(PANAMA CITY, Fla.) — Eastern Shipbuilding Group has announced the successful completion and re-delivery of HOS Rocinante, a first-of-its-kind U.S.-flagged service operation vessel (SOV) converted for Hornbeck Offshore Services. The vessel marks a milestone in the evolution of the U.S. offshore service fleet to be future-ready for both the offshore wind and petro-energy sector demands for broadly capable marine support vessels.
Originally built by Eastern as an offshore supply vessel (OSV), HOS Rocinante has undergone an extensive conversion at the builder’s Allanton and Port St. Joe shipyards in Panama City, Fla. The project transformed the vessel into a next-generation SOV engineered to support technician accommodation, safe personnel transfer, and multi-day offshore operations in harsh, open ocean environments – capabilities essential for offshore wind farm construction and maintenance, as well as traditional offshore energy projects.
Key conversion elements include:
• Installation of a walk-to-work motion-compensated gangway and other personnel transfer solutions.
• Enhanced dynamic positioning (DP) and propulsion capabilities for precise station-keeping.
• Upgraded accommodation and workspace capacity for offshore technicians with single-person staterooms.
• Significant improvements to cargo-handling and client warehousing/storage systems.
• Energy storage system for enhanced power reserve and improved failure mode operability.
“This is a full-circle moment for our team to be able to convert a vessel that we built more than 10 years ago. The delivery of the HOS Rocinante demonstrates what American ingenuity and skilled labor can accomplish,” said Joey D’Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group. “This vessel is now one of the most capable multi-market offshore support assets in the U.S. fleet, built right here on the Gulf Coast by America’s best shipbuilders.”
The SOV is positioned to support both offshore wind development and petro-energy operations, offering Hornbeck Offshore Services unmatched flexibility to meet the evolving needs of domestic and international energy customers.
The project supported hundreds of skilled jobs at Eastern’s yards and throughout its Gulf Coast supplier network.
– Eastern Shipbuilding Group
