In 2024, the global maritime industry faced a significant challenge: a widespread shortage of vessels. Companies in need of vessels eagerly sought reliable partners to navigate the complexities of project delivery in an increasingly competitive market. This case study explores Marcap's involvement in the mobilization, delivery, and management of the Ewan Adventure, a Safety Standby Rescue Vessel (SSRV), for ADNOC L&S, showcasing Marcap's expertise and commitment to client success.

Client Requirements:‍

ADNOC L&S required a specialized SSRV for their field projects in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The contract, spanning three years with an optional two-year extension, included a crucial stipulation: the vessel needed a custom-designed platform, complete with an A-frame davit and rescue boat, to be fitted before delivery. Captain Abdallah Chehab identified a suitable vessel for modification in Malaysian waters, prompting Marcap to embark on this ambitious project far from home.

Marcap's Response to the challenge:

‍Marcap’s DP Port Captain Mohamed El Fakharany was assigned to oversee the mobilization. Upon arrival in Malaysia, the vessel, which had been laid up for four years, presented significant challenges.

A pre-mobilization inspection identified over 100 areas requiring attention, including extensive engine repairs, missing safety equipment affecting class certificates, and substantial bureaucratic hurdles. Despite these challenges, Captain El Fakharany evaluated the project’s complexity as a 7 out of 10. His experience, along with Marcap's commitment to safety and support from the operational team, ensured that each issue was resolved before the vessel set sail.

The mobilization process extended beyond the planned 10 days to 40 days due to various factors, including Ramadan. Although this timeline was not ideal for Marcap, the safety-first approach prevailed. The operational team refused to move the vessel until they were confident in its readiness. Multiple engine trials were conducted before making the final decision to set sail.

Finding the right crew was crucial to the project's success. The Marcap crewing department, led by Mr. Nibal Saeed, worked diligently to equip the vessel with skilled personnel, ensuring effective management of all operational aspects.

Design and fabrication of the platform were carried out in Malaysia, alongside its installation. Our procurement manager, Mr. Salam Saeed, successfully sourced the right contractors for the A-frame davit and organized a comprehensive stability study. This ensured that the A-frame davit and rescue boat would seamlessly fit the platform upon arrival in UAE.

Once all preparations were complete, the vessel was delivered successfully, taking 18 days to reach its destination from Malaysia to the UAE.

The journey was fraught with difficulties. While the vessel could operate in Malaysia in its current condition, UAE and Saudi clients demand significantly higher safety standards. As we have become accustomed to these expectations, mobilizing vessels from that market to ours presented a real challenge.

The Result: ‍

Despite the unexpected challenges, Marcap successfully delivered the Ewan Adventure, fully compliant with ADNOC L&S's specifications. The installation of the platform, A-frame davit, and rescue boat required extensive class approvals, testing, and collaboration with third-party vendors. Marcap effectively navigated all regulatory hurdles and testing procedures.

Since its delivery in July 2024, the Ewan Adventure has operated for several months without any downtime. This success underscores Marcap's meticulous planning, proactive problem-solving, and unwavering commitment to quality and safety.

Lessons Learned:‍

This project yielded valuable lessons. The main takeaway is the difficulty of planning in this business; it is essential to allow for extra time due to dependencies on third-party inspections, which are not always punctual. Should we need to mobilize the same vessel again, it would undoubtedly take less time.

Nevertheless, Marcap has once again demonstrated its capability to manage complex projects. We can confidently say it was worth it—the challenges make us stronger, and we are ready for even more challenging endeavors.

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