Seawide Services (SWS) recently launched the Obervargh (Cornish for Workhorse). The vessel was constructed over 18 months in the firm’s riverside warehouse at Falmouth Wharves and was lifted into the Penryn River in June utilising CMN member KML‘s heavy-lift crane barge, which then placed the deckhouse on board the flat-topped hull. The hull and deckhouse had been fitted out separately and were connected once afloat.

SWS is a well-established business that specialises in diving and salvage operations, underwater survey and repair, and work in the renewable energy sector. They also carry out mooring maintenance, hydro and environmental survey and towage for a range of clients around the coast of the UK, the Isles of Scilly and Northern Ireland, as well as supplying goods and services to vessels calling at the Cornwall port for fresh water, waste removal, crew change, etc. The new vessel is designed to cover any of these requirements, augmenting their existing fleet of six vessels.

The vessel was designed by naval architect Jack Gifford, and fabricated by CMN member Mark & Loz Shipwrights. The construction and supply of equipment and fitting out were all locally sourced in Cornwall, apart from the sterngear and nozzles supplied by Kort Propulsion. Electronic equipment was supplied by BT Marine Electronics, Electrical engineering by MES; Mechanical engineering by Hearn Engineering; Steering gear by Wills Ridley; blasting and painting by Kernick Metal Finishing, and machinist T Pellow. Marine surveyors were R Pearce & Co and project manager was Mark Cann.

As the hull was constructed inside KML’s warehouse, the launch required removal of a brick wall to slide the boat on to the quay. The hull was mounted on rails and pushed out by forklift at high water to be lifted on strops by KML’s floating crane, followed by the wheelhouse. Installing deck machinery and fitting out was completed in July, before the workhorse headed for its first assignment, Vibro-core drilling on the River Clyde for CMN member CMS Geotech.