Accommodation Vessel

A self-propelled ship that provides offshore living quarters for personnel working on installations, distinct from a dumb accommodation barge. It typically holds station on dynamic positioning and connects to the platform by a telescoping, motion-compensated gangway. When it carries more than 12 special personnel who are not passengers, it is certified under the IMO Special Purpose Ships Code, MSC.266(84) (2008), which applies SOLAS requirements adjusted for the number of persons aboard. Flotels and many modern walk-to-work vessels fall in this group.