Multirole workboat builder, Meercat Boats, scores a hat trick

Thursday, 10th October 2019

Meercat Boats has scored a hat trick. Meercat Boats, whose headquarters are in Hythe Marine Park, adjacent to the Port of Southampton, is currently host to three Meercat MRVs; with one Meercat ready for sale, another Meercat in for her refit and survey, and another being a Meercat landing craft, which is also at the yard ready for charter.

The 15m MRV Toploader is in at Meercat HQ for a refit and refurbishment, in readiness for her pending sale to mainland Europe, where she will undertake general workboat duties in addition to mooring, ship servicing, dive support and civil engineering operations.

Sarnia, the new Meercat MRV15, being built for Guernsey Harbours, is receiving her final touches, having successfully completed her sea trials. Following delivery to the Channel Islands, the Meercat team will attend a naming ceremony for this prestigious vessel.

The new Meercat MRV Sarnia has been customised to specifically match Guernsey Harbours’ requires, being to deliver the best number of port and harbour servicing operations achievable in one vessel; for which Meercat Boats successful won a tender process.

The 22m landing craft, MRV22LC, Toplander, which is owned and operated by Topbond plc, is currently berthed at Meercat in Southampton, ready to depart on her next charter, where she will primarily operate in aquaculture support and port maintenance.

From its purpose-built facility, Meercat Boats has a range of offerings to support any operator including; new-build design and construction, servicing and repair of workboats and commercial craft, as well as large-scale refit and refurbishments of steel, aluminium and composite commercial and leisure craft.

John Buck, Meercat Boats’ Business Manager, comments, “Meercat Boats’ facilities and team are ideally positioned to fully support the workboat market throughout the life of a vessel. Meercat’s longstanding team-members have an impressive ten-year pedigree having built many vessels, all of which are in active commercial service across the globe. Our builds and standard of craftmanship are regarded as best-of-breed, hence why we are the first choice of so many vessel operators including the likes of BAE Systems and, of course, Guernsey Harbours.”

Visit www.meercatboats.com for further information.

Take cover! Old torpedo factory in Alexandria installs Guardianâ„¢ Life Ring Cabinets

Thursday, 10th October 2019

Old Town, Alexandria, is located just minutes outside the busy hustle and bustle of Washington D.C., and is quickly becoming an ever more popular tourist hotspot.

This historic district, which George Washington himself once called home, was founded in 1749, and today welcomes visitors from all over the world.

Somewhat ironically, construction of the torpedo station began the day after Armistice Day, in November 1918. From there, it was used to store munitions, and a facility to construct aircraft and submarine torpedoes during WWII.

Today, the old torpedo factory is known as the Torpedo Factory Art Centre, after the building was bought by the City of Alexandria in 1969.

The waterfront location of the Centre, on the banks of the River Potomac, certainly adds to the tranquil beauty and elegance of such a surrounding, but it also raises significant safety concerns.

Attracting some 500,000 visitors each year, the Torpedo Factory Art Centre has been an Alexandria landmark for more than 40 years – and with such a mass of people in close proximity to the banks of the Potomac, Guardian Life Buoy Housing's proved to be a natural fit.

A busy, waterfront environment, such as the Potomac River, is a location where Glasdon ring buoy cabinets thrive. Designed to be highly visible and easily accessible, these diverse and innovative lifebuoy housings offer striking aesthetics, alongside long-lasting durability.

The City of Alexandria ordered 8 of our Guardian Life Ring Cabinets with 24” Life Ring and Rope, which have been dispersed along the waterfront, making them conveniently accessible across a wide area.

Available in 24” or 30” versions, both Guardian Life Ring Cabinet models are designed with a universal fit to house USCG approved ring buoys, and standard torpedo buoys (including ones made by different manufacturers). They have a wide-range of built-in safety and inspection features, including; inspection indicator, toggle latch, clear instruction decals, and much more. Choose from a range of fixing options, including; wall, rail and pole mountings, and striking colour options including red & white, or yellow & white.

Guardian Life Ring Cabinets are also recyclable at the end of their service life.

For more information about Guardian Life Ring Cabinets, visit https://uk.glasdon.com

Don’t miss out on our Special Offers

Thursday, 10th October 2019

When Purchasing either the X950-C or X991-C Course recorder the X991-P printer will be supplied for half the standard price.

Both Course Recorder systems accept GPS and gyro data, outputting printed course data, with the X950-C displaying the gyro heading information and the X991-C showing the user’s desired information.

The X300 smart NMEA tester is a sub-compact and ultra-light portable NMEA 0183 reader, complete with built in non-critical oscilloscope function.

With the ability to monitor NMEA 0183 data, diagnose signal issues and predict failures due to signal quality, the X300 is the world’s first complete NMEA 0183 maintenance tool.

Get it today at the special price of just £399, while stocks last.

