Vt Halmatic News

The Mirabella V mast is loaded on a barge to leave the VT Halmatic Portchester shipyard. VT Halmatic completed production of the world’s tallest yacht mast, which will be fitted on the Mirabella V under construction by parent company VT Shipbuilding. The 90 m hollow carbon epoxy mast, which has a maximum cross section of 1.6 m and structural thickness of up to 40mm, will support some 3,400 sq. m. of sail. Having been loaded onto a barge at VT Halmatic’s Portchester shipyard, the mast was transported to Southampton Docks where the rigging will be dressed and the mast will be stepped before fitting out is completed. The mast has been manufactured in halves, with the back half comprising two sections and the front half divided into three sections.

Lloyd Werft's Werner Lüken may not be too sure as to whether ship repair yards constitute "port facilities" under the ISPS Code but others do not share his doubts. Speaking at the Shiprepair Conference and Exhibition in London last month, he said he really didn't think that repair yards should be included under the Code's requirements and that newbuilding yards certainly shouldn't be. However, he admitted to being in ongoing discussions with the German authorities on the point and, as perhaps the world's most prominent cruiseship yard, there is a lot at stake. The arguments are complex and will keep lawyers busy for months. However, as Peter Rowat of the London Shipping Consultancy pointed out, whether or not repair facilities are covered by the Code's requirements is not really the issue.

VT Halmatic has delivered an Arctic 24 rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to the island of Tristan da Cunha. Located in the South Atlantic, approximately 1,740 miles west of Cape Town, Tristan da Cunha is acknowledged as the world's most remote inhabited island. The island supports a thriving community concentrating on fishing and agriculture and the new RIB joins an existing VT Halmatic Pacific 38 RIB. The new Arctic 24 will be used as an additional fisheries patrol boat and fast rescue craft as well as search and rescue and policing duties. Based on a deep V hull form, the Arctic 24 is known as an off-shore RIB that is available in the market place and is capable of operating in the extreme sea states found around the island.

Moose Boats won two contracts from the U.S. Navy to build six more Moose 340C Catamaran Patrol Boats. The contract totals approximately $2.9 million, and the first boat is scheduled to be delivered in January 2005. The Moose 340C is a 36.5-ft. 380 hp turbo diesels and is propelled by Hamilton 292 water jets. These vessels will be assigned to stations in San Diego, Calif. If required, the boat can be deployed at speeds over 34 knots with armament including 50 caliber and M60 machine guns. Moose Boats will demonstrate the 340C Patrol Boat in the water at MACC 2004. Willard Marine's 36 ft. Enforcer RIB features a removable cabin. These all-weather craft, complete with heating and air-conditioning, can be used for ship's boats and for 24-hour patrol.

Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (BCGP) and VT Halmatic Ltd. (VTH), two of the world’s leading makers of boats for military and commercial use, announced a joint marketing agreement to offer a wide array of products and services throughout the world. Under the agreement, Florida-based BCGP and VTH, which is based in the United Kingdom, will offer an integrated line of products and services comprised of boats, ranging from 13 - 120 feet, and related parts and accessories for civil and military agencies as well as after-market technical support services to ensure operational readiness and on-station capability. The agreement, for which terms were not disclosed, takes effect immediately.

Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (BCGP) and VT Halmatic Ltd. (VTH), two makers of boats for military and commercial use announced a joint marketing agreement to offer a wide array of products and services throughout the world. Under the agreement, Florida-based BCGP and VTH, which is based in the United Kingdom, will offer an integrated line of products and services comprised of boats, ranging from 13 - 120 feet, and related parts and accessories for civil and military agencies as well as after-market technical support services to ensure operational readiness and on-station capability. The agreement, for which terms were not disclosed, takes effect immediately.

VT Halmatic announced a new Marine Products Spares Team to co-ordinate, support and process VT Halmatic spares orders. Based at Portchester Shipyard, the new dedicated team of specialists will focus on handling customers and owners requirements in a timely and cost effective manner. The team has many years experience in handling VT Marine Products equipment world-wide and has an industry leading reputation in keeping numerous naval, and government agencies working and maintaining serviceability of equipment fitted to many high speed ferry services. VT Halmatic expects its support to be faster and more competitive and now offers the full VT Halmatic…

Stolt-Nielsen S.A. appointed Otto H. Fritzner as CEO of Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group (SNTG). Fritzner most recently served as Managing Director, Ship Owning at SNTG. He succeeds James B. Hurlock, who was named Interim CEO of SNTG in July 2003. • SNTG's global operations will be organized into three regions - the Americas, administered from Greenwich, Conn.; Asia-Pacific, administered from Singapore; and Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA), administered from Rotterdam, SNTG's corporate headquarters. • SNTG's Indian Ocean Service and the Europe-to-Asia Pacific Service will be operated out of Rotterdam. I.M. Skaugen ASA announced that Skaugen PetroTrans (SPT), its 50 percent owned joint venture company, has appointed Per Voie as its President.

