Member Info for Si_Derman

Oh, that's odd. Thanks.

Not more free parking, like the Azura? ;)

Okay, K, that's better. Not just the Bare Necessities. As clues go, that is good enough. lol :)

Can't read reponses as it just goes to the sign up page for LinkedIn.

"Ready for her huge renovation project!"

"Staff - you can see my office on your pics. See you at the meeting", Glen from Dockspec.

https://dockspec.com/

A Film shoot? :)

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/colin-boles-095b9384_some-of-our-rotos-under-the-harland-and-wolff-activity-7151968470794981377-DNa7?trk=public_profile

I don't know, and quite happy to be proved wrong, but I still don't think the company has the experince, thus far, to head up this kind of refurbishment opperation other than providing a venue. Very easy to speculate without any clear guidance from anyone actually involved. If all Graham Couser, the Director of Cruise and Ferry, had to say was that they are offering support and assitance, then I think anything else would be a bonus. Did we get anything announcing this as a major project? Before or since. Something that could be hailed as the first step in establishing this long touted "centre of excellence". Other than a few tweets or LinkedIn posts expressing a vauge hope than by hosting the vessel it might attract others.

In early December it was posted in the cruise press that the vessel was, " Currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation in Italy. I've read of other refurbs where they chuck getting close to a thousand skilled and experienced professional at these projects and can turn them around in about a month. Was that work finished, interupted or even started?

So far, we can only guess.

Without an abundance of good news of late you would think they would have been shouting about it from the top of the cranes rather than letting shareholders find out about in the press. Again. Even the yards involvement had only been used as another distraction to still not getting the finances over the line it would have been something. No, it's yet another lackluster response from the company and their new PR team.

As such, I shall treat it accordingly and be pleasantly surprised if i'm wrong. Great as it is to speculate.

Stokey, I'm guessing you are talking about the actual dock gate for the BBD that's been moved to the OQ. Standard practice to float it over to the commissioning quay when not being used. I think the dates always seem to be the first and last day of the year, regardless.

https://www.geograph.ie/photo/7003958

Re: politicians. Indeed. :)

Thanks both.

Yeah, saw that K. Just seems like one of those articles that has all the same info in a slightly different order and nothing really new. afaics. :)

Interesting BT. So obviously they can carry on wet docking vessels in the meantime as long as there is enough clearance over the blocks. But what about drydocking something else? I thought that the keel blocks placement were very vessel specific and wouldn't work for any other vessel.

PS. Wish they would just put a webcam high up on one of the cranes.

Seems you can't please everyone. Same issues about work being carried out abroad as some here complained about Navantia being involved in the FSS work. The fact that they don't have the capacity seems to be ignored.

https://vocm.com/2024/01/10/energy-minister-fires-back-at-pc-concerns-over-searose-fpso-refit-abroad/

I've been constantly monitoring the SeaRose by various vessel tracking sites to see if she has started the voyage over to NI. But, as far as they all report, she is still on station at the White Rose field. But, as the AIS data dosen't seem to get updated it is out of date. Would have thought that they will have to start the journey very soon if the comencement of work is still scheduled as advertised. I hoped that any movement off station would update the AIS data and give prior warning of its arrival.

Now I assumed that she would have taken up the same dock as the last time she visited Belfast 12 years ago. That being the Belfast Dry Dock, or BDD. If so, that would require that the dock is drained and out of action some time beforehand for the laying of the supporting keel blocks. The sheer amount needed, the spacing and precise location being critical to a succesful docking . If the SeaRose is going to be taking up the BDD very soon and for the next few months. As Stokey pointed out earlier the Islander's dimensions and that of the drydocks at Belfast could be the reason for the visit. Only issue I can see is that it would be a very tight fit to use the building dock in regard of the draught of the vessel. The MAS Islander is currently showing a draught of 8.1m and the depth over the sill of the building dock is only 8.41m MHWS (mean high water spring). That's only about 300mm (12") clearance, ignoring for any beneficial tidal changes. The BDD would be no problem as it is over 12m over the sill but then the SeaRose's draught is reported to be 12.5m. That may be due to being laden. But regardless, due to it's draught, the Searose can't go into the Building dock and keep the Belfast dock free. So, if the MAS Islander is going to need actual drydocking and not just mooring then it would have to be done very quickly before the SeaRose arrives.

Just my take on the situation as I see it.

Interesting angle.

I regonised some previous visitors to the Yard on that list. Noteably Viking Star, Sea and Sky.

Nice pics of here arrival posted here.

https://www.pstew.co.uk/shipphotos/masislander.html

If you zoom in on the bottom pic you can see the Sarah Grey astern, waiting to take the latest barge.

Let's "hope" the Islander brings all the boats to the yards,

Cos' our support is better than yours,

Damn right, it's better than yours,

We can assist you, but we'd have to charge.

;)

"Offering support and assisting in any way we can" doesn't quite sound like they are heading up the work.

Would've been better to leave those phrases out.

Probably the reason for no RNS on the docking.

Sorry BT. I'm really not having a go at you. The crane and basic research thing was just a bit of banter and more aimed at others tbh. From what I could see there just seems to be a mis-comunication going on.

