Gibdock completes busy start to the year

Some 35 vessels ranging across all types of commercial cargo ships, ferries and offshore vessels were served but cruise ships enter the drydock only occasionally. In recent times, the bulk of the cruise ships in the yard have been owned by Louis Cruises.

In November the 37,773 gt Thomson Destiny, which is on long term charter to Thomson Cruises, provided the latest example of the partnership between the owner and the yard.

The 214.88m long Thomson Destiny, built in 1982, entered Gibdock’s No.1 dock at the end of 2009 for her annual refit. The repairs undertaken on board were relatively routine and included hull bottom washing and painting, pipework, propeller polishing, tail shaft and rudder clearance, anchor cable calibration, turbocharger overhaul, and some steelwork on the sea chests and chain lockers.

Another major contract involved the conversion two platform supply vessels, owned by Solstad Offshore, as potable water and fuel oil carriers to service Brazil’s offshore rig market for Petrobras.

The four week project saw the 2006-built Normand Trym (3,326 dwt) in drydock and the 2008-built Normand Vibran (3,376 dwt) alongside at the Gibraltar yard, in order that mud tanks on each vessel could be converted to store 1,500m³ of fresh water storage, with other tanks converted for 800m³ of fuel oil carriage. The 74m long by 16m wide UT755 LN vessels are now operating in Brazilian waters.

In addition to the above work, Gibdock carried out Normand Trym’s scheduled dry-docking at the same time.