The Southern Rock will be Hartman Seatrade’s largest vessel and has RoRo capacities. It is currently being outfitted in Urk, in the Dutch province of Flevoland.

The vessel is suitable for carrying equipment for the wind energy industry, such as blades, towers, and nacelles, as well as construction and offshore material. The vessel is also suitable for transporting Ro-Ro cargo, such as trucks and cars, self-propelled modular transporters (SPMT), and mobile cranes. The outfitting is expected to be completed in mid-June 2023. For the time being there is no news regarding her maiden voyage.

Vessel specifications

The general cargo ship Southern Rock was built this year and has a gross tonnage of 3,636 metric tonnes and a deadweight tonnage of 4540 metric tonnes. The vessel is an R3 type and will be wider and longer than their R2 type vessel, with a length of 114.25 metres and a breadth of 10 metres.

The Southern Rock has a 1,600-kilowatt main engine, a 400-kilowatt bow thruster, and a 300-kilowatt stern thruster. Its service speed when loaded can reach 12.5 knots. Additionally, the vessel has a 19 metres spud pole.

A key feature of the vessel is its 7 metric tonne Ro-Ro ramp, which has a wheel load of 10 metric tonnes. The Southern Rock also has two wings on the stern, specially designed to create more deck space, to carry larger cargo with the same level of fuel usage.

Outfitting

During this outfitting phase, multiple elements will be installed, including the main engine by the Finnish giant Wärtsilä, auxiliary engines by the Den Oever- based company, Sandfirden Technics, navigation equipment by the Rotterdam-based company, Radio Holland, and Safety Equipment by Datema Delfzijl. Other engine room components such as generators, compressors, separators and pumps, as well as ballast water treatment systems, as well as hatches and hatch cranes, will also be installed.

The electric installation will be handled by the Urk-based company Piet Brouwer, and the sanitation and air cooling systems will be installed by the Rotterdam-based company, Breeman. Lastly, the interior will be designed and installed by Flux.