Busy weeks with Brunvoll

UK Docks marine service engineers have been busy servicing Brunvoll AS products nationally and internationally in recent weeks.

A team of three engineers spent much of February working on the Magne Viking in Landskrona in southern Sweden, overhauling Brunvoll AS thrusters.

They worked for a fortnight on the tug/supply vessel in the Oresund Drydocks AB, overhauling four Brunvoll tunnel thrusters and one Brunvoll retractable azimuth.

All four tunnel thrusters, as well as the azimuth thruster, were removed from the tug/supply vessel to the workshop for routine maintenance and overhaul.

Meanwhile, UK Docks marine service engineers have also been working in Scotland with Brunsvoll AS Volda, supervising and assisting Dales Marine Services in Leith on the Vos Provider.

Work was carried out on the removal and overhaul of the offshore supply ship's main propeller and shaft and the successful replacement of Stern tube seals. The contract was completed within seven days and the Vos Provider is now out of Leith dry dock.

UK Docks has been a service and sales agent for Brunvoll in the UK for 27 years now.

This involves the company sending engineers to vessels in dry dock for repairs and routine maintenance when needed. 

This is a very active market for UK Docks and when the UK is quiet we are requested to support Brunvoll's head office in Norway on an as-and-when basis. 

The Swedish job on the Magne Viking was therefore not an unusual one for us, as we operate globally and were quick to send our UK engineers over.

In the UK, we are continuously overhauling Brunvoll thrusters , most recently the Putford Defender on Teesside in January.

Lewis has the Edge - UK Docks apprentice wins top award

UK DOCKS’ apprentice Lewis Wilson is one of an elite group of students to be recognised with a national Edge Award celebrating the quality of his work.

He was one of only 17 students chosen out of more than 1,000 studying at Gateshead College nationwide across all courses to receive the prized certificates.

Lewis, who turns 20 in March, has now completed his three-year course to qualify as an Engineer and Technician.

He was putting his new skills to the test within days of winning his award, flying out to the Falkland Islands to complete a week’s worth of support work on the Royal Navy ship HMS Forth on behalf of UK Docks.

Apprentices for the 2024 Edge Awards were picked from a wide range of curriculum areas including business, digital tech, catering, construction, hairdressing and automotive but Lewis was the only engineer selected.

He was nominated by educator Muhsin Jamaar who said: “Lewis exhibited remarkable technical proficiency throughout his apprenticeship.

“He mastered the foundation engineering skills expected at this level and consistently displayed an eagerness to delve into advanced concepts and applications.

“One of Lewis’s standout qualities is his ability to work seamlessly within a team.

"I have witnessed this at his workplace when he was part of a team preparing a ship for sea trial - Lewis displayed exceptional leadership potential by taking the lead to mentor his fellow apprentices.

“He has shown that he is someone with the capability to assume leadership roles in the future.

“Throughout the apprenticeship, Lewis exhibited a high level of professionalism, reliability and a strong work ethic. 

“He consistently met project deadlines, adhered to industry standards and maintained a level of professionalism that earned him the respect of both peers and supervisors.

“Where needed, Lewis attended college during his holidays to complete any work.

“In summary, Lewis has been an exceptional apprentice who has consistently demonstrated a high level of technical proficiency, teamwork and professionalism. I am confident that Lewis will continue to excel in his career and make significant contributions to the field of engineering.”

David Alexander, Principal at the College, said: “Our Edge Awards for Apprenticeships are a highlight of my year. 

“It’s good to be able to showcase the fantastic work being done by our apprentices and employers and we had a great time presenting our Edge awards and surprising the winners in their workplace.

“The standard of nominations was very high and everyone who received an award should be proud of their achievements."

Gateshead College trains more than 1,000 apprentices many of them in the North East but also throughout the UK including in London and Manchester.

UK Docks was founded by Lewis’s grandfather Harry Wilson and the young engineer’s ambition is to build a successful career in the family firm.