If I am getting what you are saying. You are talking about the SSC and it's staff that will transfer over to it's new vessels from their existing ones once they are in service. I, and I think K, was talking about new hires for the H&W ferry.

Is Steve Stuart's brother? ;)

If you haven't already found and read it, the letter from Lord Berkeley to Robert Courts MP from a few years ago has some interesting opinions on the ferry service.

https://tonyberkeley.co.uk/index_htm_files/fs210622%20to%20Robert%20Court%20MP%20in%20levelling%20up.pdf

Think I'll just stick to using K. Soz. :)

Oh, and that other thing.

"This group page has been established to provide a focal point for all things related to the Isles of Scilly Air & Transport links due to the current state of affairs, none of which really need any introduction or explanation.

We are here to provide options and solution's 'if required' that DO NOT need access to funding from the LUF (level up funding) in order to proceed.

The admins and associates have relevant industry experience at exec level from running airlines and ferries and feel that the Isles of Scilly residents do have alternative options available to them 'if required' for an alternative community owned service.

NB: We are not Harland & Wolff staff nor Steamship group - but we are regulars to the islands and we have been for many, many years.

Our intent to form this group is primarily focused on providing the islanders and the businesses with a coherent path to deliver on exactly what their needs are, at a price, schedule and frequency that works by consensus - islanders for islanders!

There is no silver bullet and you cannot please everyone but you can get collective agreement eventually and islanders are masters at being adaptable and pragmatic, so it will be made to work, especially as it would be community owned!

This group also needs to support tourists as they are very important to the islands GDP.

Local knowledge is invaluable when things go wrong and residents are generally very helpful with their input and engagement - after all, without tourism the islands would be in a terrible situation!

The focus and ambition of this group is to provide the islanders with coordination and capability through subject matter knowledge and local experience to enable - 'if required' - a service, schedule and pricing option that might be more palatable than what the future holds based on the prior declaration of prices going up to pay for the new ships, along with strikes and breakdowns until they finally arrive... Deep joy! (Sigh)

The sensible path to take would be to engage with the steamship group when a consensus is reached with the residents - but there is no guarantee at all they will sit round the table - or agree to anything, based on the recent IPA pilots publication of the meeting summary.

Just wanted to clarify and confirm our intentions for setting up this page:

**We are not interested in any commercial gain from this route

**We are not a shipbuilder

**We are not a shipyard

We are just a group of skilled and capable aviation and shipping professionals that love or live in the Islands and have a vested interest in maintaining sensible transport links to the islands, and feel that it is time you started singing off of your own hymn sheet instead of someone else’s!

ANY opportunity the islands has to create to an alternative can ONLY be achieved by creating a Community Interest Company or Bencom and this must be controlled by the Islanders for the isla

Somehow you seem to be agreeing and disagreeing with each other at the same time and over the same thing. :)

Staffing of current ship and service by the SSC

BT, "Since they have continued to recruit staff ..." (Yes, for for the 2024 season. )

K, "The staff are for current operations..." ( So, for the 2024 season )

BT, "The staff are for future operations..." ( Yes, the near future. The 2024 season)

K, "Yes but for existing ops next season..." (Again yes.Existing and next are both the 2024 season.)

Jobs for seasonal stewards for Scillonian III and SSC quay hands are currently on indeed dot com, fwiw

Staffing of New vessels.

K, "... unless I've overlooked/ missed something. If there has been recruitment that is for the new vessels then please point me in the right direction."

BT, "That’s just silly..." (Not sure which bit was silly)

I haven't seen any adverts for staffing of the new H&W fast cat as yet either.

Appointment of a NED.

BT, "... are looking for a local NED."

K, " ... the appt of a NED does nothing to assist in determining if the contract will be signed imo."

BT, "... the appointment of a local NED suggests intent..."

K, " "

Bt, "... it shows intent to continue operations "

Yes, there is no question of the SSC's intent to carry on as normal, for now. The hiring of a new and local NED is something the BoD oviously feel is required. Not gone down too well with some islanders that feel the SSC has lost touch and this is a token gesture or too little, too late. Especially now that other entities are offering an alternative. Regardless, as Karen says, getting a new NED won't help with getting their contract over the line. Unless.....

Fwiw, someone close to me is waiting on a couple of second round interviews with a couple European based companies and was told by the recruitement company that after the holiday break European companies only get back into full swing a week later than the UK. Something and nothing, maybe. Just sayin' :)

What if a third interested party joined the fray?

Hmm? ;)

Drydocking is expensive so I'm sure they would maximise the chance to do any periodic or scheduled maintenance work that is required below the waterline. Obviously there is the change of ownership and so the requirement of a fancy new paint job. Combination of the two would fall into the remit of H&W.

All proposed internal work, that I have seen, points to work that could be carried out by normal wetdocking. So likely to be done in Belfast "AT" H&W rather than "BY" H&W.

I know that, hanging on in quiet desperation, has become the Quadrise way. But feck me the frustration never gets any easier of time, does it? :)

Doubly frustrating as one sits and watches both gains dwindle away, and missed opportunities elsewhere increase, day after day. Then the days become weeks..... ... big sigh.

Yeah. Barges usually get taken to somewhere around the Gravesend / Tilbury stretch of the Thames.