The Solitaire was built in Japan in 1972 and used to provide freight services. In 1992, it was bought by the Allseas Group and transformed into a pipe-laying ship. The Solitaire has been laying pipes since 1998 and has experience in laying pipes at a depth of 2.7 kilometres.
The NMD Class 3/LR DP (AAA) navigation system allows the Solitaire to manoeuvre very accurately and operate without anchors, which contributes to its safety in the Gulf of Finland known for its heavy traffic. The use of such a system in this particular area also has other advantages as it can help spot mines that remain at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland after two world wars.
It currently stands as the world's largest pipe-laying vessel. It is 300 metres long not including the stinger and 367 metres long with the stinger, and 41 metres wide. It moves at 13 knots and can carry a crew of 420.
Information. A stinger is a special device for lowering pipelines, which are lengthened by adding new sections on board the ship and then lowering them into the water. The pipeline slides down the stinger into the water and sinks to the bottom, pulled down by its own weight. The stinger reduces the load at the curve and ensures that the pipeline is correctly configured.