One of the stories I received the most emails about last year was Dozens of people wanted to know how they could literally buy the ship, many of which were credible. Now, it turns out that Sea Slice is getting a second chance at life after all—and a cool new eco-friendly mission.

The once military technology-demonstrator ship was shipped last October from San Diego to Rotterdam aboard the SAL Heavy Lift Vessel Frauke. Apparently, the voyage took 30 days. Shortly after arriving in Rotterdam, Sea Slice was towed via tug to Esbjerg, Denmark, where she was delivered to her new owners, Advanced Offshore Solutions. The firm provides logistical support and expertise to the burgeoning offshore wind energy industry in Europe.

After receiving a refit she will begin work in the renewable-energy sector as an offshore windfarm tender and exploration craft. Her unique design allows for highly stable operations at speeds up to 30 knots, even while in high sea states (Sea State 5). Her large, wide deck area also makes the ship highly flexible for carrying various out-sized payloads.

Apparently, was the go-between that made the deal happen. GRS managing partner Matthias Mross :

“The Sea Slice is a special case in point to demonstrate how our customers can profit from our network and expertise. Bringing the right parties together from the outset and minimizing our time and cost expenditure is all part of our job and we are getting better and better at it.“

Hearing that Sea Slice will be put to incredibly good use is fantastic news. Often times unique vessels like these end up meeting the scrapper’s torch without getting the chance to prove themselves commercially. Supporting wind energy projects seems like an ideal use for the ship, and since the asking price was a mere $180,000, hopefully she provides a nice return on investment for her new owners even after shipping and refitting costs.

Hopefully Advanced Offshore Solutions will publish some pictures of her at work in her new role. Oh, and please, guys—don’t change her name!

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Photos via GRS