The 32m ferry Spirit of Portsmouth arrives in Portsmouth from Poland for fitout at VT Halmatic's Portchester Shipyard. The Camarc designed vessel will enter service in June 2005.

The 32m ferry Spirit of Portsmouth arrives in Portsmouth from Poland for fitout at VT Halmatic's Portchester Shipyard. The Camarc designed vessel will enter service in June 2005.

VT Halmatic said that Professor Bob Cripps, currently Engineering Manager at the RNLI, will be joining VT Halmatic as Technical Director as of May 9, 2005. Professor Cripps worked at Lloyds before moving to the RNLI and has extensive technical knowledge and experience of small craft and composite technology. The continuing challenge for technical excellence is essential to the VT Halmatic business plan. Professor Bob Cripps will lead the technical team supported by Dr Andrew Humphries, Marine Design Manager and Dr Robin Mableson, who heads up the Composite Technology Centre. The VT Composite Technology Centre (CTC) was formed in 2001 by the amalgamation of composite expertise from various divisions within the VT Group.

VT Halmatic will hand over the first of a new series of advanced rigid inflatable command boats to the French Marine Commandos next month. The first-of-class boat will undergo a rigorous evaluation before the customer gives the go-ahead for a further 19 of the 9.5 metre craft. The new craft are based on the Pacific 28, which is widely in service with the Royal Navy, but with features developed specifically for the French requirement. For example, the hull is a carbon composite. The new rigid inflatables will extend the capacity of the existing craft used by the French Marine Commandos and will provide improved performance, particularly in areas such as maritime assault, fire support, insertion and as a command and control platform.

VT Halmatic has launched a series of new fast patrol craft designs that are already attracting worldwide interest. The designs range from 16m. to 29m. and are versatile, multi-role platforms optimised for homeland security duties such as patrol, anti-terrorist, search and rescue, surveillance, Coastguard and Economic Exclusion Zone operations. The 29m. craft is based on a high speed planing hull form and is a successor to the Hawk Class 30m composite fast patrol boat sold to Jordan in the 1990s. It can be propelled by conventional shafts or water jets with speeds in excess of 40 knots depending on final specification. The hull is manufactured…

VT Halmatic launched a series of new fast patrol craft designs. The designs range from 16m to 29m and are designed to be versatile, multi-role platforms optimized for homeland security duties such as patrol, anti-terrorist, search and rescue, surveillance, Coastguard and Economic Exclusion Zone operations. The 29m craft is based on a high speed planing hull form and is a successor to the Hawk Class 30m composite fast patrol boat sold to Jordan in the 1990s. It can be propelled by conventional shafts or water jets with speeds in excess of 40 knots depending on final specification. The hull is manufactured from fiber reinforced plastic (composite) and is flexible enough to accommodate various outfit configurations and the boat can be fitted with a range of fire control and armament suites.

In a statement provided with the company's Preliminary Results , VT Group's chairman Michael Jeffries gave an indication of how the new shipbuilding venture between his company and BAE Systems would be structured. He said "We announced in December 2006 that we had entered into discussions with BAE Systems to combine our respective surface shipbuilding and naval support businesses, including Fleet Support Limited (FSL). The proposed consolidation is in line with the Defence Industrial Strategy and would create a world-class provider and strategic partner for the UK Government. He also confirmed VT Group's withdrawal from small commercial boatbuilding activities. Earlier the group announced that VT Halmatic would be restructured and would concentrate on the build of small military vessels.

According to The News, Portchester-based VT Halmatic has told workers that up to 130 of the 270 workforce could be made redundant. The business has been under threat for some months and has now announced it is to cut costs by making fewer types of boats and reducing the workforce. Letters have been sent out to the threatened workers which gives them options to apply for jobs elsewhere in the VT Group. Company officials said, following a decline in orders for some Ministry of Defense and commercial craft, we have undertaken a strategic review that will result in us exiting some product lines and restructuring the business. VT Group has been reviewing the Halmatic site in recent months.

