Straightpoint Wins Rigging Services-Sponsored LEEA Safety Award

Friday, 30th November 2018

Load cell manufacturer Straightpoint (SP) won the inaugural Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) Safety Award, presented in front of over 260 guests at a gala event staged on the first night of last week’s LiftEx trade show in Milton Keynes, UK.
Sponsored by lifting and rigging equipment provider Rigging Services, it was one of eight trophies to be given out on the evening as LEEA, the leading authority in the industry, used its flagship event to make a definitive move to recognise member companies and individual representatives for their success against specific judging criteria.
SP was also shortlisted in the Apprentice of the Year, Innovative Product of the Year, Sustainable Solution of the Year, and Unsung Hero categories. Customer Service, Manager of the Year, and the Kevin Holmes Award (a memorial accolade developed to reward companies, teams, and individuals who display excellence in people development) completed the list of honours.
Doug Price, technical manager at Rigging Services, presented David Ayling, director at SP, with the hefty piece of silverware. Celebrity guest speaker Matt Dawson, a retired England rugby union player and now a familiar face on UK television, joined them on stage. The evening was also notable for raising over £2,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Ayling said: “The concept generally was well received and from a member’s perspective the evening was a great success, befitting of an excellent LiftEx in totality. To emerge victorious in the safety category was overwhelming given LEEA’s stature in the industry and the extent to which safety is in our company’s DNA. We underscore our work with the mantra ‘making the lifting industry a safer place’ and what stronger endorsement could there be that we’re meeting that objective?”

Safety as priority
Paul Fulcher, director at Rigging Services, said: “Safety has always been a number one priority at our company; for employees, that’s inculcated in them from their first day. Sponsorship of this award was therefore natural in that it encapsulates our own ethos and we would likely find ourselves kindred spirits with the eventual winners. We’re honoured to be associated with LEEA; the awards concept, which defines its work; and the safety-centricity of this particularly category.”
Fulcher, who is also halfway through a two-year tenure as LEEA chairman, added: “I had two reasons for offering my congratulations to David and SP—one with my company hat on and the other as a representative of the association. The integrity of the awards must be absolute. Beyond that, with regards to the Safety Award, it can’t be subjective; there are objective measurements. A single nominee wouldn’t guarantee a winner, nor would the judges have bestowed the honour upon the best of a bad bunch. Thus, it must have been the opinion of the panel [comprising senior LEEA management and honorary life members] that SP were truly deserving—and that warrants sincere commendation.”
In a statement prepared for media, Dr. Ross Moloney, CEO at LEEA, said: “The LEEA Awards is all about recognising the excellence of our members and showcasing it to the global lifting industry and to end user markets. The response has been overwhelmingly positive—from the high number and impressive standard of entries to an outstanding turnout for an incredible evening. I thank all those companies and individuals that took the time to enter. Congratulations to all the finalists and, of course, the winners and special thanks to our sponsors for their outstanding support.”

LK Valves & Controls have recently invested in a brand new website

Wednesday, 28th November 2018

LK Valves & Controls have recently invested in a brand new website. This new site is mobile responsive allowing the user to browse using mobile and tablet as well as PC and laptop.

It is designed to be user friendly allowing clients to quickly and easily navigate to the product they require and view technical information. In addition it allows customers to create a bespoke enquiry.

Director Alan Wareing said, “We have thousands of products in our range, and the new website allows customers to access information about them all. It also allows the user to create their own enquiry, customers can select products they require any time day or night, at the click of a button their enquiry will be sent directly to our experienced sales team who will email an accurate quotation by return.”

Please take a look today by clicking on the following link: www.lkvalvesandcontrols.co.uk

LK improve the design of their Storm Value product range

Wednesday, 28th November 2018

LK have introduced a new and improved range of storm valves. The new storm valves are available in sizes DN50 to DN150, in straight and angled design and feature several innovative improvements;

By removing the counter weight and replacing it with a spring, the weight of the product has been reduced by 40% compared to equivalent products in the market.

The disc of the valve is vulcanised giving a reliable and resilient sealing.

By avoiding the traditional tilted seat, the flow through the valves has increased by 10%.

