''Ebb Tide'' was an American
vessel. She was the first vessel designed and built especially for supply materials and stores to offshore
drilling platform
A drilling rig is an integrated system that drills wells, such as oil or water wells, or holes for piling and other construction purposes, into the earth's subsurface. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to drill wat ...
s.
In 1955 Alden J. “Doc” Laborde, not satisfied with performance of ex-navy
amphibious assault barges, used to do this job, worked out new concept of vessel, propelled by two powerful engines with bridge very forward and long open deck on aft (Ship was 119 feet long with open deck length 90 feet).
Ebb Tide went into service in 1956 and became the first boat of
Tidewater Company, which later grown to worldwide ship-owner.
Vessels designed with those principles are most popular among
platform supply vessels till today.
Sources
http://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/print/volume-67/issue-9/supplement/tide-anything-but-ebbing-for-the-special-offshore-vessel-industry.html
External links
Picture of vessel
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Service vessels of the United States
Ships built in the United States
1956 ships