Uncategorised
For a few year I received many photographs from Malta where ships from the Far East seem to have been stopping for a breather before moving on, and from where rigs on their way to the breakers and back into service have departed, so here is one, the VOS Paradise, one of the Vroon increasingly large fleet, on its way into service from the builders in China. It is an Ulstein PX 121.
The UT 722 remains the best known offshore workhorse despite later and more elaborate designs, and here is one, the Skandi Fluminense built in Norway in 2006 but now flagged in Brazil. "What is it up to?" we might ask. It is difficult to tell, but instead of the usual Karmforks it is fitted with Triplex anchor handling gear, which arguably could be safer. There is an ROV at work somewhere beneath it and the end of what might be a mooring is held in the Triplex tong, although very unusually none of the chain visible on the deck, apart from the tail on the end of the work wire, is stud link.
This is the moderately well known semi-submersible Ocean Guardian, now a bit antique, but so far avoiding the razor blade manufacturers. A few years ago it had a fairly successful adventure in Falkland islands waters. It is an Earl and Wright 700 Series which went to work in 1985. The oil industry liked these things because they are big, and you can get a lot of stuff onto their decks.