Patchy workloads for repair businesses

East coast ship repairer Forgacs is close to confirming agency arrangements throughout Asia to position itself as a competitive alternative to yards in Singapore and Hong Kong. Forgacs joint managing director Peter Burgess said Asian based ship managers had shown a willingness to dock at an Australian facility and a rising base of clients that would normally use facilities in this region pointed to the cost and technical efficiency of Australian yards. Forgacs, which has facilities at Newcastle, Brisbane and Gladstone, provides regular docking and repairs for P&O Nedlloyd, The China Navigation Company, Fesco, Columbus Line, TL Shipping, BHP Billiton and Ofer Bros. Firm bookings for early 2002 include the docking of several cruise liners such as P&O Cruises (Australia)?s Pacific Sky and Club Mediterranean?s Paul Gauguin. Burgess said the company had experienced “patchy work loads” over the past six months and he anticipated this would continue in the immediate future. This trend of inconsistent work loads is also reflected in the repair divisions of Australian Defence Industries (ADI) and Tenix. ADI, a Transfield and Thales joint venture, has operated the Royal Australian Navy?s main repair and maintenance facility at Garden Island since 1989 and is driving a campaign to win more commercial work for its marine engineering business at Sydney. Recent commercial work includes the refurbishment of New South Wales State Transit?s four freshwater-class Manly ferries. Other work included the dry docking of the 3,950t Vampire, a former Royal Australian Navy daring-class destroyer which is now a floating exhibit at the National Maritime Museum in Sydney?s Darling Harbour. Tenix WA reported seasonal demand for repair work and anticipated the December-January summer period would bring a consistent work load in servicing the commercial fishing industry. Repair and refit work for luxury yachts is providing Northern Queensland yard NQEA with relief from the downturn in the ferry industry. NQEA executive director Mark Frye told The Motor Ship, the repair division, which had capacity for 60m vessels at its dry dock and could moor vessels up to 80m, was consistently busy.