First Tests of the Suspension System successful
1,58m Hs proven - now aiming for 1,75m Hs and more...
In initial trials, the suspension system demonstrated full performance and was convincing both in transit and at the wind turbine. A comfortable ride against the wave was achieved in transit at up to 1.8 m Hs. It is not as if the ship does not move at all, but it cannot be compared with conventional ships of this size as the suspension supresses 70% of the acceleration forces. The wind turbine push was first trialed at 0,75m Hs and then at 1.58m Hs. The waves angle of attack was from port bow. The result was convincing. With the collected data the ADAMS simulation model was veryfied and we are now looking forward to sailing at 1.75m Hs ore more once the right weather conditions prevail.
Conclusion: The suspension works and fulfils what it promises - a huge success for the team of Wallaby Boats and Nauti Craft!
There is still work to do in tuning and improving the vessel itself, but the suspension system is a great step forward to safer transfers and more comfortable transits!
Naming Ceremony of the first Wallaby Boat IMPULSE by EnBW
Vice Chancellor of Germany, Dr. Robert Habeck, as very hands on second Godparent
At Monday 22.04.2024 we have celebrated the naming of the IMPULSE owned by EnBW. IMPULSE is the first SECTV (Suspension Equipped Crew Transfer Vessel) in the world. We were very proud that the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany enhanced this ground-breaking innovation with his participation and very active support as the second godfather of the IMPULSE, thus giving it the attention it deserved.
We would like to thank the godmother, Mrs Döne Ayhan, for her kind wishes for the future of the IMPULSE and the technology supporting the green shift.
Dr Georg Stamatelopoulos, CEO of EnBW, not only gave the Minister of Economic Affairs a few IMPULSES for the power plant strategy, but also rounded off the event with his appreciation.
Our founder, Captain Harald Hübner, thanked the dignitaries in an emotional speech and took the opportunity to make an appeal to the Minister. Simplifying access to funding for SMEs and, in particular, making funding commitments eligible as collateral is urgently needed in order to keep Germany at this level as a centre of innovation.
The group of VIPs was rounded off by the State Secretary of the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ms Julia Carstens.
All in all, it was a great, well-rounded event with a super audience from politics, industry and business.
Launching of the first WB-18 CTV from Wallaby Boats GmbH
World premiere: innovative, suspension ship takes to the water for the first time
With the traditional ceremonial launching lift at Hitzler Werft GmbH in Lauenburg / Elbe on Thursday, March 21, 2024, the new build with the building number WB-18#001 from Wallaby Boats GmbH has now been successfully entrusted to its element and launched into the water. The ceremony was held in a large circle at the Hitzler shipyard, which built the hull in Lauenburg as a production partner in collaboration with Wallaby Boats. The ship, which weighs over 50 tons, was carefully lifted from its building site using two gantry cranes, each with a lifting capacity of 32 tons, “flown” through the shed and placed in the shipyard's own harbour basin.
SEAWORK Southhampton 2022
Seawork is Europe's leading commercial marine and workboat exhibition, providing businesses the opportunity to showcase their products and services to an international audience.
Wallaby Boats GmbH is one of the premioum exibitors in 2022.
You find us at stall hall C5, stall VB19.
press release March, 8th, 2022 Article German TV "Schleswig-Holstein Magazin"
Lauenburger Hitzler Werft GmbH is the main production partner for the Wallaby Boats world premiere catamaran
The aluminum ship equipped with a suspension system is particularly light. This enables it to compensate for heavy seas.
The article is unfortunately in german, because it is from german public television.
press release February, 16th, 2022 Brennstart für das erste WB-18 CTV der Wallaby Boats GmbH
Weltweite Premiere für ein kommerziell genutztes Schiff mit einer Federung
press release, January, 19th, 2022, Windpower Monthly
Wallaby Boats’ CTV awarded „best innovation 2021“ by Windpower Monthly!
Wallaby Boats’ CTV awarded „best innovation 2021“ by Windpower Monthly!
press release October, 8th, 2021 Sono Motors
Sono Motors signs first LOI with a maritime boat OEM, Wallaby Boats
First LOI Signed With Maritime OEM
Sono Motors announced a LOI to collaborate with Wallaby Boats GmbH, a commercial boat OEM, to install PV onto their boat “Wallaby 18” which transports personnel and material for offshore windparks.
press release September, 24th, 2021 Windpower Monthly
Husum Wind 2021 brings innovation back into touching distance
A striking new product innovation introduced by somewhat incongruously named German company Wallaby Boats is a novel high-tech catamaran-type crew transfer vessel (CTV). The overall solution represents a genuine alternative to two common methods for transferring service personnel from a crew transfer vessel (CTV) to an offshore wind turbine.
press release August, 20th, 2021, NDR Welle Nord
Wie steht es um die Werften in Schleswig-Holstein?
Die Hitzler-Werft aus Lauenburg baut gemeinsam mit dem Start-Up Wallaby Boats aus Kappeln (Kreis Schleswig-Flensburg) den Prototypen für einen neuartigen Katamaran. Durch seine "Federung" liegt er ruhiger im Wasser und soll als Crew-Tender-Vessel eingesetzt werden, also als ein Schiff, das Service-Techniker an ihren Einsatzort in den Offshore-Windparks bringt.
