Just thought I'd share this with you all.

This, I think, is a wind farm service vessel, FOB SWATH 1 and would make a really good model. Plenty of superstructure and shape plus colours that stand out. She's also a catamaran hull, so quite stable and has her propeller drives well down at the end of the twin hulls.

Now, when she came last week for some shipyard work, she was loaded to the slipway carriages and hauling out was started. This takes place at high water so the vessel can be floated into position astride twin carriages which run on rails. This slipway is designed for traditional boat types – single hull boats with a keel which centres onto the two carriages, the boat is supported on her sides with towers on the carriages to stop it falling over.

With a catamaran though, the hulls sit astride the carriages outside the rails, and as proved here, the weight of the vessel was too much, and as the vessel was pulled up the slipway the carriages broke into three, the sides snapped off, dropping each hull to the slipway bottom. Luckily the props seem to have survived so no shaft damage, they think. It's rumoured that it will take about 5 weeks to build new carriages in situ to re-take the vessel and permit her to be re-floated.

And before you ask, no, she's already above the spring high water mark, and would require about 2 metres on the maximum tide to float off without the slipway mechanisms, and no, hauling astern will drags those props through the bottom and cause untold damage.

A strong cry of oops! who did that? was heard before a scuttle of boots disappearing into the office to inform the boss! who was delighted that it's Christmas soon and he knows what to ask Santa for………………..

Kim

Here's an update, as of 12:30 today, 10th December.

The vessel is now on blocks and at the slipway angle once again. Large timber baulks were threaded through the hulls below the deck and two large jacks eased her up. The jacks had to come over special, and there's no crane on the Island could straddle the gap for the lift.

The front carriage is now where it should be, under both hulls and taking weight. The rear carriage still looks in a sorry state, and is being replaced shortly. Just look at those small prop shafts and tiny rudders.

Oh, and if you're interested – the whole vessel is constructed of "glass fibre" or the equivalent, hence the worry when she hit the deck and whether the hull had fractured or not.

I must see where they put the old carriage, one suggestion was around the slipway fore mans neck just prior to launching him into Ramsey Bay!!!

I might miss her float off, but will try and get some pictures of that too. Kim.