Home Americas Jamaica receives second patrol vessel from Dutch Damen

Jamaica receives second patrol vessel from Dutch Damen

Jamaica patrol vessel Stan 4207
Photo: Damen

Dutch shipbuilder Damen has delivered the first of two Stan 4207 patrol vessels to the the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard.

The vessel was officially handed over in Kingston, Jamaica, after construction on the vessel began when the global pandemic struck and the rapid spread of the virus meant that upon completion of the vessel, pandemic travel restrictions made it unfeasible to arrange a crew to deliver her on own keel since the crew would not be permitted to return to their home countries once they arrived in Jamaica.

The Damen Services vessel delivery teams thus worked to devise an alternative arrangement. The vessel left Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam, not on her own keel as is usual for this model, but on board the BBC Congo, a heavy transport vessel.

The SPa 4207 was loaded in Hai Phong Harbour in June 2021. Once final checks had been made, the BBC Congo sailed East across the South Pacific and through the Panama Canal, before arriving, just under two months later, in Kingston, Jamaica.

The four-vessel contract between Damen and the JDF saw the delivery of a FCS 5009 Patrol in 2020. Another SPa 4207 and a second FCS 5009 Patrol will be delivered in the years to come. “Damen’s relationship with the JDF is one that is built on mutual trust and experience and we are proud to have successfully added another Damen vessel to their fleet,” said Bram van der Plas, Damen’s sales manager, Caribbean. “It has been quite a year, but clients have been flexible, and our teams have stepped up to the challenge of the moment to create solutions that help us ensure positive customer experiences and make sure our vessels continue to arrive in style.”