Gibdock News

Gibraltar ship repair yard Gibdock announced the appointment of John Barnard as its new Commercial Director.Barnard brings to the role over 15 years of experience in the shipbuilding and repair business, with a career marked by diverse roles, encompassing technical, commercial and production functions across both defense and commercial markets.A graduate from the University of Southampton with a Masters in Ship Science in 2008, Barnard began his career as a naval architect at Cammell Laird in the U.K.

Gibraltar ship repair and conversion yard Gibdock said it recently hosted the Vulica Shipping Company-owned bulk carrier Donald M James for a 30-day project which brought a first opportunity to work with a new type of coating from GIT Coatings (Graphite Innovation & Technologies Inc).The 229-eterm-long ship entered Gibdock’s No.1 Dock for extensive works, including renewal to cargo holds, piping, thrusters, tail shafts and rudders. The yard also applied shipping’s first antifouling…

Mediterranean shiprepair facility Gibdock reports it completed a two-vessel drydocking and maintenance and repair project for Shearwater GeoServices.The Gibraltar-based repair and conversion specialist worked on the seismic research vessels Oceanic Sirius, drydocked for 14 days in Dock 1, and SW Empress, which remained in Dock 2 for 26 days before being moved to South Mole for testing and sea trials.Built in 2011 and sailing under the Norwegian flag, the 12,550-gross tonnage Sirius measures 106 by 28 meters and features solid streamer for accurate data collection.

High levels of occupancy during the first two months of 2020 and strong forward bookings are sustaining momentum for Gibdock, following a surge in demand for the Gibraltar repair yard in the last quarter of 2019.One standout project involving significant complexity saw Gibdock undertake extensive repairs to Juvel at the end of 2019, after the Aker Biomarine fishing vessel suffered extensive fire damage off South America. Over several months, the 99.5-meter-long Juvel required retrofitting across four decks…

Gibraltar’s Gibdock shipyard has completed a major conversion project so that the Baleària ferry Napoles can operate using LNG as fuel. The 186m long Napoles, which has capacity for 1,600 passengers and 1,430 lane metres of cargo, is the first of five ships that Baleària plans to convert to dual fuel operations to comply with IMO sulphur cap regulations. Gibdock has already secured a contract to convert a second vessel, Sicilia, which is due to arrive at the yard later this year.Richard Beards…

Baleària has begun retrofitting its Nápoles ferry to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG)The ferry arrived at the  Gibdock shipyards for modification of the engines, and to install an LNG tank with the work expected to be completed by February 15.Thus, the two engines currently on the ship (MAN9L48/60) will become 9L51/60DF versions which are dual-fuel liquefied natural gas and diesel engines produced by the company MAN Energy Solutions. With this change in fuel, the ferry Nápoles is expected to reduce its CO2 emissions by 9…

Gibraltar-based Gibdock has been gearing up to meet increased shipowner demand for ballast water treatment system (BWTS) retrofits and has recently completed a complex BWTS retrofit on board the 179m, 34,500dwt bulk carrier Zambesi.The 2013-built, DNV GL classed vessel, owned by Hamburg-based John T. Essberger, arrived in Gibraltar on June 4 for a month-long overhaul program. The vessel departed the yard on July 5 with its new ballast water treatment installed and ready for commissioning, having spent 16 days in Gibdock’s No.

Gibdock has underlined its commitment to Occupational Health & Safety by becoming the first shipyard in the Mediterranean region, and one of the first companies worldwide, to achieve ISO 45001:2018 certification.An audit by LRQA completed on July 6 confirmed that the Gibraltar shipyard is fully compliant with the requirements of the new ISO standard, which was only published in March this year. ISO 45001:2018 replaces the previous standard, OHSAS 18001. Organizations certified to OHSAS 18001 have three years to migrate to the new standard before the old one is withdrawn in March 2021…

