VESSEL REVIEW | Maia – Romania takes delivery of fast-response, oil recovery fireboat

Estonia-based Baltic Workboats has delivered an oil recovery vessel for Romania’s search and rescue organisation ARSVOM, based out of Constanta.

Maia’s main role is to respond rapidly to small-scale oil pollution incidents up to around 50 nautical miles offshore, and is also equipped for emergency towing, firefighting, patrol and general assistance.

According to Baltic Workboats, the design focused on seaworthiness, good course keeping and manoeuvrability at slow speeds, and high cargo capacity.

The vessel was designed, built and certified according to Lloyd’s Register + 100 A1 SSC HSC G2 Workboat MCH UMS, and complies with Rules 5 Annex VI MARPOL Regulations. Maia is equipped for “zero discharge” for a period that complies with the Classification Society’s rules for the number of persons on board and the vessel’s autonomy.

The vessel is outfitted for oil recovery using her side booms/hatches and an onboard skimmer. She has a high capacity Fi-Fi monitor for firefighting incidents, and her fore ramp allows for easy cargo loading/unloading, with capacity for up to four standard EU pallets (five tonnes) on deck.

The first vessel of its type built by Baltic Workboats, the company said the biggest challenge with Maia was fitting all the necessary equipment onboard while complying with strict regulations.

Maia is 18.6 metres long with a beam of 4.69 metres and draught of 0.9 metres. The bow ramp was integrated with the wave piercing hull design.

Two Volvo Penta D13-MH main engines of 441 kW output each drive five-blade fixed pitch propellers through stainless steel propeller shafts via ZF 500-1 IV marine gearboxes, resulting in a fast response capability of 25 knots. The shafts are fitted with rope cutters for safety.

It is possible to execute all main engine control from the engine room as well as remotely from the wheelhouse, while monitoring is from the helmsman position only. BWB custom designed and built the integrated automatic monitoring control system. For the comfort of her ten crew, the noise level in the wheelhouse at full speed is 60 decibels.

Both diesel engines are elastically mounted, with special attention paid to vibration modes and the installation of compensators onto the water, exhaust gas, air and other connections.

Deck equipment comprises a Fassi 65B.0.22 hydraulic crane, custom-built remotely operated hydraulic side hatches and fore ramp, Italwinch StarPlus 12.5mm windlass, and remotely controlled Marsis Fi-Fi monitor with capacity of 2,000 litres per minute. The bow-mounted crane is used to assist oil recovery, cargo handling and other operations.

The oil recovery setup was supplied by Lamor and includes a LORS-D 3C/S integrated chain brush conveyer skimmer, 8.6-metre inflatable oil sweep booms, six-metre aluminium jib arms, GTA 30 submersible hydraulic driven oil transfer pump with capacity of 30 cubic metres per hour, and an LBF 250 oil bagging system comprising 12, 250-litre bags.

See all the content for this week’s Pollution Recovery Week right here