MV Bravante IX is a new platform supply vessel (PSV) being built at Eastern Shipbuilding’s shipyard in Nelson Street, Panama City, Florida. It is the fifth and last vessel of the Bravante Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) series and is being built for Boldini, a part of Bravante Group, a Brazilian company.
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Bravante IX was christened and launched at a ceremony held in Eastern’s shipyard in August 2014 and is expected to be delivered to her owner in January 2016.
MV Juanita is a new platform supply vessel (PSV) of the SALT 100 PSV design, constructed by Kleven Maritime for its owner Ugland Offshore.
The other four vessels of the Bravante PSV series include Bravante VIII, which was delivered in September 2014, Bravante VII, which was delivered in May 2014, and Bravante VI and Bravante V, which were delivered in February 2014 and November 2013 respectively.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, through its Maritime Administration (MARAD), provided a $241m Title XI loan guarantee for the construction of the five vessels.
Bravante IX PSV design
Bravante IX is of VARD’s (formerly known as STX OSV) SV290 design. It has an overall length of 86.5m, waterline length of 83.7m and overall breadth of 18.3m. The depth to main deck and design draft are 7.5m and 5.9m respectively. The deadweight of the vessel is approximately 4,500t.
The vessel offers 870m2 of clear deck area with a deck load capacity of 5t/m². It is also equipped to carry liquid cargoes such as mud, drill water, fresh water and fuel oil.
The Bravante platform supply vessels carry the Marshall Islands Flag and operate in accordance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations. Bravante IX has been assigned the ABS class notation A1, Offshore Support Vessel Ocean Service, Loadline, AMS, ACCU, Circle E, and additional ABS Class notations UWILD, ENVIRO, DPS-2 and FFV-1 class notation.
Accommodation and tank capacities
The Bravante IX provides accommodation to 29 personnel onboard in four four-berth cabins, five twin-berth cabins and three single-officer cabins.
The vessel has a capacity to hold 1,600m3 of cargo fuel oil, 237m3 of fuel oil day tanks, 100.6m3 of potable water, 1,944m3 of drill water, also known as ballast, 800m3 of brine or additional drill water, 800m3 of liquid mud/ fuel oil and 244m3 of dry-bulk mud.
Deck and life saving equipment aboard the Bravante IX OSV
The Bravante IX is equipped with an anchor windlass with a pulling capacity of 30,000lb at a hoisting speed of 30ft/m.
Life-saving equipments aboard the vessel include four 25-man life rafts and a single life raft with a capacity to carry 16 persons. The vessel is also equipped with a 4.5m-long rescue boat with davit and a 40hp outboard engine complying with SOLAS and USCG regulations.
The vessel has external fire-fighting and self-drenching deluge system.
Engine and propulsion
Bravante IX is powered by a diesel-electric propulsion system equipped with four Cummins 16-cylinder turbo-charged QSK60DM IMO Tier II diesel engines, which generate a power output of 1,825kW at 1,800rpm each.
The propulsion system includes two 2,500kW Schottel Combi-Drive 2020 Single Fixed Pitch (FP) Z-Drives, and two 1,180kW Schottel STT 4 fixed pitch reversing tunnel thrusters. The vessel is also equipped with two 235kW emergency gen-sets.
GE Energy Power Conversion supplied other equipment such as thruster drives, motors, control systems, dynamic positioning (DP) system, switchboards, motor control centres, and automation and navigation/ communication electronics.
The propulsion system enables the vessel to cruise at a maximum speed of 14kt.
