We are very proud to announce that we have been awarded one of the most significant new build projects in West Wales this year; a £3.6m contract to construct three new pilot boats for the Port of Milford Haven.
As a result, we will be looking to recruit new workers locally in a number of skilled positions to meet an increased demand for our services, having already increased the size of our workforce to 60 people over the last 12 months.
The new contact will see Mainstay Marine Solutions build three 19m pilot boats at our deep-water facility at Pembroke Dock. The vessels, designed by Camarc Design, will have a maximum speed of 14 knots and capacity for 12 persons.
The three new pilot boats are similar in design to the ‘Picton’ delivered to the port authority in 2008. We have previously built nine similarly designed boats.
The craft are designed to be used extensively in heavy weather, capable of operating in swells up to 5m in wave height, and are expected to withstand 1,000 vessel impacts over a duty cycle of 2,500 hours on average every year.
The contract is one of a number of orders Mainstay Marine is currently working on in what has been a busy start to 2015, having completed a broad range of workboat and marine renewable energy device orders over the second half of 2014.
Our Managing Director, Stewart Graves, said: “Mainstay Marine Solutions has an enviable track record of delivering high quality pilot vessels, and we’re looking forward to completing this latest contract for Milford Haven Port Authority.
“The business met the initial targets set by the new management team for 2014, and this contract forms part of an encouraging start to 2015.”
Andy Jones, Deputy Chief Executive of the Port of Milford Haven, said: “The renewal of our pilot boat fleet is an important decision for the port.
“We have focused on ensuring we have the right boat with the right commitments in relation to maintenance and reliability for the challenging operational environment we deal with every day here in Milford Haven.
“We are pleased that this order will lead to the creation of high skill local jobs in the marine engineering and renewable energy sector.”
In addition to the three new pilot boats, Mustang Marine is currently building a BMT Nigel Gee wind farm support vessel for Ynys Mon Windfarm Vessels. The firm has also been extremely busy carrying out a number of maintenance and repair works from its five slipways, two of which are covered.
