Bourbon Mobility unveils crew transport vessel series

Oct. 21, 2021
The company plans to build 40 Surfer-200X series crew boats in the next three years.

Offshore staff

MARSEILLE, France Bourbon Mobility has launched a crew transport vessel series.

The first two crew boats of the new Surfer-200X series have completed their sea trials off the Normandy coast in France and will operate offshore Gabon for TotalEnergies soon.

Bourbon Mobility plans to build 40 new units in the next three years. Three vessels are under construction at the Efinor-Allais shipyard in Cherbourg.

The new fleet will be made of both 19-m (62-ft) Interfields vessels and 26- and 38-m (85- and 125-ft) Crewliners. The company said this is part of its commitment to maintain a fleet with an average age of eight years.

Designed and built based on user experience, both from passengers and Bourbon’s pilots and crews, the Surfer-200X series features the highest level of comfort and safety on the market to date, the company claimed.

The new series integrated more than 150 specific comments from the operational side that led to:

  • Improved seating comfort, with increased legroom and higher head rest
  • Noise isolation and reduced vibrations thanks to the shock absorbers installed under the seats
  • More space in the cabin 
  • Charging points allowing passengers to recharge all their electronic devices
  • Panoramic windows for a better view of the environment
  • Variable LED lighting and optimized air conditioning system.

The company has also integrated as much feedback as possible from the pilots. This led to:

  • Improved visual and physical access to all key equipment in the engine room
  • Vessel’s hull structure reinforcement for a better durability and safety
  • Installation of five CCTVs on board allowing the crew to monitor passenger safety, including one in the boat landing zone
  • Upgrade of the ergonomics and comfort of the whole wheelhouse
         * State of the art navigation equipment tools and its user interface (two multi-display touch screens)
         * Bridge new positioning to guaranty a better 360° visibility and a limitation of heeling effect
         * Increased crew cabin space, and new sitting set up for the crew
         * Partition system between the wheelhouse and the passenger cabin to reduce noise pollution.

The company also installed LEDs and solar panels to replace classical lighting system and reduce power consumption.

10/21/2021