Vessel Design
Vessel Design Services
Navtech designs working vessels — deck and crane barges, tugs, workboats, crew boats and offshore support craft — where payload, deck space, stability and operating economics have to be balanced against class rules and a realistic build budget.
Design built around the operation
Working vessels are bought to do a job, so we start from the job. Deck load and equipment footprint, crane reach and lifting envelope, transit and station-keeping requirements, crew numbers and endurance — these set the arrangement, and the naval architecture follows. Getting this order right avoids the common outcome of a technically compliant vessel that is awkward in service.
- Operating profile and owner requirement definition
- Deck layout, payload distribution and equipment arrangement
- Powering, propulsion and station-keeping assessment
- Trade-off studies comparing size, capability and build cost
Barges and pontoon craft
Barges make up a large share of our vessel design work — deck cargo barges, crane and jack-up support barges, accommodation and excavation barges. The recurring engineering questions are global strength under concentrated deck loads, stability during lifting operations, and sea-fastening of whatever the barge is carrying.
- Deck cargo, crane, accommodation and excavation barge design
- Global strength assessment for concentrated and heavy deck loads
- Stability during crane and lifting operations, including damage cases
- Grillage, sea-fastening and mooring arrangement design
- Spud, winch and anchoring system integration
Tugs, workboats and support vessels
For self-propelled working craft we cover the full design cycle including the machinery and electrical integration that determines whether the vessel is maintainable in service. Bollard pull, manoeuvrability and crew habitability are treated as design targets rather than outcomes.
- Tug design with bollard pull and towing arrangement assessment
- Crew boat and personnel transfer vessel design
- Offshore support and utility vessel arrangements
- Machinery selection support and engine room arrangement
- Accommodation layout, HVAC and habitability design
Stability, structure and class documentation
Whatever the vessel type, the deliverable that matters is a package class will approve without repeated comment cycles. We produce the stability, structural and systems documentation together so the submission is internally consistent from the first issue.
- Intact and damage stability with operational loading conditions
- Structural scantlings and direct strength calculations where required
- Load line, tonnage and statutory documentation
- Complete class submission and comment response management
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between your vessel design and ship design services?
It is mainly a question of vessel family. Our ship design work covers commercial trading tonnage — tankers, cargo vessels and similar. Vessel design covers working craft: barges, tugs, workboats, crew boats and offshore support units, where deck capability and operating flexibility drive the design. The engineering disciplines behind both are the same team.
Can you design a barge for a specific crane and lifting operation?
Yes, and this is frequent work for us. We size the barge against the crane loads, run the stability cases through the full lifting envelope including the accidental load-drop condition, assess global and local strength under the pedestal, and design the sea-fastening. Mooring analysis for the operation can be included.
Do you design for a specific shipyard or build method?
We design for the yard that will actually build the vessel. Detailing that suits a well-equipped yard is wrong for a smaller fabricator, so we adjust the structural detailing, block breakdown and tolerances to match the intended builder.
Can you help us evaluate whether to build new or convert an existing vessel?
Yes. We run comparative feasibility studies covering capability, class implications, cost and schedule for both routes. In many cases a conversion is faster and cheaper, but only where the donor vessel’s structure and stability margins genuinely support the new role — which is exactly what the study establishes.
What information do you need to quote a vessel design?
The intended operation and payload, any size or draft constraints, the class society and flag you intend to use, the operating area, and your target delivery date. A reference vessel or sketch layout helps us respond faster.
Related engineering services
Have a vessel and a scope in mind?
Share your drawings, class society and target dates — we respond within 24–48 hours.