Australian shipbuilder Strategic Marine has further consolidated its position as an emerging global player with an additional Crewboat, bringing the order total to four  aluminum hulled boats, for an Indonesian company.

Strategic Marine chairman Mark Newbold said he was delighted with the latest signings which will see the company build an additional 31m offshore utility boats for PT Baruna Raya Logistics.

“Baruna Raya is an established customer with three 31 metre offshore service vessels already on our order books,” he said.

Mr Newbold said that boats would be built at the company’s Tuas yard in Singapore, with hull delivery scheduled for March 2009.

Baruna Raya’s craft will accommodate up to 60 passengers and a crew of eight, and feature 67sqm of deck space. The vessel will be powered by three Cummins KTA38 engines generating a combined 3600bhp and capable of reaching a maximum speed of 24kts.

The latest signings follow the company’s recent US$11.3million joint-venture contract for the construction of two 52m crew boats for Mexican-based Bluewater Marine, along with an order for 143m steel hulled dive support vessel for Singapore company, Marfield Ltd Inc.

“All of these contracts are significant in their own right, indicating we are now well established on the world stage,” Mr Newbold said.

Strategic Marine’s order book now stands at more than 132 vessels worth more than US$204.8 million.

Since it was established in 1984, the company has built more than 320 vessels for domestic and export markets.