A French owner has taken delivery of new crewboats for deployment in Africa while two Norwegian-built commissioning service operations vessels recently began undergoing sea trials. A new Japanese-owned crewboat has been launched. Lastly, construction has started on a new shallow-draught workboat ordered by a Dutch operator.
Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has begun conducting sea trials of a new hybrid commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) slated for German joint venture company Windward Offshore.
The vessel is a sister of Windward Athens, which Vard delivered to the same owner earlier this year.
Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) has held a naming and launching ceremony for its first Japanese-built crewboat, Alfonsino Arrow, at Kosaba Shipbuilding in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture.
The vessel, launched on December 12, 2025, is the first crewboat ordered by the shipping line from a domestic shipyard. It is scheduled to transport personnel involved in the construction and maintenance of offshore wind power facilities across Japan.
French offshore vessel operator Bourbon recently took delivery of six new crewboats in a series built by Piriou at its Vietnam facilities.
Two of the vessels will support Bourbon's activities off West Africa while the other four will be operated by Bourbon Interoil Nigeria.
Netherlands-based marine services provider Herman Senior said recently that the keel of its newest multi-purpose vessel was laid in a ceremony on Tuesday, December 9.
The 49-metre-long Smokey will be the first in a new series of workboats that will serve the offshore energy and marine construction markets. Spud poles, a four-point mooring system, and a DP2 system will enable the vessel to maintain position in all circumstances in both shallow and deep waters.
Vard has begun conducting sea trials of a new commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) ordered by Norwegian offshore support company Norwind Offshore.
The CSOV is a sister of Norwind Hurricane and Norwind Helm, which were delivered by Vard in 2024.
