The first Diva 8 is nearing completion of its sea trials in the Adriatic Sea and will be ultimately moored on the Turkmenistan coast of the Caspian Sea, the largest enclosed body of water on Earth. It is anticipated that, within the next two years, ten of the M215C-powered Diva 8 boats will be in operation in the 371,000 square kilometre inland lake, which is currently the focal point for untapped oil and natural gas reserves in the southern part of the former Soviet Union.

The 8.5-metre long, 2.5-metre beam aluminium-hulled vessel can, in addition to the skipper, accommodate six passengers or carry up to 2.5 tonnes of supplies to and from offshore platforms. The six-cylinder, six-litre wastegated turbocharged, charge-air-cooled engine powers the Diva 8 to a smooth cruising speed of 24 knots, and a full throttle speed of 26 knots. The engine is coupled to ZF 63A 1.56:1 reduction gearbox.

According to Dani Jerkov of Motomariner D.O.O, the Perkins dealer for Croatia, build quality and reliability were Diva Mariner’s prime considerations when selecting the engine for the new fleet. He said: “Emergency vessel operators have to have complete confidence that the engine they select will respond immediately. There is simply no scope for temperamental or unreliable starting in the extremely variable weather condition that can be experienced in the Caspian Sea.” He explained: “The average temperature in July and August is between 24 degrees C and 26 degrees C, but can rise to as high as 44 degrees C in the east. In the winter months, the temperature can drop to as low as minus 10 degrees C in the north and minus 12 degrees C in the south.”

Parts and service support for all Perkins Marine Power engines is available only through the Perkins distribution network that today numbers 4,000 distributors in 160 countries. Full details on the M215C, and all of the other propulsion and onboard generator set engines in the current Perkins Marine Power range, including contact details for the distributor network, are available at www.perkins-sabre.com.