Seasight Davits revolutionizes the personnel-transfer method in offshore wind

Seasight Davits, the Danish supplier of davit cranes for offshore wind, has launched its latest innovation “Spider” – an up-grade of their already well-known davit crane combined with a transfer basket makes it possible to use the same crane to transfer personnel and cargo.

Photo: Jimmy Damsgaard, CEO

CEO, Jimmy Damsgaard says: “Spider is developed and designed with safety as a top-priority. And as it is basically an upgrade of our original davit crane, it gives our customers significant economic advantages; among others because it eliminates the need for separate personnel-transfer systems and gives access to the turbine platforms without using ladders and boat landings, which the developers already have started to leave out or remove.”

The oil and gas industry has used transfer baskets for offshore personnel-transfer since the 1970s. The Spider transfer-basket fits two persons at a time and is a scaled down version of those used in the oil and gas industry. It has the same advantages such as being fully self-rightening and floating in the water. And during the entire transfer, the personnel is sitting comfortably and protected as an alternative to relying on their personal safety harnesses.

Pictures taken during harbour test in the port of Hvide Sande in October 2020 1

Damsgaard continues:

“Using the transfer basket has already been proven safe for many years in the offshore oil and gas industry. Though, climbing ladders does not sound dangerous, it still comes with great risks due to the offshore conditions. And in addition to the transfer basket itself, there are also much know-how and training practices from the oil and gas industry which can be applied. This keeps the management of change cost low and gives the personnel using our products the comfort of a known and tried technology.”

Davit cranes play an important role in on offshore wind farm as they transfer cargo such as tools and spare parts from the vessel to the wind turbine and back. Sometimes already in the construction phase, but otherwise for the annual services and inspections of the equipment and installations including the turbines.

Jimmy Damsgaard concludes:

“Offshore wind farms using Spider for personnel transfers will also have lower service and maintenance costs. Briefly explained, because servicing our man-riding crane does not take much longer than servicing our traditional cranes, which are needed on the turbine platform anyway. And there are no ladders or boat landings to be inspected and maintained.”

For an entire wind farm, it is only necessary to have one remote control and one transfer basket. The remote control has a digital display, which is connected to cameras placed inside and outside the transfer basket, giving the crane operator on the vessel a good overview of the landing zone on the turbine platform as well as visual contact with the personnel being transferred.

Another unique remote-control feature allows the crane operator to activate the crane from the ship whilst under approach to the turbine foundation.

Pictures taken during harbour test in the port of Hvide Sande in October 2020

Lastly, Jimmy explains:

“Our product is based on the existing crane foundation, and it is therefore an option to upgrade our davit cranes on existing wind farms”

Seasight Davits started working on this solution already in 2013, but back then, the industry was not ready. Now the product has passed a row of offshore testing with great success and is fully ready for market adaption. The first Seasight Davits Spider is already in route for installation.

Seasight Davits has since 2011 established a market leading position for davit cranes and has a track record of close to 2000 cranes already delivered and under production for delivery to offshore wind turbines.

The company is based in Denmark with subsidiaries in the UK, Taiwan and soon the United States.