Seven Oceans and Seven Seas

Here is an article about the Seven Oceans. She is a rigid pipe installation vessel with an Reel-lay system at stern; it can also be used to install flexible pipe. The interesting thing is that the rigid pipe is on a reel. There is usually no welding (unless a repair is necessary), reducing installation time.


The Seven Seas is basically the same vessel (at least hull and facilities) but with a J-lay system on a central moon pool and two under-deck carrousels for flexible pipe and/or umbilicals.

Photos by Chris Gulley and Craig Melville

For more information about pipelay equipment, a couple of links to Huisman webpage, fabricators of the Seven Seas J-lay and Seven Oceans Reel-lay