Naming Ceremony Hos Iron Horse
On Friday, 31 July 2009 the naming and delivery of the Hos Iron Horse took place at the Wilhelminakade in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. IHC Merwede Offshore & Marine built the vessel in Hardinxveld-Giessendam for Hornbeck Offshore Services. Mrs. Joan Hornbeck performed the naming ceremony. IHC Merwede Offshore & Marine won the order to design and build the new Multi-Purpose Offshore Support Vessel for Hornbeck Offshore Services in April 2007.
IHC Merwede Offshore & Marine was granted this order because of its ability to design and build the vessel, including the integration of the cranes and ROV installation, within the short delivery time available. The keel of the vessel was laid on 23 July 2008 and the technical launch was on 30 January 2009. The Hos Iron Horse is a versatile vessel and suitable for worldwide operations. Hornbeck Offshore Services intends to use the vessel initially in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. With her deepwater cranes, deck cranes and moon pool, the vessel can be used in a wide range of offshore construction activities. But the vessel can also be easily adapted to a charterer’s specific wishes and requirements. Subsea operations are facilitated by the moon pool and can be supported by two work-class ROVs which are housed in a hangar. The vessel is equipped with a 400t heave-compensated mast crane capable of working at a depth of 3,000 m. It also has a 120t heave-compensated offshore knuckle boom crane supplied by Huisman. Furthermore the vessel has a helicopter platform and accommodation for a crew of one hundred persons.