With owners required to respond to new rules on invasive species and emissions, Gibraltar-based Gibdock reports it is seeing a stronger than expected surge in interest in ballast water management system and exhaust gas scrubber work. Richard Beards, Managing Director of the Western Med’s gateway repair facility, attributes the upturn in inquiries to the yard’s enduring advantages of location, quality of work and on-schedule redelivery.“We have undertaken significant ballast water work over the last 18 months and in the first half of 2018 we have had more enquiries than ever before…

Gibdock said its Gibraltar yard has completed two projects recently  that demanded ships re-entry into service without delay. Returning customer Compagnie Maritime Nantaise (CMN) chose Gibdock’s facilities to carry an extensive package of work on its ro-ro container vessel, MN Calao, which spent 18 days in the yard last month, taking in its five-year classification survey. The 12,026 dwt, 160m long vessel, which was originally delivered by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in 2013, is a sister to the same owner’s MN Tangara, which was docked at Gibdock in June and July 2017. For MN Calao, Gibdock was tasked with carrying out an extensive and complex paint job, covering the underwater hull and the superstructure, including the funnel and mast areas, to return the vessel to ‘as new’ condition.

Over the course of a six-week period during the last quarter of 2017, three German containerships docked at Gibdock’s Gibraltar yard for repair work, highlighting the yard’s success in attracting German ship owners. The containership visits are part of an encouraging general upturn in activity at the Gibraltar yard in recent weeks, Gibdock said. “Business has been picking up and container vessel owners and operators have been attracted to the yard by our location, close to key trade lanes…

Gibraltar shipyard Gibdock said a surge in offshore vessel repair and maintenance work has included a special project for Norwegian offshore vessel owner and operator Solstad, to ensure that Normand Reach meets the hull cleanliness standards set by Australia’s National Biofouling Management Guidelines for commercial vessels. The 120.85-meter-long Solstad CSV entered the yard for a special wash and brush up on its way to Western Australia, where it has been reported as due to enter charter in the coming weeks to work in the Ichthys gas field development project.

A familiar cruise ship visitor has returned to Gibdock, with the Gibraltar yard undertaking exacting repair and renewal work on Thomson Majesty, the Thomson-operated luxury vessel owned by Louis Cruises. The project involved two weeks in Gibdock’s No. 1 dock for the 207m loa (41,000gt) vessel within a fixed schedule, after Thomson Majesty came off her summer port rotations, in preparation for her regular winter cruising duties. The vessel left the dock on November 18, before departing the yard on November 21.

Gibdock has redelivered the Seatruck Ferries container/ro-ro vessel Clipper Point on-time, after a fast turnaround 11-day renewal project for the Clipper Group-owned operator. The ship has subsequently been introduced to Seatrucks’ Irish Sea operations. Returning Gibdock customer Seatruck scheduled the 5,193dwt Clipper Point to arrive in the yard on September 18. The 142m long (23m beam) freight ferry left the yard after the job’s completion on September 30. The scope of the project included completion of her statutory classification surveys involving inspections of the hull…

Returning customers and a new client saw Gibdock prominent in the repair schedules of German ship managers in the first half of 2016, with sterling’s post Brexit depreciation also sharpening the Gibraltar yard’s competitive edge for the rest of the year. Seven German-owned or operated vessels have been repaired at Gibdock so far this year, including general cargo ships, container carriers, a reefer ship and a bulk carrier. With the exception of a first job for Bernhard Schulte, all projects have involved returning customers.

Simultaneous attention to four offshore support vessels at Gibdock demonstrates that the Gibraltar yard is now a regional hub for this specialized repair, maintenance and renewal work, operating as a base for mobilisation and de-mobilisation projects. Gibdock achieved its busiest month this year in the offshore market in June 2016, pressing home its strategic location and reputation for high quality, on-time redelivery, at a time when it is updating a series of management, safety and environment accreditations. Four offshore vessels were at Gibdock at the same time, highlighting its status as the ‘go to’ regional hub for OSV, seismic survey ship, dive support vessel, anchor handling tug supply ship, pipe layer and construction support vessel work, says Managing Director Richard Beards.

