Eastern Shipbuilding Completes OSV-to-SOV Conversion for Hornbeck

 

Eastern Shipbuilding Group has redelivered the HOS Rocinante, an offshore supply vessel that it rebuilt as a sophisticated service operation vessel (SOV) for Hornbeck Offshore. The project is a rare instance of reutilization of a Jones Act offshore oil and gas vessel for an SOV role - a cost-effective way to create a high-spec, high-capex asset for the U.S. market. 

HOS Rocinante (ex name Bravante VI) is a 280-foot OSV built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group for Brazil's Bravante Group in 2014. Hornbeck bought the vessel in 2022 and renamed it HOS Rosehill; it was then renamed Rocinante, a nod to the history of wind power, and converted into an SOV at Eastern's yard in Panama City, Florida.  

“This is a full circle moment for our team to be able to convert a vessel that we built more than ten years ago. The delivery of the HOS Rocinante demonstrates what American ingenuity and skilled labor can accomplish,” said Joey D’Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group. “This vessel is now one of the most capable multi-market offshore support assets in the U.S. fleet, built right here on the Gulf Coast by America’s best shipbuilders.”

The conversion included installation of a motion-compensated walk-to-work gangway - the defining feature of an SOV - and an upgrade of the vessel's DP system for precise stationkeeping. The accommodations areas were refitted, and the diesel-electric powerplant got an upgrade with a 1,500 kW battery-electric hybrid system for backup power.

AIS data shows that HOS Rocinante is currently located at the Port of Davisville, Rhode Island, a key hub for New England's offshore wind industry. Eastern says that the vessel is well-suited for both offshore wind and offshore oil and gas projects.