Burgess Marine, Britain’s largest independent ship repairer and marine engineering services provider, announced in September that, in partnership with Portsmouth City Council, it had opened a new ship repair facility within Portsmouth Commercial Port. Burgess Marine Ltd. and MMD Shipping Services Ltd., part of Portsmouth City Council, launched this new strategic partnership in style with an emergency three-day alongside docking for Wightlink Ferries when their 2,968gt 1987 built Fishbourne vessel St. Cecilia encountered Voith unit issues. Burgess Marine and MMD have been building a relationship over the last few months for the use of Flat House Quay in Portsmouth’s Commercial Port. The quay, over 100m in length, offers both ‘flat water’ and 24/7 access to a 100T crane. Later the company announced growth at the Small & Co. shipyard in Lowestoft that Burgess Marine acquired in October 2015. Burgess Marine leases land from ABP in Southampton and Lowestoft and recently its sister company Meercat Workboats built the Port of Southampton a 15m workboat.

DP World Limited revealed on 18th September that it had entered into agreements to acquire Maritime World LLC, the 100% owner of Dubai Maritime City (DMC), for a purchase consideration of $180 million and to buy 100% of Drydocks World LLC by means of a capital injection of $225 million, taking the total cash required for the acquisitions of DMC and Drydocks to $405 million. DMC is a world class maritime service facility and industrial business zone in a prime location of central Dubai and adjacent to DP World’s Port Rashid. Drydocks World is a market leader in the ship repair business with the largest ship repair yard in the Middle East. The business delivers stable ship and rig repair revenues and has specialist capabilities in niche ship newbuilds and conversions. Drydocks’ acquisition will integrate well into P&O Maritime (POM), which is DP World’s 100% owned maritime services subsidiary. Both acquisitions are subject to certain conditions precedent and the acquisition of Drydocks World is subject to the successful completion of its debt restructuring process.

Shipwrecked Mariners Award P&O Captain For Outstanding Professional Skill

The Captain of a P&O Ferry has been recognised for an act of bravery during the timely and skilful rescue of seven men from a sinking ship, at an awards ceremony held by maritime charity, the Shipwrecked Mariners Society.

Captain Patrik Norrgård was presented with the Lady Swaythling Trophy for ‘Outstanding Seamanship’ at the Charity’s annual Skill & Gallantry Awards for the rescue of a seven man crew from a sinking ship in the Dover Traffic Separation Scheme on 13th January. His Chief Officer, Captain Marek Rowiński, was also recognised for his part in the rescue. Their ship, MV Norstream, received a Mayday call from MV Fluvius Tamar as she was sinking and responded immediately.

Arriving two minutes before the casualty’s bow submerged, Captain Norrgård used his skill and expertise to manoeuvre his ship into the best position to give a lee to the survivors with the help of Chief Officer Marek Rowiński’s precise directions from the port pilot entry door.

The national Skill and Gallantry Awards, now in their 166th year, were presented at Fishmongers’ Hall by the Society’s President, Admiral Sir George Zambellas.