Gibraltar’s Gibdock shipyard has completed an extensive package of work on Solstad Shipping’s Normand Cutter. The 127m long, 10,979grt construction support vessel (CSV) left the yard on June 29th following a 22-day drydock programme, which included a comprehensive overhaul of its entire propulsion system. Norway-based Solstad has become a regular Gibdock customer, entrusting the yard with work on a number of high-tech offshore vessels over the past decade. The 2001-built Normand Cutter is in fact a repeat visitor to the yard, having previously docked at Gibdock in April 2011 for its last 5-year special survey. Gibdock managing director, Richard Beards, says: “We are delighted that such a well-respected, quality operator as Solstad has decided to come back to us once again.

Gibraltar’s Gibdock shipyard has completed its scope of work on Solstad Shipping’s Normand Cutter, a 127-meter-long, 10,979grt construction support vessel (CSV) that left the yard on June 29 following a 22-day drydock program, which included an overhaul of its entire propulsion system. According to Gibdock , torway-based Solstad has become a regular customer, entrusting the yard with work on a number of high-tech offshore vessels over the past decade. In fact the 2001-built Normand Cutter is a repeat visitor to the yard…

Greek ferry owners are stressing the importance of high quality, reliable ship repair partners in the Western Med in the first half of 2016, according to ship repair yard Gibdock  who says it has received two first time ship visits emphasizing the Gibraltar yard’s ability to meet contrasting ship renewal needs. The Hellas Seaways ro-pax vessel Nissos Chios and the Portucalence Shipping Company ferry Express Santorini were both in the Gibdock yard for the first time recently, the former undergoing a broad spectrum of scheduled repairs and the latter in for emergency structural renewal.

Gibdock's ro-ro and container ship repair work continues, following the drydocking of two con-ro vessels operated by Canadian shipowner, Oceanex. Oceanex provides intermodal transportation services to the Canadian Atlantic provinces of Labrador and Newfoundland. Gibraltar-based Gibdock was selected by St John’s, Newfoundland-based Oceanex to carry out wide-ranging work on the 2013-built, 1300 teu Oceanex Connaigra, and the 1977-built, 1125 teu capacity, Oceanex Sanderling. The 210m long…

Gibdock’s strategic location has been brought into sharp focus with the docking of HMS Scott, the largest vessel in the Royal Navy's Hydrographic Squadron, for a recent 19-day maintenance period at the Gibraltar yard. Work took place as part of the MOD UK’s Commercially Supported Shipping (CSS) Teams Through Life Support (TLS) contract with main contractor Babcock. The TLS contract, which runs to 2018, includes fleet time maintenance, design services and spares management. “Recent world events suggest that the Royal Navy will highly prize support from strategically-located facilities that can deliver vessels back into service on schedule and to high quality standards,” said Richard Beards, Gibdock Managing Director.

Gibdock was selected for the afloat mobilization of Seajacks Scylla, the largest and most advanced windfarm installation jack-up ever built. Following delivery to Seajacks by Samsung Heavy Industries at the end of 2015, Scylla was discharged to Gibraltar waters from the heavylift transporter Osprey before being towed into Gibdock for reactivation works at the yard’s South Mole. Seajacks Scylla completed reactivation in record time (five days) and departed for Great Yarmouth (UK) in preparation for starting her first contract with on the Veja Mate offshore windfarm in March…

A surge in bookings by new and repeat customers into the first two quarters of 2016 suggest the strong performance registered by Gibdock in 2015 will continue next year. The Gibraltar-based repair and conversion yard enters its customary busy ferry season buoyed by repeat business from owners of a variety of ship types, and the completion of its first exhaust gas scrubber installation project. Dock 1, Gibdock’s largest drydock, is already fully booked until the end of February 2016. Customers new to Gibdock in 2015 are returning. Peter Döhle Schiffahrts recently followed up on its inaugural docking of the 1,730TEU capacity containership Amanda by booking two more - Cecilia and Xian.