Having engineered out the lead filled counter weight incorportated in previous models, the new design valves are now complient with IHM/Green passport.

Critical components, such as the innovative spring, are placed outside of the media for protection against corrosion, allowing easy inspection and maintenance.

Easier to handle and operate in tight places.

Available with 3.1 certification and Classification Society certification if required.

LK AB are directly involved in the design, development and production of their new storm valve range. These valves are manufactured at their own production facility to ensure they meet with their high quality standard throughout the entire production process.

LK Valves & Controls now hold stocks of the most popular sizes in their Liverpool warehouse with back up stock held in Sweden. For material and dimensional data sheets click on the figure numbers below;

LK 159301Angle Storm Valve

LK 159801Straight Through Storm Valve

Damen announces new service accommodation and transfer vessel

Wednesday, 28th November 2018

Damen Shipyards Group has recently announced a new design. The Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 3410 service accommodation and transfer vessel (SATV) contains numerous design features that ensure its suitability for operations in the developing offshore wind market in North America.

The design of the new vessel builds on the success of proven Damen designs that have earned themselves an outstanding reputation in the European renewables market.

The premise of the design is the Damen Twin Axe bow design. The Axe Bow, a patented design that allows the vessel to cut through waves instead of slamming, significantly improves seakeeping and onboard comfort. Damen’s FCS 2610 optimised this seakeeping behaviour by combining the Axe Bow with a catamaran hull form.

The FCS 2610 was heralded as a game changer in the offshore renewables industry in Europe and went on to sell over 45 vessels. Damen has recently developed this theme further with the FCS 2710 – a new FCS vessel one metre longer than its predecessor and, significantly, with an additional metre in water clearance, enabling the vessel safely extended operational windows.

The FCS 3410 further develops this evolutionary theme, tailoring the concept to meet the requirements of the emerging US offshore renewables market, as Daan Dijxhoorn, Damen sales manager US explains. “This vessel is well suited to numerous markets, however, we have given it long endurance capability so that it can remain at sea for up to five days at a time – a requirement typically seen in US operations. To facilitate this we have designed a vessel 6 metres longer than previous FCS types, able to host more on board personnel and accommodation.”

The FCS 3410 also draws on the successful Damen Accommodation Support Vessel 9020, a walk-to-work vessel designed for transporting and providing accommodation for offshore personnel for up to a month.
Daan continues: There’s a real sense that offshore wind is building momentum. The Black Island Wind Farm off Rhode Island is still the only wind farm in operation off the coast of the USA nearly two years after it opened, but a number of states are pushing ahead with their own plans for offshore renewable energy development.”

Massachusetts currently leads the way in these developments with a target of 1,600 MW generated by wind energy by 2027 and having an 800 MW project planned to begin next year. New York, New Jersey and Maryland also have plans in the pipeline.

The FCS 3410 would be built on location in the United States. For many years, US partner yards have built Damen designs at domestic locations, providing American ship owners with access to Damen’s designs while complying with the requirements of the Jones Act. This process, the Damen Technical Cooperation, ranges from simple licensing up to the delivery of full materials package, including technical support.

Wardle Marine Services have increased their stocks to include more commercial items

Tuesday, 27th November 2018

As sole UK distributor for PMS, Wardle Marine Services have increased their stocks to include more commercial items, some beach fun items, and of course many of the same items we have been selling successfully for nearly a year.

One of our items that has risen to become a high demand product due to it’s robust and versatile build, is the Rotodock. The range of four different sized monobloc platforms are fully modular and can be attached to a variety of accessories such as gangways, railings, jetports and even the cube systems. The Rotodocks are made from low density polyethylene and are the perfect platform for projects on various bodies of water, although shine in their stability on calmer waters. The sections of docks are attached to each other using couplers which allow each section to move fairly independently, without compromising the stability of the whole structure. The platforms can be attached to piles, anchoring systems and the accessories mentioned above, using the half coupler. Assembly of these platforms is surprisingly easy and can be done by either our team, or yourself. Rotodocks have been used around the world for private lakes, public swimming pools, sunbathing areas, event spaces, weddings and walkways, to name a few. It has a safe non-slip surface, comes in a neutral beige colour and with a low freeboard, allows ease of access to most boats and PWC’s. It is easy to clean with just soapy water and being polyethylene, they carry less risk of rust, splinters and natural build up.

