Generally we are finding 2003 to be rather difficult," says Magnus Ringner, managing director of Götaverken Cityvarvet. He explains that this is primarily because demand has been slow all year so far (as was also the case for the last few months of 2002) and as a result competition has intensified again, not least from Poland and the other Baltic countries. "It is a year of
grinding
and squeezing in order to find work and get something positive out of it, says Ringner.
Fortunately, all this
grinding
and squeezing has born fruit and the yard has been successful than in previous years in winning orders. "The killing rate has improved notably," says Ringner. This has resulted in a fairly large number of ships of various types and sizes and more importantly, satisfactory employment so far this year. "However, after the very positive 2002 we had hoped for better," he told The Motor Ship.
"As usual we have docked many roros and chemical/product tankers and Swedish owners have again proved to be the mainstay of our operations," he explains. Among the Swedish orders during the 2nd and 3rd quarters the yard mentions:
l Three roros for Charterfrakt;
l Two roros for Stena Line;
l Two roros for Gorthon Lines;
l Three chemical tankers for Brostrom;
l Three chemical tankers for Tarbit Shipping and;
l Two chemical tankers for Rederi AB Brevik.
Other owners/ships during the same period include:
l Anglo-Eastern“s 40,395dwt product tanker Luctor;
l Boskalis“ 11,350dwt dredger Seaway;
l Carisbrooke Shipping“s 19,150dwt cont vsl Greta C;
l SOL Niver Lines“ 17,160dwt bulker Minaland;
l Ostensjo“s 3,775dwt psv Edda Frende;
l Wagenborg“s 21,005grt roro Schieborg;
l Finnish Engship“s 10,935dwt bulker Norden and;
l Swedish Ektank“s 17,259 product tanker Ek-River
In addition, the yard carried out docking and rather extensive repairs to US-based Elegant Cruise Lines“ new luxury expedition vessel Andrea, plus docking and repairs of several smaller vessels and barges for Nordic owners.
Of particular interest was Ek-River on which extensive blasting and painting was performed on of all twelve cargo tanks during a two-week period in drydock (plus a few days alongside). The work comprised blasting to SA 2,5-3,0 of the lower parts of the cargo tanks followed by careful cleaning and thereafter painting of phenol epoxy (two stripe coats and three full coats (totalling about 400 micron dft) with very good results. "This job followed on from a similarly successful blasting and painting job last year of the ballast tanks of Ektank“s 23,050dwt product tanker Ekturus.
More bumping and
grinding
Öresundsvarvet has been busy carrying out general repairs to the Lubeck Link, Birka Carrier and the Barge Grävlingen. More extensive repair work, including the replacement of 18 tons of steelwork, were carried out on the Winland after it suffered grounding damage.