Shawbrook recruits Managing Director to lead Specialist Asset and Sector Finance teams as the Bank continues to invest in specialist SME lending proposition

Tuesday, 8th October 2019

Shawbrook Bank’s Business Finance Division recruits Chris Richold to lead its Specialist Asset and Sector Finance teams.

With over 20 years’ experience in the asset finance industry, Chris Richold joins Shawbrook following a 6 year period at a large financial institution where he led the Wholesale and Specialist Asset Finance team. Prior to this Chris was responsible for a ‘real asset’ investment business within a global banking division and he has extensive experience in the asset finance industry covering new business origination, asset management and portfolio management.

Chris will now lead the Specialist Asset & Sector Finance business at Shawbrook, working with established teams in specialist markets including; Marine and Aviation, Healthcare, Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Technology.

Neil Rudge, Managing Director for Business Finance at Shawbrook Bank says, “I am delighted that Chris has joined the team. We have well-established and very experienced specialist finance teams here at Shawbrook and we are seeing the potential for further growth and development in a number of markets right now. Chris will help us to leverage our expertise and market presence in these sectors and to evolve our proposition to ensure more businesses get the specialist lending support they need.”

Chris Richold, Managing Director for Specialist Asset and Sectors at Shawbrook Bank says, “Having worked for large corporate banks for many years now, I was attracted to the dynamic environment and agility of Shawbrook. I am looking forward to working with each specialist team as we focus on the challenges and complexities of each sector and strive to meet the evolving needs of such a diverse group of customers.”

Marine Services South West Working in Collaboration With Aegean Diving Services

Tuesday, 8th October 2019

Marine Services South West Ltd has joined forces with Aegean Divers – an HSE registered diving contractor that is a full member of the Association of Diving Contractors UK (ADC UK), class approved by the Lloyds Register of Shipping and holds ISO 9001:2015.

This collaboration now allows us to extend our expertise to below the waterline offering a range of underwater services to the same high standard.
Services now include, but are not limited to:

Underwater inspection and survey of structures and vessels
Underwater marine maintenance and repair works
Underwater welding and cutting
NDT and UT inspection
Search and Recovery

Cruising Out of Dover with 335 Tonnes

Friday, 4th October 2019

Appointed by Daher Projects GmbH to undertake delivery of two 335 Tonne transformers destined for Sellindge Substation, Collett & Sons Ltd loaded up their specialist girder bridge and headed out of Cruise Terminal 1 at the Port of Dover.

Arriving at the Port aboard the same vessel, Collett deftly discharged the first, lifting from the hold of the vessel to an awaiting 14 axle SPMT and stooling off for storage portside. With the first of the 335 Tonne cargoes safely stored, Collett turned their attention to the second, lifting from the vessel directly to their Scheuerle girder bridge trailer.

Once safely secured to the 79.5m long trailer, at 10pm Collett made the 30 mile trip from the Port of Dover arriving six and a half hours later at the Sellindge Substation site in Ashford, Kent.

The route from Dover circled the outskirts of Folkestone, before following the M20 towards site. With planning and enabling works beginning in January, Collett had meticulously surveyed the route, undertaking topographical surveys and swept path analysis to identify any required modifications and street furniture removals ahead of the project’s commencement.

As highlighted in the planning stages, Collett were unable to facilitate a right turn at Junction 10 of the M20 due to the weight of the loaded vehicle and the restrictions of the structure over the M20. This resulted in the Team travelling past junction 10 towards Junction 9 of the M20 at Ashford. Here Collett undertook circumnavigation procedures with the 79.5m loaded vehicle. After travelling back along the M20 in the opposite direction the convoy could now exit at Junction 10, joining the A20 before reversing into the site access road and on to the site itself.

Once at the site, the girder bridge was unable to navigate the site roads due to its 79.5m length.

Added to this, ground loading restrictions limited the options for delivering the transformer to its designated siting. At this point Collett began transhipment operations to transfer the cargo from the girder bridge to an awaiting SPMT. Equipped with a power pack module, Collett utilised a 4-file 10-axle configuration and began the transhipment operations.

With mats, supports and beams positioned under the transformer Collett Heavy Lift employed the hydraulic capabilities of the girder bridge, lowering the cargo to the supports and allowing the side decks to be autonomously driven clear. Then, utilising climbing jacks, raised the transformer to a sufficient height allowing the 10-axle 4-file SPMT to be driven underneath.

Once jacked down to rest on the SPMT, the Team manoeuvred the 335 Tonne transformer to a temporary plinth before jacking & skidding to final position within the substation at a later date. With the first of the transformers safely on site, Collett returned to the Port of Dover, and loaded the second of the cargoes for transport.

Delivered over two consecutive weekends in June, the second transformer followed the same procedure, arriving safely on site and successfully completing the project.

