is expected to take delivery of the vessel during the first quarter of 2014. She will be known as the Atlantic Merlin.

This vessel is a Wartsila designed VS 4622 CD anchor handling offshore supply vessel and is the sister ship to the recently acquired Atlantic Kestrel which is currently serving off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.  The Atlantic Merlin has 16300 brake horsepower from its main engines and the new ship is also Ice Class 1A giving it the ability to navigate in moderate level ice conditions and northern regions. The ship has been designed to Norwegian Maritime Directorate standards (highest in world for offshore vessels) and carries the Clean Design (CD) designation from Det Norske Veritas (DNV classification society).

The state-of-the art ship has been constructed with a variety of features incorporating the latest offshore technology available. These features include:

• 400 tonne anchor handling/ towing winch
• Anchor handling tools (centering devices, rail cranes)
• Oil recovery capability
• DP2 dynamic positioning system

The new vessel is designed specifically for offshore support and is capable of oil rig towing, oil rig positioning and anchor handling, offshore oilfield supply, stand-by rescue, and iceberg towing/ ice management. It is capable of carrying large quantities of cargo to offshore installations with a large deck area and deck strength as well as a high volume of cargo tank space.

(JD Irving Photo)