American Offshore Services has taken delivery of Gripper, a Jones Act compliant aluminum catamaran specifically built to support the U.S. offshore wind industry.
Gripper is the first crew transfer vessel (CTV) in the A-O-S fleet.
Built by Blount Boats in Warren, R.I., the new vessel is based on Northern Offshore Services’ 30-meter G-class design and features a Volvo Penta’s IPS propulsion system said to be “hybrid-ready,” meaning it was built with space reserved for all the required components for any future upgrade to hybrid propulsion.
“We are excited to build this next generation of CTVs for A-O-S,” said Marcia Blount, president of Blount Boats, builder of America’s first ever CTV. “A hybrid-ready CTV is a fitting addition to the new and growing offshore wind industry in the United States, and we are proud to be a part of it in such a vital way.”
A-O-S is a joint venture formed in 2020 by leading European CTV operator N-O-S and U.S.-based investment firm OIC.
“The hard work we all have put in together has resulted in our first won contracts,” said David Kristensson, owner of N-O-S, part of Northern Offshore Group. “The first contract in a new market is always something special, and I cannot wait for what happens tomorrow and the day after that.”
A-O-S plans to expand its CTV fleet and currently has four vessels on order at Blount Boats, as well as orders with Metal Shark in Franklin, La.
To date, there are more than 20 CTVs in service or on order in the U.S., according to data from Intelatus Global Partners. In the years ahead, it is expected that dozens more will be built in the U.S. to support the construction and long-term service of a pipeline of new wind farms slated to sprout up in the waters off the U.S. West and East Coasts.
A-O-S “is an example of how U.S. contractors can work in partnership to rapidly advance our local industry,” said James Clouse, managing director and co-founder of A-O-S.
“We’re realizing our dream of moving America’s offshore wind industry forward and doing it with partnerships built on shared vision and values.”