Scotland's shipyard delivers workboat to Inverlussa
The first vessel to be completed since the troubled Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow was taken into public ownership has been handed over to aquaculture services supplier Inverlussa.
The Helen Rice, a 21-metre workboat, is one of two vessels ordered from the yard by family-owned Inverlussa, based on the Isle of Mull.
The second boat, a 26-metre multi-role treatment vessel that will go on a long-term contract with a Scottish salmon farmer, is due for delivery by June.
Administration
Ferguson Marine went into administration following a dispute with Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd - which buys and leases CalMac ships on behalf of the Scottish government - over the construction of two ferries under a £97m fixed price contract. The Scottish government then took Ferguson Marine into public ownership in December last year
The yard’s problems had caused Inverlussa some anxious moments before the government stepped in.
“At that stage we had invested quite a lot of money in these vessels and they might not have been finished,” said Inverlussa managing director Ben Wilson.
He said Inverlussa had hoped to have the Helen Rice earlier, “but we are happy with the quality”.
Milestone for Ferguson
Scotland’s economy secretary Derek Mackay, who attended the official naming ceremony on Monday, said: “This is another significant milestone as we start the journey to a new sustainable future for Ferguson Marine.
“This is a Scottish-built vessel, provided to a Scottish customer and serving the needs of the Scottish aquaculture industry. It is hugely encouraging that the yard has been able to support our island economies in this way.
“My aim for the last two years has always remained the same – to keep the yard open and not just to finish the vessels currently being built, but also to secure a future for the company in the years ahead. The high quality of the workmanship on the Helen Rice is a tribute to the skills of the Ferguson workforce.”
All the vessels in Inverlussa’s fleet are named after women in the Wilson family, and Helen Rice was Ben Wilson’s great grandmother.
Both the Helen Rice and the larger vessel were designed by Macduff Ship Design in collaboration with Inverlussa.
The Helen Rice is the 12th vessel in the Inverlussa fleet and has been designed specifically for multi-role mooring and grid work, along with general site services, and will start a short-term contract in March.
The second vessel being built at Port Glasgow has an innovative design featuring two decks, offering greater flexibility and higher utilisation to perform mechanical treatments as well as sitework tasks. It is being built for a long-term charter with one of the larger salmon producers in Scotland and will be fitted with delousing equipment.
‘Thriving sector’
All of Inverlussa’s vessels are involved in fish farming, with one also being used for wind farm operations.
“Fish farming has been key to our business,” said Wilson.
Julie Hesketh-Laird, chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO), said: “The launch of Inverlussa's Helen Rice is a fantastic example of how a thriving salmon farming sector is helping to support Scottish manufacturing, businesses and communities.
“We look forward to seeing this innovative vessel at sea, serving Scotland’s salmon farmers as they grow the number one fish of choice for British shoppers.”
