Aluminum SWATH Passenger Ferry

This 120’ x 40’ Aluminum SWATH crew boat was built in 1999 for Trico Marine to quickly shuttle as many as 250 passengers to offshore platforms. She was built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group and designed by Petrobras.

 

The goal was to create an offshore crew transport vessel that would phase out costly helicopter rides and rough voyages on conventional, mono-hull crew boats. The SWATH design provided 
a smooth ride and met the requirements of an average speed of 25 knots. The M/V Deacon is 
capable of speeds over 30 knots.

 

The ergonomic requirements were defined to limit the incidence of seasickness to less than 5% in 4 hours exposure in the 2- to 3- meter seas so common to the Campos Basin where the vessel would operate. They also required comfortable seating, ample legroom and an HVAC system with a relatively high rate of exchange. The final design presented a number of challenges, while incorporating many high tech features, such as a gas turbine coupled to controlled pitch 
propellers via a 27:1 reduction gear and an active fin system.

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The vessel was built for $23 million. New construction cost to replace the vessel is estimated at over $30 million. While the M/V Deacon is currently powered with two Allison 501 KF turbines, she may be re-powered with conventional engines. A recently constructed model shows what the vessel’s outer decks would look like with conventional power.

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After five years of service in Brazil, the vessel was placed in freshwater storage for five years. During the five years of storage, the crew was on board and machinery was run regularly. The M/V Deacon was transferred to Seacraft Shipyard where she was dry-docked in June 2008 and the bottom of the vessel was repainted. Seacraft is in Amelia, Louisiana, USA.