VESSEL REVIEW | Marc'h Bihan – Small landing craft workboat for port maintenance in France’s Finistere department

Syndicat des Ports de Cornouaille (SPC), the collaboration responsible for developing, maintaining and managing the fishing and recreational ports in the Finistère department of northwestern France, has taken delivery of a new centre console aluminium workboat built by local shipyard Laïta Sailing.

Designed by local naval architecture firm Armor-X, Marc'h Bihan (“Little Horse”) will support infrastructure maintenance activities at the seven Finistère ports covered by the SPC, which all lie within the Brittany region.

Specifically, the vessel will be used to shuttle maintenance personnel and equipment between the various ports, thus freeing up larger vessels for heavier transport work and infrastructure projects within the department.

Fitted out for limited transport and towing

The boat also needed to be able to navigate easily between ports, as the syndicate carries out around 350 maintenance projects each year.

Marc’h Bihan has an LOA of 7.3 metres (24 feet), a beam of 2.5 metres (8.2 feet), a draught of only 35 centimetres (1.1 feet), and a capacity of six people and up to 500 kg of assorted payloads. Power is provided by a Suzuki 115hp (86kW) diesel outboard engine with fuel fed from a 55-litre (12-gallon) tank.

The open centre console arrangement ensures unobstructed all-round visibility for enhanced situational awareness. A T-top provides the crew with some protection from the elements.

A bow ramp and a 150kg davit are fitted for loading and unloading while a 300kg winch on the main deck will enable the workboat to tow buoys, mooring chains, pontoons, and other stationary objects.

The shallow draught will allow the vessel to be beached if needed, such as when conducting cargo operations at areas lacking in port infrastructure.

Compact dive support and survey platform

The workboat can also perform surveys and dive operations as part of maintenance activities at the SPC-managed ports. Divers can enter the water via the bow ramp or a stern platform fitted with a ladder.

The vessel's dimensions allow her to be transportable by trailer, thus providing the SPC with greater flexibility with regard to deployment to work sites.

Marc’h Bihan was designed in compliance with French Division 222 requirements, which cover vessels that can carry fewer than 12 passengers.