Products & services

VIKING aids flood victims in Thailand

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 02 November 2011 02 November 2011

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment, a world leading manufacturer of safety equipment, is providing aid to residents in Thailand. The country is in the middle of the worst flooding in more than 50 years that has killed over 300 persons, displaced another 100,000 and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. "We are of course deeply touched by the situation and we naturally feel an obligation to provide assistance to a community that has given VIKING so much," says Henrik Uhd Christensen, CEO of VIKING and continues: "We know water and what it takes to survive in water. Safety is the backbone of our business. It’s what we do and who we are. So if our knowledge and our products can make a difference for the thousands of persons affected by these terrible floods, we are only proud to help."

VIKING has joined forces with the Thai Red Cross Society and the Danish Ambassador couple in Bangkok, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hemniti Winther, to distribute over 400 lifejackets among towns and villages in the flood-affected areas.

The lifejackets were handed over on Friday, October 28, 2011 by VIKING’s managing director in Thailand, Mr. Morten Halfdan Petersen to Red Cross Director, Dr. Amnat Barlee and Assistant Secretary General for External Relations Mr. Sawanit Kongsiri.

"Our facility in Laem Chabang employs over 650 people," says Morten Halfdan Petersen. "We have been here for almost 10 years. We have deep roots in the community and it is devastating to see how much damage and despair these unprecedented water levels are causing."

In addition to the lifejackets, VIKING employees and their families have made a fantastic effort to collect 10m3 clothing and toys as well as cash donations for food and water supplies.

"It’s been extraordinary to see how the whole community has come together to help people in distress. We are happy to be a small part of a huge international relief effort, and we hope that the lives of the affected will soon return to normal."

VIKING is a privately held corporation founded in 1960 with group headquarters in Denmark. Products, such as liferafts, lifejackets, evacuation systems, immersion suits, work suits, pilot suits, man overboard boats, davits and other life-saving appliances, are manufactured at facilities in Denmark, Norway, USA and Laem Chabang, Thailand.

MSC backlog to continue into 2012

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 30 October 2011 30 October 2011

Maritime Services Corporation (MSC), marine interior experts specializing in turnkey installations, currently has a backlog of contracts exceeding $105 million in value for assignments to be completed this November through March.

A $6 million contract with a major cruise line is now in fabrication at the company headquarters in Hood River, Oregon. Installation will take place in Victoria, B.C. in January. In addition, MSC will begin modifications on two dinner vessels next month for Portland Spirit in Portland, Oregon. Those jobs will also be complete in January.

MSC’s Southampton, U.K. office will begin a $540,000 refit on a major cruise ship renovation in Trieste, Italy. A third cruise ship refurbishment project, valued at $1.4 million, will begin in November in Hamburg, Germany. Both projects will be completed in early December.

The Ft. Lauderdale, Florida office for MSC has received confirmation of a $2 million project for the U.S. Army on a Logistic Support Vessel (LSV) at Colonna’s shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia. That assignment will continue through March.

Kennewick, the last of three new-build ferries for Washington State Ferries, will be delivered next month by MSC. Two other 64-foot ferries were already delivered, the Salish this past June, and the Chetzamoka last October. The value of MSC’s work on the ferries totaled $7.5 million, and was completed at Vigor Shipyards (formerly Todd Pacific Shipyards) in Everett and Seattle, WA.

Numerous smaller projects also round out the contract work for Maritime Services Corp. MSC provides the marine industry with planning, design, engineering, construction and materials relating to new building and refurbishment of cruise ships, work boats, fishing vessels, ferries, fast ferries, offshore projects, dining yachts, and gaming vessels around the world. The company also distributes USA-made MML fire doors and windows for the marine market, and is U.S. factory representative and distributor for Norac bulkheads and lining systems.

Lloyd Werft invests €400,000 in training centre

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 19 October 2011 19 October 2011

Lloyd Werft, the German shiprepair and refurbishment specialist, has invested €400,000 in training centre that will cater not just for the yard’s own apprentices, but also for engineering students in educational institutions in the Bremerhaven region.

In October last year a new training workshop was inaugurated. It serves as the training centre for the shipyard’s 44 apprentices, who learn their trades here, in parallel with time spent at the local careers college, as fitters, industrial and constructional mechanics or as cutting machine operators under the eyes of four trainers,” the company said in a statement.

