Vestdavit Backs USCG OPC Innovation

Photo: Vigor’s proposed vessel based upon the Ulstein X-bow design

Vestdavit is backing an innovative design for the US Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter fleet replacement programme. Over the next fifteen years the USCG plans to build twenty-five new OPCs to patrol the US EEZ. Missions include search and rescue, counter narcotics, alien migrant interdiction, fisheries enforcement, environmental protection and maritime security. Central to the chosen design will be the ability to launch and recover boats in sea states up to 5.

US shipbuilding and repair major Vigor Industrial has a long history of supporting the Coast Guard in ship repair and modernisation and is bidding for the contract to design and build the first eleven OPCs. Its design takes the best from global offshore operating experience.

The launch and recovery of small boats is central to all of the OPC’s missions. Vigor sought out the world’s leading designers and manufacturers of boat handling systems. Vestdavit was chosen to work with Vigor because of its experience with a wide variety of boat davits that are designed for the challenging conditions of the North Sea. Vestdavit has a good track record with providing quality boat davits to the US Navy.

Vigor has developed a boat hangar concept so that the boats are stored and maintained in a protected environment. This ensures that the boats will be ready when needed. The Vestdavit TBD davit system is well suited to take advantage of this configuration and provide maximum system flexibility.The davits are located overhead, which frees up deck space around the boats. These davits are widely used by seismic survey vessels and are capable of exceeding all Coast Guard requirements.