Victoria Shipyards is ideally placed to increase its already bulging order book, says Joseph O’Rourke
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Victoria Shipyards, located on Canada’s Vancouver Island, is well placed to meet the winds of change that have spun around North America recently. The surprise election of Donald Trump and his fiery rhetoric leaves a question over many industries. However, given that Victoria sits at an ideal point for vessels working the Alaskan market, there is plenty to be positive about.
“The Canadian Navy remains our primary customer and they are beginning the process of fleet renewal and growth,” explains Joseph O’Rourke, the vice president and general manager of Victoria Shipyards. “However, we are getting more attention from US customers as the dollar remains strong and we continue to build our reputation of quality and delivery.”
The yard completed a fifth frigate modernisation last year, which was quickly followed by back-to-back cruise refurbishment projects on Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium and Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony. For the first time in its 95-year history, the yard also completed maintenance work on its graving dock, during which time the company continued work on its submarine progamme.
“The facility we occupy is publicly owned,” O’Rourke comments. “The government of Canada is in the process of making significant improvements to the shipyard including upgrading the utilities that will allow us to cold iron cruise vessels once completed. The pumping system of the dock has been completed. Most importantly, our main pier and the contaminated silt have been removed. Construction of the new pier should start this year and once the work is completed, our facility will enhance our ability to serve our customer base.”
Victoria’s bulging order book includes ferries, barges and other vessels, as well as five cruise ships that are due to come in for work over the next couple of years. O’Rourke expects that total to increase too. The Tote Midnight Sun came in for work in February and is the start of what O’Rourke hopes will be a leap into larger and larger contracts. So, what is the secret to the company’s success?
When one customer brought their ship to the yard, the story goes that he asked a technical representative how Victoria Shipyard would perform, as it was a time-intensive propulsion systems effort.
“The representative responded with a slow southern drawl and said ‘they take a bit longer than the shipyards in the gulf but they only have to do it once’,” O’Rourke explains. “The same customer who sent us most of his subsequent dockings believes our greatest strength is the skill and attitude of our workforce, a great complement to pay to our team. Overall, our customers come here due to our relentless focus on delivery and quality, our requirement to make each contract a team effort between the owner, yard and supporting contractors, and our honesty and trust we build with our customer base, suppliers, and external stakeholders.”