At the controls of the 500th BOURBON vessel
Encounter with François Herbelin, captain of the Bourbon Evolution 806, the 500th vessel in the BOURBON fleet.
A MILESTONE REACHED, AN EXPERIENCED CAPTAIN
With its 500 vessels, BOURON now has the world's No. 1 fleet of vessels dedicated to offshore oil and gas industry services..
The latest addition to the fleet (with an average age of 6.3 years) is an IMR (Inspection, Maintenance, Repair) vessel: the Bourbon Evolution 806, the sixth in a series of 10. It is also the most modern and most powerful of the vessels in its class.
At the helm, François Herbelin is a man of experience. At sea since 1970, captain since 1978, he has sailed on offshore cargo vessels and tugs. He joined BOURBON in 2005 and, based on his experience, he finds the Bourbon Evolution 806 particularly successful. "Its major strengths? The quality of the dynamic positioning system, the exceptional size of the deck and cargo capacities, which makes the job easier and safer, and lastly, of course, the comfort of the vessel." he says.
" Even beyond the symbolism ofFRANCOIS HERBELINCAPTAIN OF BOURBON EVOLUTION 806
the 500th vessel, I am proud to be part of an international group, whose vessels are found throughout the world."
INCREASINGLY OPERATIONAL THROUGH STANDARDIZATION
On a technical level, the Bourbon Evolution benefits from standardization strategy deployed by BOURBON. "Standardization is a major advantage on a material level because we can easily have spare parts, but also on a human level, because crews are interchangeable and operational immediately. I thus have run into officers who had sailed with me on the Bourbon Evolution 802, then the Bourbon Evolution 804, and now the Bourbon Eahvolution 806... Embarking with a crew and a vessel that we know lets us become operational faster. " insists captain Herbelin.
The vessel, which can accommodate up to 105 crew members, offers cabins for 1 or 2 persons with TV, Internet, telephone, a relaxation room... And if you believe the crew, sailing on a vessel as quiet as this is highly appreciated!
The importance of the human factor
To the captain, the human factor is essential in his field. As much as the technical aspects. “One of BOURBON's strengths is the diversity of its employees, from different backgrounds, nationalities and cultures. We learn a lot from each other, and everyone's experiences, cumulatively, become a real strength." François Herbelin added: "Even beyond the symbol this 500th vessel represents, I am proud to be part of an international group, whose vessels are found throughout the world, and to make my contribution to that. And that’s true regardless of which vessel I take command of! "
