River Dee News

'Ciudad de Cadiz' blown off the berth to ground near Mostyn Harbour on the Salisbury Bank, River Dee in North Wales. The vessel had been berthed alongside in Mostyn Harbour when the mooring lines parted in 60 knot winds. She then drifted onto a sandbank. Another attempt to free the ship will be made at the next high tide. "We are closely monitoring the situation, but as there is no evidence of damage to the hull, the risk of pollution is very low," added Mr. Shaw.

Aberdeen Harbor has welcomed the largest ever vessel to the port after the completion of a £5.2 million program to improve access and deepen the Navigation Channel. The improvements – designed to open the harbor to larger vessels and new markets – were completed five weeks ahead of schedule. The two recent visits of the diving support vessel, Skandi Arctic, were perfect demonstrations that the harbor has entered a new era. Measuring 27 metres in breadth and 156 metres in length…

The first phase of a multi-million pound redevelopment project of Aberdeen Harbor’s Torry Quay has been completed. A project milestone, it was marked by the vessel Skandi Foula, which docked at the quay before loading cargo destined for a North Sea installation. The vessel is the first to have used the new facilities, which include 300 meters of realigned, deep water berths, a stronger quayside for heavier lifts, and a wider channel in the River Dee, designed to facilitate improved vessel navigation. These features are the result of an initial £19million investment by the Aberdeen Harbor Board. “There is a growing trend for increasingly large, deep-drafted vessels.” Said Ken Reilly, engineering director of Aberdeen Harbor.

Drydock planning is always difficult, and shipyards have to show a great deal of flexibility to their customer’s requirements when it comes to meeting essential redelivery schedules. This is particularly relevant in River Dee Shiprepairers, Aberdeen, part of the A&P Group, where only one graving dock (112.80 m x 21.33 m) is in operation. The yard is currently carrying out an eight day general repair to Gulf Offshore’s OSV (Offshore Supply Vessel) Highland Warrior, work including removal and inspection of the vessel’s two tailshafts; HP washing of the hull and painting with International’s Interspeed. When the repair to the Highland Warrior is complete, another OSV is due to enter the drydock – North Star Shipping’s Grampian Highlander, work also to include tailshaft removal and repair.

Since being taken-over in July by A&P Group, the drydock facility in Aberdeen has enjoyed a busy Summer period with a number of vessels undergoing repairs. The shipyard, which has been renamed River Dee Ship Repairers, has extensive workshops and craneage and is an ideal drydocking location for vessels trading in and around the UK East Coast and the North Sea. Vessels drydocked most recently include P&O North Sea Ferries 6,350 grt passenger/car ferry St. Sunniva, which arrived on 5th July for a two-day emergency docking and the 2,042 grt offshore supply vessel Smit Lloyd Fortune from Stirling Shipmanagement, which also arrived for a short emergency docking.

"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 .

The A&P Group has announced the opening of recently acquired facilities. In addition to their existing dry docks in Tyne, Falmouth and Southampton, the Group has purchased and opened facilities in Aberdeen, Birkenhead and Hebburn (Tyne), increasing the total number of dry docks from eight to fourteen. The ship repair, conversion and marine services company whose head office is in Southampton, believe that this expansion in the UK will offer their customers a greater choice when dry docking in Northern Europe, with minimal deviation and the degree of flexibility that owners and operators demand from ship repair yards. The Aberdeen based River Dee Ship Repairers has a 43 x 69 ft. dock and modern workshops and is well situated for North Sea Offshore Vessels.

Aberdeen’s River Dee Shiprepairers, part of the A&P Group, has won a second drydocking contract from BP Oil following the successful completion of the scheduled repair to the 2,734 dwt coastal tanker Border Jouster. River Dee initially quoted for the repair of the Border Jouster but were then asked to make it a two-ship deal; involving the 2,257 dwt Border Warrior. Work on the Border Jouster, which arrived in Aberdeen on May 13th, included overhaul of the main engine and auxiliary engine room equipment, tailshaft and underwater valves, refurbishment of the cargo pumps and the boiler unit, and washing and painting the ship’s hull. The tanker has now passed sea trials and will go back into service by May 29th.