“Alongside them are always two to three students gaining practical experience as part of their university courses. Not only Lloyd Werft benefits from this centre. Under a new training alliance agreement, trainees from other companies in Bremerhaven and Bremen also learn basic, professional skills here. The shipyard has invested €400,000 in this exemplary and future-oriented new centre,” lloyd Werft continued.

“Working at Lloyds is very special”, says training chief Bernd Woltmann. Apprentices have to be really smart, he adds, because work in a repair company demands a lot of creativity and flexibility, the company concluded.

Trimline secures work on the Wind Surf refit

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 30 October 2011 30 October 2011

Southampton-based marine outfitters Trimline have scooped a prestigious design and build upgrade on Windstar Cruises’ luxury sailing yacht Wind Surf.

The initial programme will entail an extensive revamp of 150 cabins during Wind Surf’s two-week refit in Lisbon in November. Up to 100 Trimline personnel will be working on board before the vessel sets sail for a winter itinerary in the Caribbean. A second refit in a year’s time will include a major refurbishment of the public rooms.

In addition, Trimline is carrying out initial design process work for the two smaller yachts in the Windstar fleet, Wind Star and Wind Spirit, prior to refits next year. The projects require a total refurbishment of the public rooms and cabins, with the work to be undertaken as the vessels sail to Europe from the Caribbean next spring. Trimline has engaged McVitty Interior Consultants as its design partner for the multi-million pound task.

A significant part of the preparation work for the Wind Surf project is already underway at Trimline’s joinery and soft furnishing factories in Southampton, where part of the cabin furniture and furnishing requirements are being manufactured .Once complete, the fittings will be despatched to Lisbon ready for the refit. The 660ft long Wind Surf, the biggest of three yachts in the Seattle-based Windstar Cruises fleet, is one of the most unique cruise ships afloat with her motor/sail combination.

Trimline will refit 156 state rooms and suites, fitting new curtains, valances, cushions, sofa beds chairs and tables. Each cabin will also benefit from new carpets and wall coverings, with electrical upgrades a further part of the refurbishment.

In addition, Trimline will be working on the ship’s alleyways, laying new carpets and Amtico flooring, as well as replacing deckheads and installing new lighting. On the main deck, a new boardwalk, comprising carpet and Amtico flooring, will be created. In total, Trimline will be laying some 5,000 square metres of carpet in cabins and public spaces.

Sales and Marketing Director Mike Oliver explained: “This work was won against intense international competition from the States and Europe. Phase one of the Wind Surf project will be the first part of a five star revamp of the vessel and represents major investment by Windstar and their new owners Xanterra Parks and Resorts.”

TEAM wins contracts to provide passenger boarding bridges to cruise terminals in Palma, Genoa and Miami

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 27 September 2011 27 September 2011

TEAM Ports & Maritime S.L.U., the world leading designer and manufacturer of sophisticated Passenger Boarding Bridges (PBBs) for cruise and ferry terminals, has recently secured contracts for the delivery of two PBBs to the Port of Palma de Mallorca, two PBBs to the Port of Miami and one PBB to the Port of Genoa.

Palma de Mallorca – Spain: The Port Authority of Balearic Islands has contracted TEAM to deliver in early 2012 two PBBs of the HYDRA range to cruise terminals 1 and 3 in the port of Palma de Mallorca. These PBBs will have the capability to service the world’s largest new generation cruise ships with overhanging life boats, like Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships, the Carnival Dream-class ships and the Norwegian Epic. The design and functionality of the boarding bridges will be similar to the units recently installed by TEAM at cruise terminals A and C in the port of Barcelona.

Miami - USA: The busiest cruise port in the world, handling a record 4.33 million cruise guests in 2010, has contracted TEAM to design, manufacture and deliver two completely assembled PBBs of the HYDRA range for its Cruise Terminal D. At this terminal the Port of Miami will start turnaround operations with the Carnival Breeze in November 2012. The special design of the PBBs will facilitate perfect connections with Carnival Cruise Line’s newest mega ship with overhanging lifeboats.

Genoa - Italy: Stazioni Marittime S.p.A. in Genoa, Italy, has contracted TEAM to provide in spring 2012 a Passenger Boarding Bridge of the SEDNA range for its cruise terminal on the Ponte dei Mille wharf nr.3. This PBB will be able to serve new generation cruise ships and its installation will be TEAM’s first in Genoa; one of MSC Cruises’ main home ports. TEAM has already installed PBBs at cruise terminals in the Italian ports of Savona and Venice.