We are proud to be the distributors of such an innovative, durable and versatile product. If you wish to become a regional retailer of the PMS product range for Wardle Marine Services, please give us a call to discuss the details on 01420 86229.

London Array Limited selects James Fisher to provide the complete maintenance solution on its 630 MW offshore wind farm

Tuesday, 27th November 2018

JFMS to provide subsea services on London Array, including inspection of substation and all 175 wind turbine generators (WTGs)
Sister company EDS HV Group to provide support services for London Array’s High Voltage (HV) network, including the offshore transmission owner (OFTO) assets
Further opportunity to add value to London Array through James Fisher’s range of systems and services, including risk-based inspection, condition monitoring, further multiskilling of personnel and digital solutions

James Fisher Marine Services (JFMS) has secured a trio of milestone contracts on London Array 175 turbine 630 MW wind farm – one of the largest in Europe – affirming the company’s status as a leading provider of unique and flexible integrated services to the offshore renewables sector.

Already appointed by London Array as the contractor for topside balance of plant (BoP) services, JFMS will now also provide subsea services, including inspection of the substation and all wind turbine generators (WTGs), together with high voltage (HV) services –all under five-year agreements or until at least 2023.

In addition to the BoP scope of work, sister company EDS HV Group – recently acquired by James Fisher and Sons plc as the renewables industry’s foremost HV company – will provide support services London Array’s HV network on a 24/7 basis through its state-of-the-art control centre, including the associated offshore transmission owner (OFTO) assets.

Jonathan Duffy, general manager at London Array Limited, said:

“We look forward to working with James Fisher Marine Services once again and expanding the scope of services they provide. We have been impressed with the comprehensive range of solutions and flexibility of services and its commitment to helping us maximise the wind farm’s uptime. Furthermore, its high voltage support services on both generation and transmission assets are a critical part of our maintenance and risk management strategy.”

Fergus Graham, executive director at James Fisher and Sons plc, said:

“We’re delighted to have been selected by London Array for topside, subsea and HV maintenance and this award demonstrates the value of our integrated service offering to the offshore renewables sector.
“The complete maintenance package we are providing brings together our extensive capability across JFMS for the topside and subsea element, as well as EDS HV for HV support services. This demonstrates our capability to manage every phase of a wind farm’s life cycle, from construction support through to decommissioning.”

Looking ahead, JFMS now aims to add value to its London Array operations through further exposure to intelligent systems and services, including risk-based inspection, condition monitoring, further multiskilling of personnel and digital solutions.

JFMS has experienced rapid growth in the offshore renewables sector, including nascent energy projects, as a result of its integrated services model and commitment to supporting the local supply chain wherever it operates.

Landau UK Win Foxtrot 8 Landing Craft Refit And Refurbishment Project

Tuesday, 27th November 2018

Landau UK, specialists in delivering award winning installations, refits, remodelling and restoration of equipment and systems to all leisure and commercial marine vessels, are delighted to have won the contract from Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust to refit and refurbish one of the last remaining landing crafts – Foxtrot 8 – which was used during the Falklands conflict. This project is being funded by the Chancellor using LIBOR funds and is part of the Trust’s wider “Memorial Fleet” project. The Memorial Fleet project will create an operational Memorial Fleet of small historic craft which have played a significant role in the defence of the nation during the Twentieth Century – from the First World War to the Falklands.

Foxtrot 8 served aboard the Amphibious Assault Ship HMS Fearless in the Falklands conflict in 1982, and landed 3 Commando Brigade at San Carlos Water, the notorious “bomb alley”, during the night of 21 May as part of Operation Sutton. 3 Commando Brigade, reinforced by 2 Para and 3 Para, then marched across East
Falkland to Stanley.

Foxtrot 8 can carry 35 fully equipped Royal Marine Commandos or two land rovers. She was one of four
assault craft of this type taking the pennant numbers F5 – F8, that were carried on davits on HMS
Fearless and is currently house in Boathouse 4.