Ten Falcons make Film-Ocean a Big Fan

Friday, 4th October 2019

Independent subsea contractor, Film-Ocean, has ordered its 10th Saab Seaeye Falcon making them one of the biggest fans of the world’s most popular underwater robot.

“To reach the milestone of our 10th Falcon ROV is an incredible achievement and it has been a great opportunity to further build our relationship with SAAB Seaeye. The latest deep rated Falcon is a welcome addition to our existing fleet and will further enhance our commitment to provide innovative subsea solutions to our clients says John Bloomfield, Global Business Development Manager at subsea contractor, Film-Ocean.

He goes on to explain Film-Ocean’s specially devised deployment methods.

"As well as utilising our collapsible Launch and Recovery System (LARS) which has allowed us to deploy the Falcon from some tight positions, on both oil platforms, FPSO’s and wind farm installations. We have also incorporated a Falcon in our containerised system, which has a combined zone II control room and integrated launch and recovery system and 1100m of tether".

Film-Ocean have developed and patented a chain measuring system for FPSO and Offshore Wind Farm mooring systems which is easily deployed with the Falcon providing results in real time and is accurate to 0.1mm.

Saab Seaeye says that the versatility shown by Film-Ocean’s engagement of the Falcon, demonstrates the success of the design’s concept that has made it the most popular underwater robotic vehicle of its class in the world.

The Falcon’s winning concept comes from creating a highly reliable vehicle, packed with five powerful thrusters and an intelligent distributed control system, all fitted into a small, easily handled 1 x 0.5 x 0.6 metre-sized vehicle that can adopt different tools and sensors for undertaking numerous intricate and demanding tasks.

Apart from its proven reliability, operators find a key advantage of the Falcon’s iCON intelligent power and control architecture is its high maneuverability and steadiness in strong crosscurrents, whilst undertaking exacting tasks with steadiness and precision.

Film-Ocean’s latest Falcon comes complete with a running lock latch system and a TriTech Sonar.

Finalists for the LEEA Awards 2019 announced

Friday, 4th October 2019

The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) is proud to announce the finalists for The LEEA Awards 2019. As the largest trade association in the Lifting Industry, LEEA wants to reward members who have done the most to raise standards. The high volume and quantity of entries for this year’s awards gave the independent panel of industry experts judging the entries a real challenge. The shortlisted finalists are as follows:

The Customer Service Award, sponsored by Certex, recognises organisations that are leading the way in delivering exceptional service to customers in the Lifting Industry. The finalists are:

QISC (Qatar International Safety Centre) – Hashim Mohammed

Street CraneXpress – STEP
A Nobles & Sons – Industry First Customer Promise
TRE (Technical Royal Excellence Consultancy) – Customer Service Excellence

Innovative Product of the Year, sponsored by Industrial Training International (ITI), recognises truly innovative products and services that contribute to the improvement of the Lifting Equipment Industry. The finalists are:

Checkmate – Infinity Lanyard
Probst – Probst SH 2500 Greenline vacuum lifting device
A Nobles & Sons – Australian Defence Force Lightweight Recovery and Lifting Blocks
William Hackett Lifting Products – SS-L5 QP – specialist lever hoist
Dynamic Load Monitoring – DL-3.0 Data Logger
PEWAG Austria GmbH – Levo Clamp LC – vertical lifting clamp
Straightpoint UK– HHP App and Bluetooth product range
Liftal – Dynamic Test Device for motor-driven hoists and winches
IMES International – Bespoke design by James McEvoy

The Kevin Holmes Award has been developed to honour the memory of the late Kevin Holmes, previous chairman of LEEA’s Learning and Development Committee. This award recognises excellence in developing people in the Lifting Equipment Industry. The finalists are:

Street CraneXpress
Ranger Lifting
GEO Taylor
Certex

LEEA – Apprenticeship Trailblazer
LEEA / Guy Harris of LHI magazine
Straightpoint
Carl Wright Training / MHI Vestas (NM)
Simples Lifting
Cookes NZ

The Safety Award, sponsored by Rigging Services, recognises organisations that demonstrate products and/or services that provide innovative protection to people from the risk of injury. The finalists are:

Lloyds British a Speedy Business – Height Safety
Probst – Transmobil Carrier
Straightpoint – Know the Load
Briggs Defence – Mental Health
Tollmans – KPIs
Reflex Marine – Storm Work

Sustainable Solution of the Year, sponsored by Straightpoint, celebrates organisations committed to maintaining profitability while considering the impact on the environment. The finalists are:

Checkmate – CheckBack
Guy Harris of LHI magazine – Think Lifting
LEEA – Apprenticeship Trailblazer

The winners of the following awards will be announced at the Awards Dinner:

Manager of the Year recognises the outstanding achievements of managers who are shaping the future of our industry.

Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by Bridger Howes, is aimed at LEEA members who want to recognise the contribution and individual effort made by an apprentice in the academic year 2018/19.

