All aboard the

WIGHT SHIPYARD CO I PROFILE

All aboard the exhilarating

As a powerhouse of the fast ferry sector, Wight Shipyard Co is pretty much an unstoppable force at the moment. A key merger, investment, new projects, and a Queen’s Award for Export are propelling the company ever forward. By Andy Probert.

Wight Shipyard Co (WSC) continues to rapidly move at full bore through an ever-changing business landscape. While 2021 was historic, 2022 will prove highly influential in taking this dynamic company to new heights.

Britain’s leading and one of Europe’s foremost high-speed craft and aluminium shipbuilders is looking to the future with even greater confidence, following a recent merger with French-based multinational shipbuilder OCEA.

The deal will see the Isle of Wight concern grow in size, capitalise on the fast ferry and offshore renewable markets, and provide significant employment opportunities at its historic shipyard in East Cowes.

Transformational deal

Reflecting on the merger, WSC’s Founding Member Peter Morton emphasised: “This is a transformational deal for WSC and the Isle of Wight, confirming the resurgence of the UK’s shipbuilding industry.

“We have been working with OCEA on several projects, and it was clear from the outset we complemented each other in skills and experience. Going forward, both companies can benefit from the synergies and opportunities that this deal presents.

“We have enjoyed a first-class working relationship with OCEA to produce vessels and solutions to the highest standards, pushing the boundaries of fuel efficiency, the environment and modern shipbuilding practices.”

WSC has rapidly built a considerable reputation in the fast-ferry market, selling its high-tech, environmentally friendly vessels domestically and internationally.

Based at Les Sables d’Olonne, OCEA is an innovator in the aluminium vessel market with high quality builds for maritime security, passenger vessels, multipurpose workboats, transoceanic yachts and hydrographic research markets.

Employing over 500 skilled operators at facilities in France, the Caribbean and the Philippines, the strength of OCEA’s international export market has driven its multinational expansion.

Both companies have complementary expertise in supporting the offshore renewable energy sector. Together, they will produce a global aluminium shipbuilding operation with an order book that offers business security and sustainability into the future.

Following the merger, the group will share resources whilst operations in East Cowes will ramp up significantly, helping the Isle of Wight to ‘level up’ with the creation of much-needed employment opportunities.

Mr Morton said: “For East Cowes and the Isle of Wight, this is a step-change regarding future employment and security for the WSC team. We will be able to bring in more high-skilled shipbuilders and technicians and provide career pathways all through the production chain. It is transformational for East Cowes as the epicentre of aluminium shipbuilding in the UK.”

Queen’s Award

The merger follows WSC receiving a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in 2021. The award recognised the company’s outstanding short-term growth in the export market. Around 50% of WSC’s revenue is generated from exports.

Mr Morton said: “We are delighted to accept this prestigious award on behalf of everyone at the yard, who are very much part of the re-birth of the British shipbuilding industry.”

WSC was borne out of restoring Shemara, a classic gentleman’s motor cruiser for Sir Charles Dunstone, one of the country’s leading entrepreneurs and whose family office is the main backer of the yard. Following a three-year, one million man-hour project to restore the magnificent motor yacht, the business has grown exponentially. It acquired the repair and marine engineering business Southampton Marine Services (SMS).

Rebranded as Wight Shipyard Co, WSC focused on the construction and refit of fast ferries and aluminium vessels, and SMS on steel vessel construction and motor yacht restoration.

Project success

Following that project’s successful completion, discussions began with owners of Red Funnel about the construction of the new Red Jet fleet of fast catamarans servicing the Isle of Wight.

Red Jet 6, a 275-passenger hi-speed catamaran for Red Funnel’s Isle of Wight–Southampton service, marked Britain’s first high-speed ferry construction for 16 years. With ground-breaking levels of reliability, safety and passenger comfort, Red Jet 6 was a game-changer for the shipyard.

Orders quickly followed for two Thames Clippers, with the yard proving its capabilities in a high-tech aluminium construction. The operators of the four million passenger commuter and tourist river bus service in London provided it with more work, with an order to refit three river ferries.

Clippers returned to the newly-styled WSC with a £6.3 million order for two new 170-capacity passenger boats, the largest fast passenger ferry deal for a British shipyard in more than 25 years.

SCANIA GB LTD

We are pleased to see one of our long-serving partner’s efforts being deservedly recognised.

Scania’s association with Wight Shipyard Company goes back many years and covers numerous different projects. We’ve worked collaboratively on many wonderous vessels, turning them from a blueprint into a reality, including the Twin City Liner.

