Atlantic Wind Transfers places market-first order for two Chartwell 24 crew transfer vessels (CTVs) built locally at Blount Boats in Warren, Rhode Island
Four years after they teamed up to build the first-ever U.S. flagged CTV, the “Atlantic Pioneer,” leading U.S. offshore wind farm support company Atlantic Wind Transfers and Blount Boats are back again. Atlantic Wind Transfers announced this month that it has signed a multi-million-dollar, market-first order for two state-of the-art Chartwell 24 CTVs, developed by Chartwell Marine, a pioneer in next-generation vessel design, and built by Blount Boats.
Charlie Donadio, CEO/Owner of Atlantic Wind Transfers, explained that these two CTVs are a specialized model of the Chartwell 24, designed to comply with U.S. Coast Guard and American environmental regulations and operational conditions. In particular, the vessels will have advanced radar and navigational electronics with a specially adapted 65-foot hull to be compliant for U.S. Right Whale regulations off the eastern seaboard. This hull has been further adapted to handle the Atlantic sea conditions up to 1.75 significant wave heights while mandating the highest safety standards in design and construction.
He added, “Our Crew Transfer Vessel company was the first to support U.S. offshore wind here on the Block Island wind farm in Rhode Island, with the first and only CTV currently operating in the United States. This is another major milestone for us as we expand our fleet and aim to support the local supply chain along the East Coast of the United States.”
“I have worked closely with Andy Page of Chartwell for the last seven years and, based on past experience along with conversations with an established European CTV operator Seacat Service, we knew that the Chartwell 24 was the right vessel to deliver the high standards of service our future clients will expect. I have full confidence the finished vessel from Blount Boats will be a class-leading, U.S.-flagged, Jones-Act compliant vessel.”
Charlie expects to take delivery of the CTVs in 2020 and 2021, and looks forward to seeing them deployed on offshore wind projects up and down the East Coast for many years to come.
For more information about Atlantic Wind Transfers, please visit: www.atlanticwindtransfers.com.