Chartwell Marine’s new Scanwell shallow draft survey vessel aims to provide ports with unparalleled standards of versatility when undertaking work in shallow waters.
“The Scanwell vessel is ideal as a port workboat and survey/ dive support vessel,” Andy Page, managing director of Chartwell Marine told GreenPort.
“The multi-configuration capability and shallow draft of the vessel makes it very suitable for port use and the slower speeds typical in ports, mean that hybrid propulsion is an effective and economical choice.”
In port
The Scanwell range is available in multiple hull sizes – including 10m, 12m, 15m and 19m and there are already two vessels on order – a 10m survey vessel and a 19m teaching vessel, the first of which has been recently delivered.
Vessels with shallow draft capabilities such as the Scanwell are critical for port maintenance and expansion. Most channels in ports are dredged to a depth of five or six metres – but must be surveyed before initial dredging and for maintenance.
When sediment and particle deposition fill these port channels, operating depths are severely reduced. The Scanwell can operate in waters of 1.5 metres – a parameter that could only previously be met with limited current market offerings, says Mr Page.
Chartwell is offering the vessel as a survey boat for dredging companies, offshore wind and general port state workboat use.
“The increasing standardisation of environmental regulations for international ports will spur the maritime industry to invest further in vessel design and onboard propulsion/power systems,” says Mr Page.
He said emissions from maritime applications have been found to increase NOx levels to the point that ground levels of ozone concentration has increased – and in ports, this is due primarily to engine vessel design.
A hybrid system allows a vessel to operate on electric propulsion while idling or travelling at lower speeds in-port, thereby reducing emissions.
In 2019, Chartwell launched the Chasewell vessel as a hybrid patrol/pilot vessel, which Mr Page says prompted a call from ports for similar vessels.
“It is clear that port authorities seeking to underline their green credentials have the opportunity to support the growth of this market by investing in next-gen hybrid and electric vessel designs developed by UK naval architects and shipyards,” he says.
Mr Page says that to maximise their effectiveness, electric and hybrid vessel designs must be flexible and adaptable to fulfil the needs of the operator, which opens the way for a broad range of markets, including ports, to become more environmentally-friendly.
Multiple use
Away from ports, the Scanwell’s larger size enables an additional level of versatility, allowing the vessel to be effective in both shallow draft situations and further out to sea.
In the offshore energy sector, the vessel fulfills the need for surveying windfarms throughout their entire lifecycles, from the initial preparations to lay cables, maintenance checks on sub-sea infrastructure and final decommissioning.
Additionally, a hybrid version of the Scanwell has been used as a teaching/education vessel, a task to which the vessel is particularly suited, owing to its quiet and comfortable operations. Loud engines make teaching challenging, while potentially disturbing marine life.
With options to equip seabed mapping, electronic scanning and launch sampling tools, the vessel also has space built in for diver equipment, enabling operations that encompass biomarine and geological surveying.
Chartwell Marine is a pioneer in next-generation vessel design with an excellent track record designing award-winning high-speed vessels,
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