Edward P K Chew News

To many westerners the names Borneo and Sarawak conjure up images of jungle rivers and dugout canoes. While the jungle rivers remain, the dug out canoes have largely been replaced by modern steel ferries and tugs. The Malaysian province of Sarawak has gained considerable affluence over the past half century from its strong forest industry, but as is the case throughout much of the world, this is now in decline. But the forest industry created a maritime legacy in the many small shipyards that developed to build work boats for moving the logs and lumber to market. The skills and resources built up during the boom times in the forest industry have funded a number of newer shipyards and provided updated equipment to established yards.

Sarawak Slipways’ Executive Director for Production, Edward P. K. Chew, has 28 years in design and construction of new vessels since qualifying as a naval architect in the U.K. A good example of the sort of new vessel that meets that need for up-to-date technology is the ABS-classed 58-meter Offshore Utility Vessel on which the yard is beginning construction for Miri-based Bumi Armada Navigation Sdn. Bhd. With a 13.8-m beam and a 5.5-m molded depth, the vessel will have tankage for 500 cu. m. of ship’s fuel oil, an additional 800 cu. m. of cargo fuel oil as well as 300 cu. m. of fresh water. Accommodation for 40 men includes two single cabins for the captain and chief engineer and, five two-berth cabins, seven four berth cabins. Twelve of these berths are intended for the charterer’s use.