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Displaying items by tag: Tug Husky

#POWER FROM THE SEA – Wicklow based Island Shipping's twin-screw tug Husky returned to her homeport last month having completed a 300-day charter at the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind-farm in the North Sea, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The multi-purpose 10 tonne bollard pull tug had provided logistical support to and from turbines and sub-stations at the SCIRA (Statoil & Statkraft) windfarm off the north Norfolk coast.

She leaves two of her fleetmates Island Tiger and Island Panther, a pair of 23-knot Wildcat 53 wind-farm support vessel (WFSV) catamarans based at the Sheringham Shoal where they are engaged in 24/7 crew transfer operations. In the meantime the Husky is now available for charter.

As previously reported they had previously worked at the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind-farm in the North Sea after each of the 16m newbuilds where completed by Safehaven Marine in Cork.

Published in Power From the Sea

The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929 as an entry for a competition run by the Royal Yacht Club of Gothenburg, to find a small keel-boat that could be used for simple weekend cruising among the islands and fjords of the Scandinavian seaboard. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

The Dragon's long keel and elegant metre-boat lines remain unchanged, but today Dragons are constructed using the latest technology to make the boat durable and easy to maintain. GRP is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned throughout the boat, and strict rules are applied to all areas of construction to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.

The key to the Dragon's enduring appeal lies in the careful development of its rig. Its well-balanced sail plan makes boat handling easy for lightweights, while a controlled process of development has produced one of the most flexible and controllable rigs of any racing boat.