Tallinn, Estonia, January 2016 – Bridgemans of Vancouver, BC announces with international seaworthiness permits secured, Bluefort will now undergo a major refit at an Estonian shipyard to upgrade and renovate 200 deluxe self-contained cabins, creating comfortable and private living quarters for industrial workforces in the North Atlantic.
Equipped with Dynamic Positioning (DP) capabilities, Bluefort will be particularly well-suited for offshore applications, such as in the emerging renewable energy sector, and for alongside work at anchor to support construction of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) facilities. The vessel will feature project operations amenities, including a 200-person briefing theatre, 10,000 square feet of office and meeting space, a converted car deck for equipment storage and a 12,000-pound helicopter landing deck.
Bridgemans acquired the 460-foot (142-metre) former Mediterranean Sea ferry in June of 2015. Since that time, extensive work has been done to prepare the vessel for use as a command centre for early works projects and as a longer term industrial work platform. The work completed to date includes mechanical and engineering upgrades, installation of loading cranes and enhancements to telecommunications equipment.
Final conversion and refit work is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2016.