Cable Ships Baron & Knight

A tour of a modern cable ship

Authored / Pictures by: Martin Leduc

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People in Nanaimo might be surprise to know that the ships tied up at the Port of Nanaimo are some of the most technologically advance cable layers in the world. The CS Baron and CS Knight have been part of the waterfront landscape in this coastal Vancouver Island community for the better part of 2003 and 2004, and plan to stay for a few more years. 

At the time of their order, both ships were to serve under long term contracts with Tyco Submarine Systems. Unfortunately for the Dutch company that owns them, Dockwise (best known as heavy-lift marine transportation specialists) their completion from the South Korean yard, Hyundai Mipo Shipyard, could have not come at a worse time. With the failure of Worldcom, the entire "tech bubble" deflated and the market for high tech sub-sea fiber optic also collapsed, also partly because of more efficient use of current sub-sea cable installations.

The contract for the two ships was awarded in February 2000, and the Knight's keel was laid on November 15th, 2000, and delivered in August 2001. The Baron was delivered in May 2002. 

Baron & Knight are 13,340-dwt, deep seabed cable-laying vessels with an overall length of 146.5m, a breadth of 21m and a depth of 17.1m. They can carry 4,300 cubic meters of cable, and are equipped with Hawaiian based Makai Lay precision cable laying capability. This is made with the help of a state-of-the-art dynamic positioning system that can be operated by automatic satellite navigation.

At the time of our visit in early 2004, the ships were manned by a skeleton crew of Dutch officers (although many in Dockwise are Ukrainians), and the ratings were Philippinos. On a side note, Dockwise has recently changed the management of their vessels to Anglo Eastern Ship Management.

	Looking up the port side from forward, the CS Knight's superstructure, with the bridge and stack.
	Welcome aboard Cable Ship Knight.
	On the bridge looking to stb. with the main ship controls forward facing. On the center console you can see the multiple manual thruster controls.
	On the bridge looking aft to the "working bridge".
	The aft bridge console. The Dynamic Position station is nearest.
	The main mess hall onboard.
	The large galley to accommodate the entire crew and sub contractors (60+) during an operation.
	Surprisingly enough, the accountants haven't taken away this last bit of personality of the ship's company. Company crested chinaware.
	Our tour guide, next to a "feeding slot" of the cable hold. Inside the massive enclosed, cable working hangar running pretty much the length of the ship.
	Cable tensioning equipment, on the main deck (hangar) aft.
	A shot of the cable holds. Viewed from the top through the feeding slot.
	Inside the cable laying control room.
	Inside the plow control room facing aft. Outside the window you can see part of the "A Frame" and the plow on the deck.
	Cable tensioning equipment, on the main deck (hangar).
	This shot is facing aft from the bridge, shows the back deck. In the fore ground on the stb side, mountings for a ROV. The port side shows the general purpose crane, behind it, in the white structures, are the plow's winch, the plow is behind that.
	The very large plow is stowed on the back deck, port side. It is pulled by the ship and can bury the cable several meters into the seabed. It is lowered by the massive stern "A Frame", part of it visible lower right.
	Looking forward at the superstructure, from the back deck.
	At dusk, on our way home.
	What it's all about. Tiny fiber optics encased in plastic and steel.

Our visit was not planned so it was a very pleasant surprise to be welcomed onboard and given a brief tour. Unfortunately I didn't write down the name of our friendly tour guide - I do apologies and please accept our sincere Thank you. Hopefully I will have a chance to visit again to get a look at this modern Diesel electric engine room.