Damen starts fitting out STV for Oman

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Rendering of the completed sail training vessel

JANUARY 13, 2014 — Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, is to start fitting out a new sail training vessel (STV) for the Oman Ministry of Defense.

Named RNOV Shabab Oman, the 87 m vessel was launched at Damen Shipyards Galati, Romania, and was was towed through the Black Sea, Bosphorus, Mediterranean and into the Bay of Biscay before starting the final leg of its journey to Damen Schelde.

The vessel is destined to become the flagship of the Royal Navy of Oman to continue the role of the current STV of the same name in promoting cultural interaction and to help "spread peace and harmony amongst nations."

Shabab Oman is a full square rigger and will have a 2,700 sq.m sail area.

The three-masted steel clipper will play a key role in training young Omani naval cadets and officers, as well as being deployed as an "ambassado" sailing the world's oceans demonstrating Oman's centuries-old maritime tradition.

The Royal Navy of Oman has had a strong team overseeing the build in Romania and the same team will be based in Vlissingen. Overall project management and procurement is in the hands of Damen Shipyards Gorinchem,the company's headquarters.

Although the clipper looks like traditional vessel externally, with elegantly hand-carved, gilded scrollwork and nameplates, she boasts the most modern technology inside.

While in Vlissingen the three 50 m steel/aluminum masts, rigging and spars will be installed, along with the exterior teak woodwork and decking, and  interior wood lining furnishing and finish by Hertel. The technology systems will be supplied by Imtech Marine/Alewijnse, Johnson controls and other companies.

Damen Project Manager Arnoud Both, comments: "The vessel is on schedule and we are very proud to be involved in such a prestigious project for the Royal Navy of Oman."

This is Damen's third order for a clipper type sail training vessel, after previously engineering and building the Stad Amsterdam for the Netherlands and the Cisne Branco, the Brazilian navy's new STV. All three were designed by Dykstra Naval Architects, based in Amsterdam