New Drydocking Solution from WSS

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) announced the launch of a new service for the ship repair market. The offer aims to streamline drydocking operations by allowing customers to take advantage of integrated ships agency, safety and equipment services from a single source.

Paul Rogers, WSS Commercial Director for North East Asia, says the service has been developed to create added value in the dry docking process by enabling owners to take advantage of trusted business relationships during drydock planning and execution.

This improves transparency and efficiency for the owner, whilst at the same time giving WSS customers the security of working with an agent they already know and trust. He said, “Drydocking is a critical component of a vessel’s lifecycle, but is one that is also expensive, complex, highly technical and prone to unforeseen complications. Planning for drydocking can take months and the process itself needs close day to day management. It therefore seems surprising that a shipowner will still hand over care of the vessel during drydocking to an agent they may not have worked with before.”

As well as providing dedicated ships agency during the drydock, WSS can coordinate supply of marine chemicals and safety services, handling of crew and personnel and management of any specialist services that may be beyond the yard’s capability.

WSS can also arrange all agency services necessary for the vessel’s departure, including administering the departure of the site team and crew, with all services provided through a single point of contact.

The offer leverages WSS’s existing relationships with shipowners and its established contacts with in-house technical departments, built up through the provision of shipboard chemicals, equipment and safety products to customers worldwide.

Rogers continued, “For an owner preparing to drydock, using an agent that they deal with every day makes a lot of sense from a commercial and operational point of view. Since the business relationship already exists, lines of communication, as well as administration and finance requirements are already in place. In addition, the ship owner can leverage synergies in terms of service supply.”

The offer has been developed following a period of intensive research by WSS and is the only drydocking service that offers customer access to a complete spectrum of agency, safety and maintenance services.

WSS safety products are always aligned with local regulations and Rogers points out that the WSS global network means owners can rely on consistent quality, availability and pricing;

“Ultimately, we are creating the conditions for a step-change, one that makes drydocking agency services more efficient and protects our owners; eliminating conflict of interest and enabling them to work with a partner they already know and trust.”

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