According to HSB International September 2004
The sophisticated light tender RELUME was built by the Dutch shipbuilding group Damen for Middle East Navigation Aids Service (MENAS), which plays a major role in maintaining the safety of shipping in the Arabian Gulf. The vessel was launched at Galatz Shipyard, Romania. To avoid steel cutting and re-working at Royal Schelde, much of the heavy machinery and electrical components had been fitted on board during construction work in Romania. The vessel is ideally equipped to repair and reposition navigation aids and to search for, locate and mark marine hazards. To provide coverage of all Gulf waters, the vessel have been complemented by workboats specializing in the service of shallow water aids to navigation.
Deck equipment includes a TTS crane of the electro-hydraulic type, with an SWL of 25t at 20m, the crane is specifically designed to handle a wide variety of navigation buoys and features a two hook/winch operation. Each hook/winch can be operated independently or synchronised in buoy-handling operations, and a constant tensioning system is installed to ease the hook-on operation. The crane is dimensioned to handle a wide variety of buoy sizes. Deck equipment further includes 2x15t buoy handling capstans, and 2x5t tugger winches. The spacious workdeck had been such designed that the vessel can carry twenty large navigation buoys.
Further to its primary role to lay, retrieve and maintain aids to navigation, the vessel has additional functions. The specifications include oil pollution recovery, hydrographic survey work, towing, the carriage of containers for rig supply and dive support facilities for rig inspections.
Built by the Remontowa Shipyard in Gdansk, the vessel helps to maintain and repair navigation buoys, unlit beacons, automatic lighthouses, racons and DGPS stations which the Northern Lighthouse Board is responsible for around the coasts of Scotland and the Isle of Man. In addition to her main tasks, the vessel is also capable of locating wrecks and conducting hydrographic surveys. Diesel-electric power generation is via three 1370kW and two 685kW Wärtsilä L20 diesel generating sets.
The engine room accommodates two 1317kW 8-cylinder diesel generator sets and two 988kW 6-cylinder generators made by Wärtsilä for both the diesel-electric propulsion of the two azimuth thrusters, with a 2300mm diameter fixed pitch propeller fitted in a nozzle. Both thrusters are driven by frequency controlled E-motor drives of 1500kW at 1800rpm.
Fitted forward are two tunnel thrusters fitted with high skew CP propellers driven by 650kW E-motors. Rolls-Royce Marine supplied a controlled passive Intering stability tank. The stabiliser system, operating at low and zero speed of the vessel, consists of a U-shape tank fitted with 10 maintenance-free valves. Tank capacity at service level is 190m3 and the stabiliser wave slope capacity is up to 5 degrees. The maximum stabilising moment is 425t.
Length, oa: 82.60m, Length, bp: m, Breadth, max: 16.50m, Depth to main deck: 6.80m, Draught design/maximum: 4.00/4.50m, Deadweight maximum: 1500dwt, Gross tonnage: 3529, Propulsion power: 2x1317kW + 2x988kW, Trial speed: 13.50 knots.
