Aberdeen Up and Running

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. Later in July, the 2,900 dwt offshore supply vessel Torm Heron arrived in the Aberdeen shipyard for a scheduled drydocking and repair programme. Work undertaken on the vessel included extensive survey and maintenance work, main engine overhaul, tail shaft removal and hull blasting and painting. The owners of this vessel, Gulf Offshore, have been regular clients of the shipyard and A&P were pleased to be able to offer them continuity of a high quality service as River Dee Ship Repairers. During August, the yard completed a successful drydock and repair programme onboard the 4,440 dwt lpg carrier Tarquin Mariner, which arrived for a sale docking having been purchased by Denmark’s Lauritzen Kosan from the vessels original owners, Tarquin Gas Carriers. The vessel underwent various repairs involving hull blasting and painting, including a change of livery, main engine overhaul, and repairs to main engine flywheel, lifeboat davit repairs and testing, and various tank steelwork repairs. Ships stemmed at River Dee Ship Repairers for the immediate future include North Star Shipping’s 576 grt offshore supply vessel Grampian Monarch, and the 3,040 grt inter-island passenger/car ferry Hebridean Isles, which represents the fourth Caledonian MacBrayne vessel to be repaired by the shipyard during this year. River Dee’s Director and General Manager, John Allan commented: “Ideally situated in Aberdeen; the European Oil Capital, we are strategically placed to offer the North Sea Standby and Supply vessel operators a convenient drydock facility, this complemented with the Group’s A&P Tyne facility gives vessel owners the flexibility to ensure that their requirements can be met on short notice.”