Mighty Servant: Giant Ships at the Sea

Mighty Servant is the name given to three of the heaviest semi-submersible ships operated by the Dutch marine conglomerate Dockwise. The company was a result of an amalgamation between two former Dutch shipping super-powers – Wijsmuller and Dock Express in the year 1993.

At present, the company is regarded to be one of the most authoritative shipping companies operating internationally. Given its commanding stature in the international marine sector, perhaps it is befitting that the company had named three of its semi-submersible ships as the ‘Mighty Servants.’ And though all three ships were launched before the company was formed, they are still regarded to be a part of the Dockwise fleet than a part of their original owner’s fleet.

In their numerical order, the three huge ships were named as Mighty Servant 1, Mighty Servant 2 and Mighty Servant 3 respectively. The singularity and features of each biggest ship can be elaborated as follows:

Mighty Servant 1: The vessel was launched in the early 1980s and was originally operating under Wijsmuller, prior to the amalgamation. As the name suggests, original owner Wijsmuller launched this vessel first as a part of its Mighty Servants’ trio.

Weighing 29,000 tons and having a deadweight tonnage of over 45,000 tons, the ship measures slightly over 190 metres lengthwise. At the time of its construction, the vessel was designed with a width of 40 metres which was later further widened by 10 metres.

The most noteworthy aspect about the vessel is its loading carrying capacity to the toughest offshore operational areas.

– Mighty Servant 1 has a speed of 15 knots

– The vessel has a net weight 8,500 tons

– It has a depth of 22.3 metres with a draft of 12 metres and can accommodate a crew of 20 members

Mighty Servant 2: Another Wijsmuller owned-vessel initially, this Mighty Servant was put into operation in 1983. Just like her sister semi-submersible, the biggest ship was employed to carry offshore rigs especially in those oceanic areas where the weather and climatic conditions were tough and unpredictable.

Unfortunately for the vessel, its 16^th year in maritime service proved to be unlucky as it turned turtle near the Sumatran waters in the year 1999 with five members losing their life in the mishap.

– The ship had a DWT of over 40,000 tonnes

– The semi-submersible measured 190 metres lengthwise, 40 metres width wise with a depth of 12 metres and a draft of almost nine metres

– It functioned at a speed of 15 knots and could accommodate a crew-capacity of 20 people

Mighty Servant 3: The final of the three Mighty Servants, this semi-submersible was put into operation in the year 1984, a year after Mighty Servants 1 and 2 were launched. The vessel like her sister ships, was originally owned by Wijsmuller and then later on was integrated into the Dockwise fleet after the company’s formation. The vessel’s functionality is similar to her sister huge ships, justifying her christened name.

This semi-submersible vessel was involved in an accident near the Luandan Port located in the African nation of Angola in 2006. However, on account of no permanent damages to the vessel or loss of life of crew members, the vessel was put back into operation in the year 2007.

– The vessel has a DWT of over 27,000 tons with a gross tonnage of over 22,000 tons

– It functions at a speed of 14 knots with a crew capacity of 20 members

– The ship measures slightly over 181 metres lengthwise, 40 metres breadth wise with a depth of 12 metres

The Mighty Servants offer excellent operational services in the almost nine decades of their combined existence. If not for the accident of the Mighty Servant 2, the biggest vessel could have still been a part of the highly evolving maritime operations making not just her owners proud but even international communities, observing changing trends in the maritime domain.

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