Mersey Ferries News

U.K. shipbuilder Cammell Laird has been awarded a contract to construct the first new Mersey ferry in 60 years.The Birkenhead facility, part of the APCL group, signed a deal with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to design and build the vessel on-site for a target delivery date of the end of 2025.The ferry will feature Azi-pull propeller system for reduced fuel usage, along with a diesel-electric hybrid-ready propulsion system – with potential for future conversion to full electric propulsion at a later date.

British shipyard Cammell Laird will has announced at the Nor-Shipping trade fair in Oslo ambitious plans to disrupt the new-build ferry market with a new specially designed Ro-Pax ferry.Liverpool City Region based Cammell Laird is releasing a sneak picture preview  of the commercial sensitive design ahead of a formal launch later this year and will be briefing prospective customers on the design at its stand.Cammell Laird’s project director Andy Askham said the company believes its innovative…

British shipyard and engineering company Cammell Laird said it plans to unleash an “aggressive exports drive” in 2017 after one of its busiest years for commercial marine work, which saw it land the biggest shipbuilding project in the U.K. for a generation. Cammell Laird CEO John Syvret said the winning of the £150 million contract to build the Sir David Attenborough polar research vessel for the U.K. Government “threw open” a new global market to build a range of high value polar vessels from research to cruise ships.

Birkenhead based SeaKing Electrical has been appointed to a four-year framework agreement for Mersey Ferries. The maritime firm, which has supported the ferry fleet for many years, has been formally accepted onto the marine engineering consultants framework for Mersey Ferries until 2019. SeaKing Electrical managing director Dave Gillam said the business will offer a complete maintenance and support package for the entire fleet – including the Snowdrop, which was recently repainted in the dazzle design of British pop artist Sir Peter Blake.

Birkenhead shipyard and engineering services company Cammell Laird said it has developed an advanced shipyard environmental package for ferries, following its strongest year of trading in the sector. Cammell Laird said it has docked 24 ferries between 2013 and the beginning of 2014 and, in addition, has carried out a further 24 afloat repairs for ferry operators. During 2013 Cammell Laird repaired, built and converted almost 250,000 gross tons of ferry and Ro-Ro ships for a wide range of owners. Already in 2014 it has docked and repaired ferries of 150,000 gross tons.

Around 250 passengers and crew were stranded on ferries in the River Mersey in northern England after a huge unexploded bomb was spotted, the U.K. coastguard said. The 500 pound bomb, dating from World War Two, was found by the British Royal Navy near Twelve Quays in Liverpool shortly before midnight on May 15. Two ferries, the Mersey Viking and Dublin Viking, bringing passengers from Belfast and Dublin across the Irish Sea, were forced to remain at sea May 16 while the explosive was dealt with, the coastguard said. One of the ferries had been stuck since before 4 a.m., a spokesman said. The device was also only 300 meters from a road tunnel linking Liverpool to Birkenhead under the Mersey. The tunnel was closed by police while the bomb was being dealt with.

"Ship repair in the U.K. is looking positive for 2003" say the A&P Group, who has confirmed that all 14 of their dry docks are full with various vessels under repair, refit and conversion. A&P Tyne is currently hosting a number of ships including Stirling Shipmanagement's 2,270dwt offshore supply vessel Putford Enterprise, the 2,067dwt offshore supply vessel Pacific Banner owned by Swire Pacific Offshore, Boyd Line's 1,621grt Arctic Warrior and P&O Ferries' 20,446grt PO Kent. Across the river at A&P Tyne's Hebburn facility is Technip Offshore's 9,158grt diving support vessel CSO Wellservicer, which is due to leave the dry dock on January 12 .

A&P Group's newly reopened dry dock facility, A&P Birkenhead, has recently completed the dry docking and repairs of Mersey Ferries' 464grt passenger ferry Woodchurch. The Woodchurch is the first of three vessels booked into the yard by Mersey Ferries Ltd, the Passenger Transport Authority and Executive for Merseyside. The three ship contract was won in open competition against other UK ship repairers. The two other ferries, the 303grt Royal Daffodil and her sistership Royal Iris will be dry docked during January and March 2003 respectively. The work content for all three vessels includes general maintenance, minor steel repairs and cleaning and painting the ships hull. Martyn Drye, General Manager of A&P Birkenhead said "We are delighted to have won this important contract.