The Unsung Hero Award, sponsored by LHI magazine, is aimed at LEEA members who want to recognise those individuals whose support, hard work, dedication and commitment often goes unnoticed.

All the winners will be announced and presented with their awards during the LiftEx 2019 Awards Dinner by guest speaker, TV presenter Rachel Riley.

Ross Moloney, LEEA CEO, said: “The LEEA Awards 2019 will be a memorable and prestigious event, helping the association to commemorate our 75th anniversary and celebrate the excellence of our members and the Lifting Industry. The nominations clearly demonstrate the positive and innovative progress our industry is making. I congratulate all of the finalists in reaching this stage and wish them the best of luck for the big night on 13 November 2019, which will be a truly prestigious event to look forward to. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our award category sponsors in addition to the event’s gold sponsor Rope and Sling Specialists, silver sponsor Van Beest and badge & lanyard sponsor Jtagz® Pty Ltd.”

The 2nd Annual LEEA Awards take place during LiftEx 2019 on the evening of Wednesday 13 November at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Milton Keynes.

For more information on attending the LEEA Awards 2019, contact Leah Phelps on +44 (0) 20 3488 2865 or email: enquiries@L2Events.com or visit https://awards.leeaint.com

Mainprize Offshore announces new build 26m SUPA-SWATH wind farm support and crew transfer vessel, MA1

Friday, 4th October 2019

Leading innovative offshore vessel builder and operator Mainprize Offshore has announced the building of a newbuild 26m SUPA-SWATH wind farm support and crew transfer vessel, MA1.

Mainprize Offshore’s new 26m SUPA-SWATH will reflect the innovative design of its sistership, the MO5, which was unveiled at Seawork in 2019.

The 26-metre vessel is the second vessel in a new range of CTVs being the brainchild of Bob Mainprize, the co-owner and MD of Scarborough-headquartered Mainprize Offshore, together with James Walker of Southampton’s Walker Marine Design (WMD). The duo has previously partnered on the design of three vessel builds prior to MA1; namely the MO3, MO4 and MO5.

Bob Mainprize first thought of the initial design in 2011 when assessing offshore wind, the vessels’ current and future designs and the end clients’ needs; with the aim to building the industry’s leading vessel, being a SUPA-SWATH able to carry large loads, enable transit in higher waves and in greater comfort, plus transfer in higher wave height.

Its complex design, being to UK Flag HS OSC and BV Wind Farm Service Ship S1 notation, was devised to maximise efficiency, crew and passenger comfort and is part of the continuing evolution of the Mainprize Offshore line of vessels, being renowned as leaders in their class in providing a high-end value-added and cost-efficient service.

Following the year-long construction programme of the MO5, which was launched in Spring 2019 and is due to start operations in Germany imminently, the MA1 will have a shorter build programme of nine months and will be built in Taiwan.

With a combined investment of over £7million spanning the two 26 metre sisterships, MA1 has been ordered on speculation.

Uniquely, the MO5 is one of the few vessels in today’s market which can transfer in over 2mHs. She also offers the added flexibility of carrying 70T of payload including large cargo and undertake survey or ROV operations. In addition, her four-point anchoring enables her to undertake external dive operations with the added safety of been able to carry a full dive suit.

Predominately designed as a ‘bring-to-work’ and high-speed cargo carrying solution for wind farm operatives and their equipment, the semi-SWATH high-load design, which carries 24 passengers with six crew members, is also suitable for many other operations.

Bob Mainprize, MD and Founder of Mainprize Offshore comments, “the MA1 is a continuation of Mainprize’s focus on pushing the offshore wind farm vessel envelope. The MO5 helped to cement Mainprize Offshore as a leader in innovative fast workboats and MA1 will continue this as another pioneering build to further complement our fleet of CTVs.”

Mainprize is renowned for numerous industry firsts including; Deck Space of 150M2 increasing to 200M2, dedicated walkways for safe access and egress, 36,000L increasing to 50,000L fuel, achieving a payload of 65T – 200% greater than anything in the wind farm sector at the time and a fuel pump speed 500L-Min – 200% faster like-for-like.

Mainprize Offshore has been involved with the early stages of the wind farm industry starting with the initial seabed surveys, risk assessments and traffic surveys. In recent times the business expanded into the operation of fast catamarans to support the wind farm construction and O+M teams; enabling transfers between shore and wind farm sites of personnel, equipment spares and stores.

The combination of unsurpassed seagoing, together with the ability to operate impressively in wave heights of over two metres, means that Mainprize Offshore’s MO and MA fleet is also ideally suited to fast-ferry, survey, pilotage and SAR (search and rescue) duties.

Mainprize Offshore’s MA1 is due to be launched in Summer 2020 when she will commence operations in Northern Europe.

Month: October 2019

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