Vestdavit Receives Order To Deliver Davits For Two...

Vestdavit, a leading boat launch and recovery systems supplier, has received an order to deliver motion-compensated davits to equip two U.S. Navy Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ships.

The orders were placed by the U.S. shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO whose San Diego yard is under contract to deliver ESB 6 and ESB 7 to the Navy. The ESB 6 and ESB 7 are the latest in a series of ships renowned for flexibility which act as mobile sea bases to support mine countermeasure, counter-piracy, disaster-relief, crisis-response and other operations.

Rendering of U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship. Photo: Courtesy of General Dynamics NASSCO.

Vestdavit will supply one 2TDB-7000-type davit for each vessel. With a safe working load of 14,000 kilograms, the high-performance davit can handle boats of varying size and weight, including seven- and 11-metre rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) and the Combatant Craft Assault (CCA). The first davit system is due for delivery to ESB 6 in early 2021.

Vestdavit 2TDB 7000 davit system with containerized HPU. Vestdavit Photo.

“ESB ships are built to support the US Navy on critical and potentially hazardous missions, so they need highly flexible and responsive marine davits, says Vestdavit Managing Director Rolf Andreas Wigand. “The 2TDB-7000 type will allow safe operation in much higher sea states than has been possible for the davits used on any previous ESB vessels.”

Wigand explains that the hydraulically operated overhead telescopic davits can function in both single- and dual-point configuration, with the latter mode enabling synchronised movement of the two davit arms. They also include dual independent self-levelling winches that offer hoisting/lowering speeds of up to 40m/min, an anti-pendulation system and an automatic wire hauler and shock absorbers on each arm – among other features.

Proud of his company’s longstanding relationship with the world’s largest navy, Wigand sees the new agreement as the latest endorsement of Vestdavit’s products and services: “We have worked with the US Navy for over 20 years now,” he says. “Over that time, we have proved our worth by providing tailormade davits of the highest quality. Supplying ESB ships is a great honour and outstanding recognition of our boat-handling expertise.”

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