Gibdock Strengthens Position with German Owners
Gibraltar ship repair yard Gibdock said it is strengthening its impact within the German ship owning market. Working in partnership with its local agent, Hamburg-based Combitrade, the yard has managed to win a significant amount of business from some of the country’s shipowners and managers.
Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG recently chose Gibdock to work on one of its 1,730 teu capacity geared containerships.
John Taylor, Gibdock operations director, said, “In many respects this was a routine drydocking, but the hatch cover work in particular was quite time consuming and there was only a tight time window for us to complete all the various tasks required by Peter Döhle. Our team rose to the challenge and redelivered the vessel back to service on schedule.”
Peter Döhle selected Gibdock for this work partly because of its strategic location, which meant the ship could be docked at the yard without deviation before returning to its trade rotation.
Timo Schultze, Combitrade manager, said, “The most important issue for the owner was that the repairs to the ship should not be delayed, as the vessel had to catch the next charter. This meant that the whole project was very time critical, especially because of the extensive works to the hatch covers.”
Schultze explained that Gibdock’s reputation within the market for delivering on time also played a role in persuading Peter Döhle to rely on the yard. Budgetary factors were also an influential consideration, Schultze said.
“This is another of Gibdock’s strong points - keeping to the budget without hidden costs in the quotation,” Schultze explains said. “This is particularly important at a time when charter rates are still low, and unforeseen expenses are difficult to accommodate.”
Combitrade believes Peter Döhle will return again, based on its positive experience with this latest project, as will other German shipping companies. Schultze concluded, “The best proof of the quality and the reliability of a yard are its repeat clients, and Gibdock has a number in Germany.”