Since its introduction to the VT Halmatic range in 1993 a considerable number of Nelson 42 Mk11s have been built as patrol boats. Operators of these boats include HM Customs and the Royal Gibraltar Police. VT Halmatic has also moulded many motor yacht versions and two pilot boats, for Venice and La Rochelle, which were fitted-out by yards in Italy and France. Due to the continued success of the venerable Nelson 40 VT Halmatic has designed a pilot boat based on the Nelson 42 Mk 11 hull. The customer for the first of class vessel are the Tenerife Pilots, who having admired a Nelson 42 patrol boat in service with Las Palmas Port Authority, chose the VT Halmatic Nelson 42 hull form over other options available from the VT Halmatic range.

VT Halmatic won an order to manufacture a Halmatic Nelson 29 pilot boat for the Port of Casablanca in Morocco. The new 9.22m semi-displacement craft will join Casablanca’s existing fleet of Halmatic Nelson 35 pilot boats. Power is provided by a single Volvo Penta TAMD 63L producing 172 bkW (235mhp) @ 2500 RPM driving conventional stern gear for a service speed of 17.5 knots. The hull and superstructure mouldings will be produced by VT Halmatic’s partner Seaward Marine on the Isle of Wight then the mouldings will be transferred to VT Halmatic’s Portchester Shipyard for fitout and trials. Delivery is due in the second quarter of 2006.

Having built over 200 aluminum RHIB's, Silver Ships, Inc. / AMBAR Marine, has grabbed a foothold in the design and construction of aluminum RHIB's - all of which are constructed in accordance with SOLAS regulations. The U.S. Coast Guard operates 90 AMBAR Marine Non-Standard RHIB's and the U.S. Navy Sea Systems Command operates 40 AMBAR Marine Special Service RHIB's. Silver Ships, Inc./AMBAR Marine constructs approximately 43 vessels per year, 80 percent of which are RHIB's while the remaining 20% have been Patrol/Security boats, and various work boats ranging from 23-48 ft. (7-14.6 m). Upon discovery, in 1966 following extensive R&D, Lanness McKee, Sr. uncovered the secret to the most rugged, unsinkable marine construction in the market.

Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Southampton and VT Halmatic have signed a marine services contract. VT Halmatic will provide a Fleet Contract Hire Scheme to ABP Southampton, one of the UK’s largest and busiest ports. ABP Southampton’s existing pilot, survey and patrol fleet comprising seven vessels will be procured by VT Halmatic and leased back on a fully supported contract for ten years, incorporating a six-vessel replacement programme. The first replacement vessels will be delivered to ABP’s Gosport Pilotage Station before the end of 2003 with further vessels coming on line over the duration of the contract. The new pilot cutters will be the well-proven Halmatic Nelson 48/50.

Two of VT Halmatic's new Optimized 35 Pilot Boats entered service with the pilots of La Coruna and Algeciras. Based at opposite ends of Spain's Atlantic Coast these 35's join a list of VT Halmatic pilot boats operating on the Iberian Peninsula and Canary Islands. The Optimized 35 features a new resiliently mounted wheelhouse offering increased comfort and visibility for the two man crew and up to four pilots. The isolated wheelhouse helps to reduce levels of noise and vibration from the machinery space. Equipment levels have been significantly improved from that found on the previous model. The boats are powered by twin Perkins Sabre M215C or Caterpillar 3056TA diesel engines to give a 20-knot top speed on a 9.5 ton displacement.

Estuary Warden a VT Halmatic Nelson 48/50 pilot boat has recently been delivered back to Estuary Services Ltd following a thorough mid-life refit at VT Halmatic’s Portchester Shipyard. The Pilot Cutter first entered service in 1992 and has been in continuous service ever since in the busy approaches to the Thames Estuary and Medway Ports. The craft was weighed and inclined pre-contract to ensure that design changes would not increase the VCG or change the LCG as Estuary Services Ltd were pleased with the sea keeping and handling of the craft. Weighing and inclining post re-fit confirmed that both all up weight and VCG had been reduced and sea trials confirmed the craft had retained its good sea keeping and handling characteristics.

VT Halmatic has recently secured an order for a Pacific 28 rigid inflatable boat (RIB) from the Metropolitan Police Service. The new boat will join the Metropolitan Police Services existing Pacific 24 RIBs and will be used to patrol the River Thames and its approaches. Already proven in service with the UK Ministry of Defence the powerful Pacific 28 is capable of operating in extreme conditions. Power will be provided by twin Yamaha marine diesels, to give an operational speed of over 40 knots.