Landau UK will use their 25+ years’ experience and knowledge and work incredibly closely with the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust and their volunteer workforce, many of whom are armed forces veterans, to get this vessel restored back to her former glory.

Commenting on this contract win, Ben Metcalfe, Chief Executive Officer at Landau UK said: "We are delighted to have secured this contract from the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust to bring this vessel of historical importance back to her former glory. Landau UK have extensive experience and first-hand knowledge of vessels similar to the F8, and we feel that our proposal clearly demonstrated our approach to sympathetically restore her. We are excited to be involved in this project and look forward to working with the Trust’s volunteers and Students of the International Boatbuilding Training College – Portsmouth (IBTC-P).”

And the winners are:

Tuesday, 27th November 2018

Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) members from across the sector were rewarded for their outstanding performance, professionalism and excellence at the inaugural LEEA Awards 2018.

Over 260 guests enjoyed the prestigious event, which took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Milton Keynes on the evening of 14November. Hosted by celebrity and former England Rugby star, Matt Dawson, the occasion raised £1,153.50 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

A total of eight awards were presented and the winners were:
Apprentice of the Year – joint winners: Laurence James of Calder Lifting Services Limited and James Hume of William Hackett Lifting Products Limited.

Customer Service:Service Through Knowledge – Ranger Lifting-Rigging-Safety.

Innovative Product of the Year (Sponsored by Andron Handling): Industrial Training International (ITI) for its ITI VR Crane & Equipment Training Simulators.

Manager of the Year: Oliver Auston of Checkmate Lifting and Safety.

Safety Award (Sponsored by Rigging Services): Straightpoint UK Ltd.

Sustainable Solution of the Year (Sponsored by William Hackett Lifting Products Limited) -joint winners: Certex UK and Lloyd’s British – A Speedy Business.

Unsung Hero Sponsored by LHI Magazine
Gerry Miller of Scotia Handling Services Limited.

Kevin Holmes Award
Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformance Council.

Dr Ross Moloney, CEO of the Lifting Engineers Equipment Association (LEEA) said: “The LEEA Awards is all about recognising the excellence of our members and showcasing it to the global lifting industry and to end user markets. The response has been overwhelmingly positive – from the high number and impressive standard of entries to an outstanding turnout for an incredible evening. I thank all those companies and individuals that took the time to enter. Congratulations to all the finalists and, of course, the winners and special thanks to our sponsors for their outstanding support.”

What Next for Meercat Boats…

Tuesday, 27th November 2018

David Rutter is Meercat Boats’ Business Development Manager. His background spans autonomous vessels, design and sale, through to military operations. He has worked with the team at Meercat Boats for two years and has seen the business and sector significantly evolve over that period.

Here he answers a few frequently asked questions and sheds light on the future of British shipbuilding and the commercial marine sector.

Tell us about Meercat Boats
Meercat Boats are versatile multirole steel workboats, built 100% in Great Britain. Over 34 vessels have been built by the Meercat team over the last 10 years.

The company originated with building road transportable multirole workboats, which were and are still used across all aspects of port servicing, ship servicing, aquaculture, dive support and dredging.

The versatility of the modern workboat has increased in recent years, what with new equipment and more thought-out design, the workboats are more than capable of mixing it with vessels normally designed for a specific purpose such as dredging, load carrying, towing / pushing, even down to recovering vessels that have been damaged or sunk as seen in the latest isle of Wight ferry collision video.

How are commercial marine sub-sectors evolving?
Aquaculture has developed a lot in recent years and with nets getting larger, equipment changing and more equipment being used, workboats have played a major role in helping the industry take that step forward, whilst there are specific vessels, such as feeder barges, well-boats and similar.

The multirole workboats will always be an important part of the aquaculture sector’s operations due to their versatility, longevity and strength; Meercat Boats has just completed its seventh vessel within the aquaculture industry.

In addition, there is still a strong demand for vessels operating within port harbour servicing, often linked to other aspects of commercial marine operations such as wind farm service support or ship bunkering.