And our story won’t end there. We’re just at the beginning. The future has many exciting projects on the horizon, whether it’s focused on being more sustainable, or transitioning towards a cleaner future with modern hybrid and electric powertrains.

We can’t wait to see what the next chapter of this story will be.

WIGHT SHIPYARD CO I PROFILE

Additional orders have included two 37m high-speed ferries for Mexico’s largest ferry operator, Ultramar, a 40m vessel for Austria, four vessels for Malta, and a 39m 250-passenger speed river catamaran for services on the Danube between Vienna and Bratislava.

Strongest order pipeline

Commissions continued to roll in for WSC with Red Funnel’s second 41m high-speed passenger ferry, Red Jet 7, becoming one of the greenest ships in its fleet, while Scotland’s Jacobite Cruises ordered a 21m cruise catamaran for Loch Ness.

The yard recently signed an order for two more high-speed ferries, two 24 metre aluminium explorer vessels alongside building and delivering a hybrid wind farm support vessel capable of significant speed advantages and fuel savings.

Mr Morton reflected: “We have the strongest pipeline of work since inception, and things look set to go from strength to strength. We have a bright future operating at the cutting-edge of aluminium construction and carbon reduction.”

While utilising island suppliers wherever possible, (supporting over 100 local companies of varying sizes), the yard has, continued to thrive, commented Toby Mumford, Business Development Manager.

This includes the upcoming launch of a training school in the yard for apprentices to develop skills in welding. New investment is primed for the building of a new dock for a new travel hoist, increasing capacity from 70 tonnes to 260 tonnes, that will enable WSC to expand its work scope and do more refits on a wider range of vessels.

“During the pandemic, the ferry manufacturing industry went very quiet, so we decided to diversify into the cruise transfer vessel and the superyacht explorer markets,” explained Mr Mumford.

This led to the creation of CWind Pioneer, the world’s first hybrid surface effect CTV offering a greener, more efficient alternative to traditional SOVs and CTVs for the offshore wind industry. The vessel has a hybrid diesel and battery electric power system which enables it to operate purely on battery power while in harbour or at standby in the wind farm.

The 24-passenger CWind Pioneer can operate at speeds exceeding 43.5 knots, and transit and transfer safely in sea states in excess of 1.8m Hs, while minimising motion and acceleration through its air cushion motion control system. CWind Pioneer is over 20% more fuel efficient than conventional CTVs.

“The vessel is one part of WSC’s drive to create a greener shipping environment, and she is a perfect demonstration of that,” added Mr Mumford.

Three years ago, British boat builder Arksen unveiled its vision for a new concept in sustainable marine adventures. The ambitious project has rapidly gained momentum with the sale of the second Arksen 85, Project Pelagos.

WIGHT SHIPYARD CO I PROFILE

The Arksen 85, currently close to construction conclusion at WSC, represents the flagship vessel within the Arksen Explorer Series. The Arksen 75 and Arksen 65, make up the other vessels of the Explorer fleet.

Project Pelagos, due to be released late 2022, provides 12 berths in a six-cabin configuration. The Arksen 85 offers robust build quality, excellent reliability and superb efficiency, combined with comfort, style and safety, as expected from a modern, long-range cruising vessel.

The design of the trans-ocean going Arksen 85 and onboard systems allow for operation in a wide range of conditions, including high altitudes, tropical climates and adverse weather, and extended periods in remote regions without external support.

Revolutionising the industry

Mr Mumford said WSC was further buoyed by news it had secured the contract for two new passenger catamarans for operation on the ever-growing Thames commuting and sightseeing line for Uber Boat by Thames Clippers.

The contract will see WSC build the next generation of Clipper-class vessels utilising the latest battery-power technology and recharging options.

The hybrid design will allow the new Uber Boat by Thames Clippers vessels to operate solely on battery power to transport commuters and sightseers along the Thames throughout the Capital’s central zone between the Tower Bridge and Battersea Power Station piers and recharge while using bio-fuel power outside of Central London.

The technology is not reliant on shorebased charging, with the boats using excess power from the bio-fuel engines to recharge their batteries for the Central London stretch. Additionally, they will be among the quietest ever seen in the passenger boat industry and will stand as future-proofed examples of environmental excellence.

Mr Morton added: “WSC is firmly on the side of forward-thinking owners and operators revolutionising the industry. Our employees have true global expertise in delivering on the net-zero challenge for shipbuilding.

“We are very proud of what is being achieved with our innovative and costeffective approach to modern shipbuilding: WSC is truly at the forefront of the aluminium shipbuilding industry.”

Mr Mumford concluded: “We are building the lightest, most fuel efficient ferries in the world. WSC is committed to building a diversified fleet of vessels for our growing list of happy clients.” n