RV Falkor Too

RV Falkor (too) is an oceanographic research vessel refitted in 2021–2022 from the former multi-role offshore support vessel MS Polar Queen. The ship was purchased by the Schmidt Ocean Institute in March 2021. It replaced the RV Falkor.

Polar Queen at the SIF-Terminal of the Prinses Arianehaven in Rotterdam with yellow monopiles in the background, 2020
History
Cyprus
NamePolar Queen[1]
OwnerGC Rieber Shipping
Port of registryLimassol
Ordered2007-11-01[2]
BuilderC.N.P. Freire, S.A, Vigo, Spain [2]
Yard number703 [2]
Laid down2008-12-11 [2]
Launched2010-07-01 [2]
In service2011–2021
Cayman Islands
NameFalkor (too)
NamesakeFalkor (luckdragon)
OwnerV2 ORI LLC [2]
OperatorSchmidt Ocean Institute
Port of registryGeorge Town, Cayman Islands
Acquired2021-03-23
Refit2021-2022
Identification
Statusre-launched Mar 2023
General characteristics [2]
Length
  • 110.16 m (361 ft 5 in) o/a
  • 97.8 m (320 ft 10 in) p/p
Beam20.0 m (66 ft)
Ice classDNV ICE-C
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed15.85 knots (29.35 km/h; 18.24 mph) (maximum)
Complement112
Aviation facilitiesHelicopter deck, max. helicopter weight 12.8 tonnes

Building and Delivery

The Norwegian company Sea4 AS had ordered two new vessels to be built by the C.N.P. Freire shipyard in Vigo (Spain) in November 2007.[2][1] The design for the two vessels was developed by the Norwegian naval architect and ship design company Skipsteknisk AS and called ST-254L CD.[3] It is similar to the previously developed design ST-253, which was realized as hull number 701 at the Freire Shipyard as well.[4] This shorter vessel- the Volstad Surveyor was later converted at the Damen shipyard and became the OceanXplorer 1.

It was scheduled that the vessels with the hull numbers 702 and 703[5] would be delivered in February and August 2010 and operated by the two subsidiaries Sea4 I Shipping Ltd. and Sea 4 II Shipping Ltd. The keel for hull number 703 - the later Polar Queen was laid at the 11. December 2008.[2] However, there was a six months delay due to the global financial crisis.[6] In September 2009, it was announced that GC Rieber Shipping had taken over Sea4's subsidiaries for a total of approximately 800 million NOK because at that time, no chartering agreements had been entered into for the newbuildings.[1] Finally the Polar Queen was taken by GC Rieber at the 6. October 2011.[2]

Service

GC Rieber had signed a two-year charter contract with Oceanografía S.A. de C.V. for the Mexican state oil company Pemex, starting Offshore services in the Gulf of Mexico in November 2011.[7] But before the contract expired a Maritime lien arose between GC Rieber and Oceanografía. As a consequence a federal judge in Texas has told a United States Marshal to seize the vessel.[8]

Starting in October 2012, the Polar Queen was chartered by Boa Marine Services Inc. which was based in Houston TX and a subsidiary of the Norwegian BOA Offshore AS.[9][10] The charter contract was later prolonged beyond April 2015.[11]

From April to December 2017, the ship was used to transport equipment and personnel for the construction of the Nordsee One offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.[12]

Polar Queen during a Walk to Work service on the riser platform Forties Unity in the Forties Oil Field

From 2018 to 2020, the Polar Queen was used for so called walk-to-work and accommodation services in the North Sea during the summer months. [13] An active heave compensated gangway mounted on board the vessel, allowed technicians and engineers to walk to Normally unmanned installations, e.g. the offshore riser platform Forties Unity in the Forties Oil Field, to perform scheduled maintenance or repairs.[14] When their shift was over, they could walk back to the vessel where they had their accommodation. [15]

Sale and refit

GC Rieber announced the sale of the vessel on 23. February 2021 and the Schmidt Ocean Institute confirmed the purchase one month later.[16][17] The vessel sailed to Spain and arrived at Vigo in April 2021 to commence the refit.[18]

References
  1. "M/S "POLAR QUEEN"". www.skipsrevyen.no (in Norwegian). 2011. Archived from the original on 6 April 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  2. "FALKOR (TOO) (28798)". DNV Vessel Register. DNV. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  3. "Polar Queen". skipsteknisk.no. Archived from the original on 27 March 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  4. "Volstad Surveyor (08/2010)". maritimt.com (in Norwegian). 2010. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  5. "FREIRE NB-702/703 Polar King & Polar Queen" (PDF). freireshipyard.com. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  6. "Polar King Subsea Construction Vessel". ship-technology.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  7. "GC Rieber Pens 2 Year Contract with Mexico's Oceanografia for Polar Queen Vessel". offshore-energy.biz. 2011. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  8. "Oceanografia nabs Rieber ship over charter dispute". tradewindsnews.com. 2012. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  9. "Boa Marine Extends Polar Queen Charter". offshore-energy.biz. 2013. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  10. "Boa Marine Services Inc". oilfieldwiki.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  11. "GC Rieber Gets Charter Extension for Subsea Vessel Polar Queen". offshore-energy.biz. 2014. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  12. "Polar Queen Stays at Nordsee One Until Year-End". offshore-energy.biz. 2017. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  13. "GC Rieber in New Charter Deal for Polar Queen". offshore-energy.biz. 2019. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  14. "Seacroft Marine bags new contracts". offshore-energy.biz. 2017. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  15. Marcel Roelofs. "How to choose a walk to work vessel". Chevalier Floatels B.V. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  16. www.gcrieber-shipping.com. "Sale of vessel Polar Queen". Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  17. Carlie Wiener. "Schmidt Ocean Institute acquires new research vessel to expand ability to explore, research the ocean". Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  18. "Falkor (too) Q&A". schmidtocean.org. 2021. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
External video
video icon "Shipyard to Sea - Falkor (too) - Episode 1", Schmidt Ocean Institute; March, 2022; 3:56 YouTube video clip
video icon "Shipyard to Sea - Falkor (too) - Episode 2 - Preparing the ROV", Schmidt Ocean Institute; March, 2022; 4:01 YouTube video clip
video icon "Shipyard to Sea - Falkor (too) - Episode 3 - Aft Deck and Crane", Schmidt Ocean Institute; May, 2022; 3:10 YouTube video clip
video icon "Shipyard to Sea - Falkor (too) - Episode 4 - The Gondola", Schmidt Ocean Institute; May, 2022; 3:39 YouTube video clip
video icon "Shipyard to Sea - Falkor (too) - Episode 5 - Voith Schneider Propellers", Schmidt Ocean Institute; August, 2022; 3:03 YouTube video clip
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