By
Rebecca Gibson |
German shipyard Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven kicked off what is to be a busy 2014 with two offshore conversions and construction of a 190m pipe laying vessel. However, passenger vessels have not been ignored – the company has already taken bookings for a number of passenger ship repair, maintenance and conversion projects, including work on Explorer, Semester at Sea’s 180m, 24,300gt floating university.
“We’re currently occupied with two big offshore conversions and a newbuild, but over the next few months we expect our activity around passenger shipping to ramp up,” says Lloyd Werft executive board member Rüdiger Pallentin. “We always have interesting projects in the pipeline. Work on Explorer, for example, will keep us occupied in May. We also have a number of other cruise ship maintenance and conversion projects in the pipeline for the latter half of 2014.”
The former cruise liner Explorer is expected to dock at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven from 4-16 May for routine classification work, structural and engine plant repairs, as well as a number of refurbishments above and below deck. It has been sailing the seas as a floating university since 2004 when it was taken over by the Institute for Shipboard Education at the University of Chicago in Charlottesville, US, with the support and partnership of the universities of Pittsburgh and Colorado, as well as Chapman University. Complete with a students union, wireless internet, library, lecture rooms and many other amenities that you’d expect to find on a land-based campus, the ship carries 836 passengers and 360 crew members, and hosts more than 2,000 students each year.
As Pallentin explains, in 12 days Lloyd Werft will carry out a long list of repair and maintenance works to Explorer, including steel repairs to superstructures and tanks, repairs to equipment pipework systems over seven decks, ventilation plant repairs, an overhaul of the sea cocks, and rudder and propeller work. “We will also handle tank cleaning and conservation, and revamp the gearing plant,” he says. “Of particular importance though is the work that our specialists will carry out on the vessel’s fresh water system, which has had many problems in recent years that we hope to fix.”
There will also be work for Lloyd Werft to do in the passenger areas. New tiles will be laid, carpets in the public areas will be replaced and the ship’s Bolidt floor coverings are also due to be renewed. Finally, when all work is complete, heeling tests will be carried out at the yard’s fitting-out quay.
With interesting projects like this on the books, Lloyd Werft is proving why it remains a top partner of choice for repairs, conversions, modernisations and newbuilds for many leading cruise lines. “We’ve built our reputation on delivering first-class, quality work, having experienced workers and respecting deadlines, no matter how tight the timeframes are,” says Pallentin.
This article appeared in the Spring/Summer 2014 edition of International Cruise & Ferry Review. To read other articles, you can subscribe to the magazine in printed or digital formats.