VESSEL REVIEW | JLD Virginie – France’s Atlantique Maritime Services expands crewboat fleet

French shipowner Atlantique Maritime Services (AMS) has expanded its fleet of offshore support vessels with the recent acquisition of a catamaran crewboat supplied by compatriot company Piriou.

Named JLD Virginie, the multi-functional vessel was built in Piriou’s Vietnam shipyard and will serve offshore wind customers in France and in other European countries. Construction was done in compliance to French flag and Bureau Veritas class requirements.

The fifth crewboat to join the current active AMS fleet has an aluminium hull, an LOA of 26.65 metres, a beam of nine metres, a maximum draught of 1.97 metres, seating for up to 24 technicians, and fore and aft deck space for up to three 10-foot containers or one 20-foot container. The propulsion system currently consists of two IMO Tier III-compliant 1,066kW engines fed by a 25-cubic-metre tank and driving controllable-pitch propellers, though the arrangement can be configured to accommodate a hybrid electric setup with a battery pack, electric motors, and a power management system in the future.

The interior spaces include a passenger lounge fitted on resilient mountings to reduce the occupants’ fatigue and two double-cabins for the crew. The wheelhouse has all-around visibility over both fore and aft decks and an ergonomic layout to permit efficient operations even under demanding sailing conditions. An impact compensation system and a bow fender ensures greater safety during transfers of personnel to and from offshore platforms.

The electronics suite includes a Furuno radar.