Meercat Boats recognises the increasing versatility of the workboat and this is reflected in the current designs. Bollard pull has increased, deck load strength has gone up considerably, including larger cranes, purpose-built accommodation and more emphasis on crew comfort.
The boats are already regarded as strong and long-lasting at very competitive prices, however in response to the market and existing clients’ requirements, the vessels will now also encompass even greater deck strength and bollard pulls being able to go up even further than before.

Whilst Meercat Boats still build road transportables, we have experienced an increase in requests and demand for larger vessels such as the latest 20-metre M20 and the proposed M24 steel monohulls.

The advantage of buying a Meercat vessel is they tend to be built for a client’s specific request and the choice of layout is entirely down to them. Meercat Boats not only offer vessels within their broad workboat range but also bespoke builds, landing craft and as shown just recently, a purpose-built oil spill response vessel for a client in Europe. Meercat Boats’ design team offers a wide variety of layouts for the wheelhouse and deck equipment.

Meercat Boats are known for building extremely good quality and robust vessels delivered in a very reasonable timeframe, such as 16 weeks for an M15 15m workboat; which results in the client having the precise boat for the operations required.

What is the process to buy a Meercat Boat?
The buying process starts with clarification of the client requirements in detail. Next the Meercat Team including its in house designers or if requested, external naval architect designers, will generate a GA (General Arrangement Plan). Often a client will visit Meercat’s Southampton yard to see the current vessels in build.

The GA will be tweaked until it is absolutely matching the client’s requirements before getting the green light and commencing the build. It has even been known for a client to make some changes during the build. This process can be as quick as a few weeks if the client knows precisely what they require.

Meercat Boats works with financial partners, therefore can assist in financing a vessel on a loan or mortgage basis.

What are the benefits of buying a stock vessel
The advantage to buying a vessel that has already been built does have its merits. Quite often a client requires a vessel quite quickly in order to service a project they are bidding for, which works well for a buyer as quite often they will not make the purchase unless they have won the project. However, options for customising a pre-built vessel is often limited, which means that the vessel will not precisely match the client’s requirements.

Meercat Boats have the solution for those businesses who require a vessel immediately, however would like to have a bespoke build. We can offer the client a vessel to lease on a reduced rate basis while their vessel is in build.

We can offer the client a vessel to lease on a reduced rate basis while their vessel is in build. Not only does this assist the client with a readily available workboat but it also ensures they then take ownership of a purpose-built vessel which will last them a very long time.

Part exchange of a client’s existing vessel is also an option, which further expedites a speedy purchase. Coincidentally, Meercat Boats also hold their value extremely well, which makes it attractive for financiers and buyers alike.

How has Brexit changed your business?
There has been a noticeable increase in enquiries for vessels from international clients in recent times. Whether this is down to the exchange rates, Brexit or more people wishing to buy British products is yet to be determined, however all will most likely be contributing factor.

From a Meercat perspective this is a very good thing, there is always encouragement from the Department for International Trade to increase exports and it appears to be just that little bit cheaper nowadays in delivery costs.
As strong repeat business and ongoing industry demand demonstrates, the long-term future is bright for Meercat Boats.

Damen Shipyards Group celebrates Multraship Carrousel RAVE Tug winning the Maritime KVNR Shipping Award

Tuesday, 27th November 2018

Damen Shipyards Group is celebrating the success of Multraship and its innovation arm Novatug in winning the Maritime KVNR Shipping award 2018. Working with a number of industry partners they developed the ground-breaking Carrousel RAVE Tug (CRT) design that is safer, stronger and more manoeuvrable for its size than any equivalent vessel operating today.

Two vessels were built at Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam using hulls fabricated in Germany, and were delivered in February and May this year. Since then they have been a great success, thanks in part to Damen’s unrivalled experience in engineering and building market-leading, high-quality harbour tugs.

Mijndert Wiesenekker, sales director of Damen Benelux, said, “We are very proud of being part of this unique tug development and our congratulations go out to Multraship for their foresight in making this innovative concept a reality, and their well-deserved success in this year’s KVNR awards.”

Month: November 2018

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