BC Shipbuilding & Ship Repair Board: Workforce Strategy Document
The B.C. Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Board (SSRB) announce the release of its workforce development strategy document for the B.C. shipbuilding and ship repair industry: 'Towards 2020: A BC Shipbuilding & Ship Repair Industry Workforce Strategy' is intended to inform and guide public and private investments in future labour market development initiatives over the next decade. It is forecast that throughout the next ten years alone, B.C. employers will need more than 4,000 skilled…
Canadian Tugboat Industry Conference Judged a Success
The 20th BC Tugboat Industry Conference was held May 23-25, 2013 in Victoria, BC. According to BC Shipping News, in addition to a retrospective of the industry – including presentations from Allan Fowlis (retired, Seaspan) who gave personal insights into the industry in its characters, and Leo Stradiotti (North Arm Transportation) who presented a pictoral of BC tugs from old to new – speakers such as Robert G.Allan (Robert Allan Ltd.), Fred Denning (BC Coast Pilots Ltd.), Malcolm McLaren (Allied Shipbuilders) and Frans Tjallingii (SMIT Marine Canada) each provided a unique perspective on aspects of the industry from technological developments to the relationship to pilots to towage and salvage in the international arena.
VPA Welcomes First Patrol Boat in 10 Years
Allied Shipbuilders of North Vancouver, B.C. delivered the new patrol vessel Takaya to Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) – its first new patrol vessel in 10 years. The vessel’s namesake is attributed to the First Nations people who inhabit Burrard Inlet. Designed by Robert Allan, Naval Architects of Vancouver, under the direction of Hans Muhlert, the new vessel is representative of an investment ensuring that the VPA is able to offer the utmost in services to its clients on an ongoing 24-hour a day basis. Equipped to handle the VPA’s normal duties of inspecting ships calling in the Port, as well as pollution response, the vessel will have search and rescue, and VIP harbor tour capacities.
Feature: The ISPS Code
John Riding, director of Marico Marine, speaking at Ship Repair & Conversion in London, presents a rosy picture for the future of ship repair by pointing out that freight rates have not been so high for years and some owners, such as bulk carrier operators are enjoying a rare opportunity to seriously invest in maintenance. The busy state of building yards means that "keeping an older vessel in service longer has great commercial attraction," said Riding. He believes that some repair yards have the potential to make a return for the first time in a long time. However, there is a fly in the ointment in the form of the ISPS Code. The code as has implementation date of July 2004 and applies to all passenger ships…
MV Kuper to Start Service Next Month
BC Ferries invited local community leaders onboard the MV Kuper for a special ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome the new BC Ferries vessel to the communities of Chemainus, Thetis and Kuper Islands. The MV Kuper has a very unique history. The hull of the new vessel is comprised from the original structure from the MV John Atlantic Burr, which BC Ferries purchased in 2005 from the State of Utah Transportation Department. That ship was cut into major sections and transported to Tacoma, Washington. These sections were then barged up to Allied Shipbuilders in North Vancouver, where the vessel was rebuilt into the MV Kuper. Highlights of this major rebuild work included…
Western Marine Works to Supply Trio of Shipsets
Western Marine Works, a division of North Vancouver-based Allied Shipbuilders, was granted the contract to supply three shipsets of tow pin units for new Crowley tugs. The tugs, built by Dakota Creek Industries are fitted with the newly-designed tow pins measuring a 16 in. diameter x 16 in. rise pin. The greater-sized pins were developed to suit the needs of a new generation of ship berthing, tanker escort tugs.