press release August, 3rd, 2021, Kieler Nachrichten
Hilfe bei Seekrankheit: Das erste Schiff mit Federung kommt aus Kappeln
Es ist vielleicht nicht das Ende der Seekrankheit. Doch eine Innovation aus Kappeln macht das heftige Auf und Ab der Wellen leichter erträglich: das weltweit erste Schiff mit Federung. So funktioniert es:
press release July 30th, 2021, Lauenburger Nachrichten
Weltneuheit wird in Lauenburg gebaut: Dieses Schiff federt die Wellen weg
Weltweit zum ersten Mal soll jetzt ein gefederter Katamaran für die kommerzielle Nutzung gebaut werden. Entwickler des Start-up Wallaby Boats aus Kappeln starten gemeinsam mit der Lauenburger Hitzler-Werft den Bau eines Prototyps. Dabei orientierten sie sich an Offroad-Autos. Die Federung des Bootes reduziert die Wirkung des Seegangs.
press release 29. July, 2021, Weltpremiere bei Offshore-Crewtransporten
Kooperation zwischen Kappeln und Lauenburg
Es könnte für manchen Passagier das Ende von Seekrankheit bedeuten, doch der eigentliche Zweck greift viel tiefer: In einer Kooperation zweier maritimer Betriebe entsteht in den kommenden Monaten in Schleswig-Holstein das weltweit erste mit einer Federung ausgestattete Arbeitsschiff zur Wartung von Offshore-Windkraftanlagen. Die neu gegründete Schiffsbau-GmbH „Wallaby Boats“ aus Kappeln hat sich mit der traditionsreichen Lauenburger Hitzler-Werft zum Bau des so genannten Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) zusammengetan.
lesen Sie hier weiter
press release 9. July, 2021, Lloyd's Register
The world’s first suspension crew transfer vessel
The first commercial boat equipped with a suspension system could be a gamechanger for the offshore wind market.
What if a vessel could be significantly smaller than a conventional crew transfer or service operation vessel yet able to withstand the rough seas during the transfer to and whilst at a wind turbine generator? A vessel like this could be a gamechanger for the offshore wind industry - minimising the carbon footprint and increasing efficiency while reducing the cost of operations. Wallaby Boats GmbH of Kappeln (Germany) and its crew transfer/daughter craft WB Wind are building such a vessel – the first commercial boat equipped with a suspension system and selected Lloyd’s Register (LR) as its classification provider.
press release 21. April 2021, FID
Vessel will be built in Kiel (GER)
The innovative and newly set up ship builder Wallaby Boats GmbH (WB), based in Kappeln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, has decided in the investment to build the world’s first crew transfer vessel/daughter craft (CTV/DC) with a suspension system. The demonstrator “WB-18 Wind”, will be an 18 meter vessel equipped with the ‘WB wind-module’ in order to act as a CTV in the offshore wind industry. The wind-module can be modified to sit and optionally sleep a variable number of industrial personnel.
press release 15. February 2021
Wallaby Boats GmbH hat einen neuen Investor gewonnen
Die Wallaby Boats GmbH hat mit Achim Fölster einen neuen Investor aus dem Kreis der Baltic Business Angels Schleswig-Holstein e.V. (BBA) gewonnen. Herr Fölster wird sich - neben seinem Kapital - mit seinem Knowhow und Netzwerk aktiv mit einbringen. “Das engagierte Team und die Perspektive in dem Projekt haben mich überzeugt und ich freue mich darüber, den wirtschaftlichen Erfolg mitgestalten zu können“ (Achim Fölster, BBA). "Das aktive Engagement eines Business Angel ist ein wichtiges Zeichen für unsere weiteren Finanzpartner und ein bedeutender Schritt für die anstehende Umsetzung des Projektes!" (Eike Kristian Höper, GF)
press release 24. August 2020, Tuco Marine
Tuco Marine from Denmark have been appointed production partner for German Wallaby Boats
Wallaby Boats is introducing Workboats and Daughter Crafts designs based on suspension technology developed by Nauti-Craft.
Tuco Marine is production partner to Wallaby Boats on the WB-14 a designated offshore Wind Daughter Craft (DC) for offshore wind service vessel (OSV), and Service Operation Vessels (SOV).
press release 14. August 2020, Lloyd’s Register
Lloyd’s Register supports OFFCON GmbH with their innovative Offshore Service Catamarans
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has signed an agreement with OFFCON GmbH to approve their new design for the prototype of an Aluminium Catamaran as Offshore Wind Industry Service Workboat.
The design concept is based on an innovative suspension system from the Australian Nauti Craft PTY, connecting both hulls and the platform deck to significantly reduce response amplitudes in a seaway. The construction of the prototype as well as the serial production will be carried out by Wallaby Boats GmbH.
press release 27. April 2020, Riviera Maritime Media
Nauti-Craft and OFFCON sign licence agreement for innovative offshore wind craft
Offcon has secured exclusive rights to manufacture vessels incorporating Nauti-Craft technology in Germany with the right to sell them worldwide. This exclusivity is for a finite period and is subject to meeting certain sales performance criteria.
Nauti-Craft has developed a range of craft using a hydraulic suspension system for multi-hulled vessels. The system separates the hulls from the superstructure which allows the hulls to react rapidly to wave input and conform to the sea surface without transmitting high forces and accelerations of the hulls to the deck and superstructure. This provides increased levels of ride comfort, control and stability whether the vessel is stationary or travelling at speed. The company says this allows smaller vessels to provide seakeeping typically only found in larger vessels while having the lower operating costs of a smaller vessel.
press release 22. April 2020, Offshorewind.biz
Nauti-Craft and OFFCON have entered into a development and license agreement
Nauti-Craft and OFFCON have entered into a developement and license agreement to introduce a new range of multi-purpose daughter craft for the offshore wind industry.
OFFCON has established a company to build the new range of vessels, called Wallaby Boats GmbH.
press release 3. April 2020, OFFCON
Nauti-Craft and OFFCON enter into a development and license agreement
OFFCON GmbH and Nauti-Craft Pty Ltd have entered into a Development and License Agreement with the purpose of introducing a novel range of multi-purpose daughter craft to the offshore wind industry.