Dunston (Ship Builders) Ltd

[davidships]

Dunston (Ship Builders) Ltd registered 3/4/2012 - company no 08016998.

Interesting that they are leasing the Hepworth yard at Paull.


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Hull company Dunston (Ship Repairs) has established Dunston (Ship Builders) after receiving a £5.1m order for three workboats from Hull company Rix Shipping.

The aluminium boats, which will be built under licence from Great Yarmouth-based Alicat Workboats – a subsidiary of the Gardline Group – will be used to service wind turbines in the North Sea as part of the UK's drive to create energy from renewable sources. The move marks a return to shipbuilding for the Dunston group, which can trace its history in the industry back to 1858. The company ceased building vessels in 1994 to concentrate on ship repairs at its base on William Wright Dock.

Richard Bourne, joint owner and managing director of Dunston Ship Repairs, said he was very proud to be spearheading a revival of shipbuilding on the Humber after years of absence. He said that the order could well be the "start of things to come" as the renewables industry creates demand for a range of different vessels of both modern and traditional design. "I'm extremely excited to be bringing the name of Dunston Ship Builders back to its rightful position on the Humber," said Bourne.

"Establishing the new company will secure jobs in the region and as the offshore wind farms are developed will generate a lot of investment and create employment." Dunston Ship Builders will lease the J.R. Rix & Sons-owned Hepworths yard in Paull, East Yorkshire to build the vessels. James Doyle, director at Rix Shipping, said when complete the boats would be used to transport technicians and equipment to offshore wind farms to service and maintain the turbines.

[Source : Insider Media Limited]

[Patrick Hill]

What this doesn't say is that the vessels are being built from kits supplied from Australia. It is also incorrect to state it is a revival as Hepworths have just finished building their last steel hulled vessel, the coastal tanker LIZRIX and have built several tugs since Dunston's shipbuilding demise.

Sadly there were several staff made redundant from Hepworths as there will be no more steel hulled vessels built there.

[yorkieman]

On a positive side, if the vessels are for Rix then at least it supports their shipowning which has been in decline in the general cargo section and opens up a new 'arm' to work alongside the bunkering/oils side of the business.
Although perhaps more puzzling as to why they needed Dunston to assemble them in their own shipyard rather than do it as Hepworths with new skills brought in.
Still, that's business for you ....

[davidships]

What this doesn't say is that the vessels are being built from kits supplied from Australia.

I think this may be a misunderstanding. My reading is that the kits are coming from Alicat Workboats (Richards Shipyard) at Great Yarmouth, where they normally build from scratch (well over a dozen so far). It is the design that is Australian, from Global Marine Design of Perth WA.

http://www.alicatworkboats.com/page/design/
http://www.alicatworkboats.com/page/build/
http://www.alicatworkboats.com/news/article/150

[Patrick Hill]

My information was from a worker at Hepworths who has been kept on by Dunstons.

Also advised Rix pulling out of dry cargo owning. We have seen their cargo being handled by other vessels for a while now.

[davidships]

Yes, Rix sold their last two dry cargo ships, RONRIX and SALRIX, last month to Marshall Islands subsidiaries of Pasifik Logistik Grubu, Istanbul. Renamed GULF NORTH and GULF SOUTH respectively and trading Turkey/Black Sea