Pic caption: Keeping it in the family - Lewis Wilson shows his prestigious Edge Award certificate to UK Docks' director Gary Wilson.

UK Docks Teesside yard enjoys record-breaking year of service and repair

STAFF and management at UK Docks’ Teesside facility are celebrating a record-breaking year for the number of ships serviced and repaired.

More than 30 vessels have been successfully worked on in the shipyard’s two dry docks and heavy lift repair quay throughout 2023

Among them were the Royal Navy’s only icebreaker, HMS Protector, former Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tristram, (now a training vessel), as well as Transport For London’s Dame Vera Lynn and Ben Woollacott, the Trinity House Patricia, the UKD Marlin, various North Star and Putford vessels and several Svitzer Tugs.

Jonathan Wilson, MD of UK Docks, said: “We’re delighted to have had such a productive year. 

“This is exactly what we hoped for when we first re-opened the docks in 2014 after they’d been derelict for more than two decades.

“What’s pleasing is the variety of vessels we worked on over the last 12 months, as well as the number of them, and that’s testimony to the skills and versatility of the team.”

HMS Protector, an essential part of the Royal Navy’s global reach, visited Teesside twice over the course of the year - once for a comprehensive drydock package, and then again later in the year to carry out essential repairs to its main engine and drivetrain, with more than 300 individual work packages being completed on time and on budget.

Commercial ship repair was equally busy with several Teesside and London-based Svitzer tugs, Trinity House vessel Patricia and Transport for London ferries Dave Vera Lynn and Ben Woollacott, which operate on the River Thames at Woolwich, coming in for their first five-year service and docking.

The year has been completed with extensive work on UKD Marlin, Putford Phoenix and an unplanned docking of PD Ports’ Heortnesse.

Those works marked a record-breaking number of vessels handled by the busy yard in a single year.

The Tees shipyard director Stuart Syvret said:: “Our growth in 2023 underpins the commitment and ongoing investment to improve the Teesside facility.

“We have two operational drydocks supported by a heavy lift afloat repair berth, fully equipped steel and engineering workshops and two modern 30-tonne Shoreside cranes.

“We also have a highly-skilled project management team, workforce and trusted subcontract supply chain ensuring, whether works are scheduled or unscheduled, we can react and deliver complex engineering activities in both commercial and Ministry of Defence sectors.”

The yards, on Dockside Road, in Teesport Commerce Park, now perform a significant role in the Tees Valley supply chain and local economy.

• UK Docks would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers in 2023 for the work supplied to our teams. We wish them all a happy, safe and prosperous 2024.

Veterans In Crisis supported by UK Docks' Christmas food drop

CHRISTMAS is a time for giving and UK Docks staff made a special delivery just before the big day of foodstuffs and essentials to the offices of Sunderland-based charity Veterans In Crisis.

The donations included food, toiletries and Christmas treats and were a recognition of the outstanding work Veterans In Crisis does for those who have served and are struggling to adjust.

As a defence contractor employing many ex-service personnel, UK Docks recognises the great contribution our service men and women provide to the country and to their communities.

The company also appreciates the Herculean efforts of charities like Veterans In Crisis and the difference their teams make, delivering every day, to improve veterans’ lives when they are trying to get back on their feet.

Stephen Lee, UK Docks’ operations director, said: “We sincerely hope this gesture has a positive impact on our veterans and their families during the festive period.

“The efforts of Ger Fowler and his team at Veterans In Crisis is inspirational and we at UK Docks are proud to be able to support them.

“UK Docks this year has recognised the efforts of people within our local community who have themselves made personal and financial sacrifices, to support and enable Armed Forces Veterans and their families gain access to necessary support and services, when they themselves are in a time of need.”

The van full of donations was delivered by Stephen Stuart McLean, general manager of UK Docks Teesside, and John Lally, UK Docks North, technical manager.

For more information on Veterans In Crisis (VICS), go to https://www.veteransincrisis.co.uk/

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