By
Alex Smith |
Wight Shipyard Company (WSC) has completed an annual refit for the Wightlink FastCat catamaran Wight Ryder 1 at the Trafalgar Shipyard in Portsmouth, UK.
The refit included the replacement of the starboard stern tube, skeg and liner. In addition, maintenance was carried out on the anchoring assembly and bow thruster, and modifications made to the hydraulic piping system to improve access for future maintenance tasks. Repairs were also made to the exhaust spray heads, non-destructive testing and repairs performed on sea water inlets, and works carried out on the propeller watertight seals and rudders, as well as the replacement of six square meters of hull plating that had degraded.
“We were impressed with the professionalism and attention to detail from the team from WSC,” said Chris Ancrum, fleet technician team leader for Wightlink. “Their engineers completed a variety of complex tasks with skill and finished the job on time and on budget. We are pleased to work with an island company to keep our FastCats in good condition.”
The construction of a new boat lift with capacity to lift a maximum weight of 260 tonnes in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, UK, in 2021 will allow repairs for larger ships like Wight Ryder 1 to be carried out on the island.
“This is another example of how British engineering is winning through, even in these challenging times,” said Jo Daly, chief operating officer of WSC. “Our team undertook the work with the professional approach that people expect from the WSC, delivering the project to the highest of standards both within the timeframe and to budget.”