Shipping report: Three’s not a crowd for unique ships

A trio of uniquely-shaped first-time visitors will stop off in Bermuda this week to refuel and pick up new crew.

The drillship Fugro Synergy is expected to sail into the Bunkers’ berth in Dockyard either later today or tomorrow morning to refuel and pick up more than a dozen new crew.

The state-of-the-art vessel is used to help install and construct the foundations to deep-sea oil wells.

She is fitted with a heliport and can drill to distances of 2,500 metres below the seabed depending on the water depth.

This highly-specialized craft will stop only for a matter of hours in Bermuda before she continues on her trip between Aberdeen,  Scotland, and Texas.

Meanwhile, tomorrow morning will see the distinctive triple-masted form of the Norwegian Naval training vessel, Statsraad Lehmkuhl, loom up off the St David’s coastline.

The majestic tall ship was built in 1914 as a training vessel for the German merchant marine, and was later taken as a prize by the English at the end of the First World War. She was put under the Norwegian flag in 1923 as a sail training ship.

The Statsraad Lehmkuhl will remain at Five Fathom Hole tomorrow morning as three new crew are taken out to the ship on the pilot boat for the next leg of her trans-Atlantic voyage. 

And on Friday the Ramform Valiant will follow in the Norwegian Naval ship’s footsteps by picking up a new member of crew at Five Fathom Hole. The Valiant is a seismic survey vessel and one of a fleet of six that is operated across the globe by its owners Petroleum Geo-Services.  

She has recently conducted surveys of the seabed in the Gulf of Guinea and is currently on her way to the Bahamas. As the cruise season winds down, retailers in St George’s will be pleased to welcome her this Friday.

The liner was due to visit the East End in April, but was forced to cancel her plans due to the weather.

Today, Hamilton will play host to the Silver Whisper, which will be in port for a day.

Today also marks the final visit of 2013 for the Explorer of the Seas. The cruise liner has completed 26 trips between Cape Liberty and the island this year, and will leave Dockyard on Friday.