Frequently Asked Questions

• Sea Services North America (SSNA) is a growing network of independent U.S. fishermen.  Since 2020 SSNA has established an unmatched track record providing turn-key scout and safety vessel solutions for US offshore wind developers and tier one suppliers.   SSNA’s mission is to maximize the commercial,  operational, and political value in hiring commercial fishermen for scout and safety vessel for OSW customers, while simultaneously removing many inherent risks in doing so…

• After many successful scout and safety contracts for multiple offshore wind developers, SSNA has become the U.S. gold standard in delivering unmatched US commercial fishing scout and safety vessel protocols, on water reporting performance,  commercial reliability, and one-stop customer engagement.
• And as an outgrowth of this activity, SSNA has delivered much needed truth-telling to regulators and stakeholders in all US markets, to help de-risk OSW customers projects and uphold their credibility.  SSNA has coordinated testimony around over dozen’s regulatory proceedings, media moments, and quiet stakeholder validations.  OSW customers report that SSNA's activities have had a needed, positive impact on regulatory outcomes for their projects.

• SSNA's central functions are indeed coordinated from our offices located in the US Coast Guard Research Center building in New London, Connecticut.  But SSNA is spread across 5 states, with a dozen vessel partners and many more in the pipeline.  These vessels home-port from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey.  We are currently evaluating prospective vessel partners based in Maryland, Virginia and California.

• SSNA is a fully insured, professionally staffed company, that operates as a tightly coordinated cooperative.   The central team manages all orientations, trainings, and contracts for our growing fleet of independent commercial fishing vessels across the north and mid-Atlantic.   Think of each of our vessel partner vessels as its own small business.
• Yet, when you hire SSNA, you get the benefit of hiring qualified, trained, active fishermen and their vessels from the market from which you need them to be drawn.
• You get a central management team that handles all insurances, communication, contracting, on water coordination and reporting.
• you can rest easy knowing that SSNA has selected the right vessel partners, who have successfully completed captain and crew OSW orientation, safety and performance training, and HSE vessel upgrades and a growing team who has collectively already scouted thousands of miles of Wind Energy areas without a single gear interaction, saving time, money and headaches for our customers and all involved.
• It's like hiring independent fishermen, with none of the risk.  You don’t have to hire a team to manage a fleet of independent fishermen.   An independent network of fishermen, that operates with the professionalism of a single maritime company.

• SSNA has nearly 12 fully QHSE compliant vessel partners and trained 55 fishermen for OSW Scout and Safety Vessel performance, and in a range of professional mariner safety trainings.  (Below)

Our training and Vessel upgrades include:

• Vessel Specific Safety Management System (SMS) with Auditing, Vessel MISW completed w/ Findings Tracked & Resolved, Effective Satellite Comms on Vessels; ARPA Radar (Enables calculation of target CPA for Safety vessel work); Properly Licensed Captains (minimum 100 Ton); FCC Radio License; STCW Trained Crews; including Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities; Firefighting Prevention/Fire Fighting; Personal Survival Techniques; Elementary First Aid; Proficiency in Security Awareness; USCG Medicals; Captain/Crew trained to Developer/Subcontractor Standards; (Qualified lookout, Environmental, Project Safety, etc.) Media and stakeholder engagement training.

• No.  SSNA day rates are competitive with in-market workboats or day rates that have been offered to non- SSNA affiliated fishing vessels.  Approximately 80%  of a SSNA contracts day rate goes to the vessel partners and crews and pushed into the local economy and counted as local content.

• There are very few active fishermen across the Atlantic, who SSNA does not know directly or by reputation.   Our focus on increasing safety standards is not for every fisherman.  If a fishermen does not want to bring increased safety standards to their vessel and for their crews, they are rejected in the earliest parts of our evaluation process.
• Additionally, SSNA offers services above and beyond what an independent fisherman can typically provide working on their own.  If developers or Tier ones do not value the Integrated Management System, audited processes, cross-client experience, vessel readiness/training and centralized management offered by SSNA, vessels can generate more revenue working independently.  The developers/Tier ones would of course take on the additional expense of providing the aforementioned tasks internally.

SSNA's Market Education

• Media and stakeholder engagement training for all Vessel partners
• Deep understanding of the lack of fundamental threat OSW poses to commercial fishing in the US.
• Convey to stakeholders the truth about perceived conflicts issues on behalf of our customers projects at high impact moments in the permitting or market-making process.

SSNA's Culture of Health and Safety for Fishermen

• Properly Licensed Captains (minimum 100 Ton);
• FCC Radio License;
• Drug testing program in place
• STCW Trained Crews; including Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities; Firefighting Prevention/Fire Fighting; Personal Survival Techniques; Elementary First Aid;
• USCG Medicals; !
• Captain/Crew trained to Developer/Subcontractor Standards; (Qualified lookout, Environmental, Project Safety, etc.)
• Regular HSE Crew Training and Drills Conducted on Vessels

SSNA's Critical Path Vessel Partner Upgrades (HSE and Beyond)

• Vessel Specific Safety Management System (SMS) with Auditing;
• Vessel MISW completed w/ Findings Tracked & Resolved;
• Effective Satellite Comms on Vessels;
• Ensure ARPA Radar (Enables calculation of target CPA for Safety vessel work);
• Regular HSE Vessels audits

SSNA's OSW Contract Performance

• Single point of contact - not chasing captains all over the northeast Atlantic.
• Centralized, single source billing.
• Customized environmental management programs and associated KPI's
• SSNA has integrated management system that has ---Developer Audited Integrated Management System (IMS (Developed on ISO and IMO Standards)
• Complete Back Office and Vessels Experience with multiple Developers and Tier 1 Subcontractors
• On-Water Oversight and Vessel Coordination