Inverlussa adds two catamarans to its fleet

Inverlussa Marine Services has taken delivery of Charlie Knight, an 18.5m by 12m CoastCat service catamaran, built by Salthammer shipyard in Norway.

Charlie Knight is a state-of-the-art DP0 hybrid diesel-electric service vessel, fully classed to DNV (the world’s leading maritime classification body) with a strong focus on lowering emissions and increasing crew safety, especially when working with increasingly heavier mooring equipment. The vessel has been fitted out with more powerful cranes and full SHM deck equipment, including deck winches with incorporated load cells.

As with all Inverlussa-built vessels, crew comfort is a priority and so Charlie Knight has been built with four ensuite cabins along with a large messroom and separate galley to improve living conditions onboard.

The new vessel also complies with low emissions Notation from DNV, achieved with Tier 3 engines in addition to a hybrid battery pack.

Charlie Knight is the fourth hybrid vessel built by Inverlussa, showing the commitment of the company, and their customers, to reducing emissions.

Inverlussa Managing Director Ben Wilson commented: “Charlie Knight is a big step forward in terms of incorporating the latest technology and equipment into a service catamaran for Scotland. We believe this will result in a more efficient work vessel, enabling us to achieve more work in the same time, as well as increasing safety onboard.”

The company has also recently taken delivery of Mimmi, renamed John Wilson, and is the third NabCat catamaran in Inverlussa’s growing fleet of workboats. John Wilson was built in 2019 for Norwegian owner FDA, and is based on the versatile Nabcat 15×10 design which includes SHM deck equipment similar to Charlie Knight.

The addition of Charlie Knight and John Wilson takes Inverlussa’s fleet up to 22 vessels and 130 specialised crew.

The company said: “Inverlussa aims to be a leader in the Scottish aquaculture service vessel market, and these recent investments show a commitment to delivering this by providing the best possible service whilst driving down the cost to customers where possible.”

The John Wilson