The orders comprise:
• 12m commercial charter workboat and leisure diving vessel for Divers Down of Swanage
• The Hull and Mould set for a 13m Rapid Response Vehicle for Iceni Marine Services’ wind farm support fleet
• 14m Wind Farm Transfer Vessel for Coastal Zone Services

The Coastal Zone Services (CZS) order for a bespoke first in class 14 metre to operate as a multi-purpose crew transfer vessel is scheduled for completion in May 2012 and is expected to be the flagship of GRP Laminates’ presence at Seawork.

Named Kileen Dawn, the vessel is powered by twin Iveco C9 550hp diesels driving TwinDisc gearboxes, giving a cruising speed of 23 knots and a top speed of 27 knots. With the personnel transfer equipment specified, the vessel can operate in significant wave heights up to 1.5m.

The spacious accommodation provides for 12 suspension seats with a flexible arrangement that can encompass a surveying layout. Additional features include a moonpool, dive ladder and provision for a crane. The flybridge with viewing platform and three station electronic controls ensures flexibility of operation. Kileen Dawn will operate in Clew Bay, off Ireland’s Atlantic coast, and in British waters.

“We selected the South Cat 14m from GRP Laminates after extensive research visiting a number of yards to find the right vessel for our needs. They impressed us particularly with the standard of build, their attitude and understanding of our fit-out requirements,” says Niall O’Boyle, Operations Coordinator of Coastal Zone Services, based in Newport, Co. Mayo.

Reviewing the first four months since being awarded the licence to build and market the South Cats range, GRP Laminates’ Managing Director, Mark Gulessarian, comments: “We are delighted by the reaction to this new development in our company’s activities. These early orders for South Cats are a clear indication that composite moulded catamarans remain an attractive option for both the offshore renewables and commercial fishing industries.”

2012 is expected to be a milestone year for GRP Laminates. The London Olympics Committee vessel, jointly commissioned from the yard and South Boats Special Projects, will feature in the world’s media coverage of the Olympic yacht racing, taking place off Weymouth next year.

For the first time, customers can contact GRP Laminates directly, for an immediate response and rapid build time on a bespoke 10, 11, 12 or 14 metre South Boats workboat.

Managing Director of GRP Laminates, Mark Gulesserian, is delighted with the licensing agreement, which cements a long and successful collaboration with South Boats. He says: “We have always built high quality products for other people; now we will have our own stable of branded products to take to market.”

GRP Laminates and South Boats have worked together for many years on a wide range of products and contracts. With South Boats’ yard fully booked for aluminium build projects, their composite moulded hulls were outsourced to GRP Laminates in 2009. In 2010 GRP Laminates launched the Kit & Fit scheme to make South Boats catamarans accessible and affordable to independent fishing and dive operators. From now on, GRP Laminates will be able to deliver complete build projects for an even wider range of uses.

“These excellent boats have great potential,” says Mark Gulesserian. “The licensing agreement from Clive Jeffery enables us to do much more, by giving us control of the whole process from marketing and generating orders to customer service and aftercare.”

Mark Gulesserian says: “We are taking on specialists including a marine fitter, so that we can handle the full build project without relying on external subcontractors. This gives us far better control over costs and timings.”

GRP Laminates has already brought in Sales Manager Martin Antrobus to spearhead a major sales and marketing drive for the boats, and there are plans afoot for a new leisure boat, with a flybridge and extended accommodation. For full details of the South Cats range, call Martin on 01983 200988 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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GRP Laminates was delighted to receive the Seawork International Award for Innovation, for the revolutionary MSV Explorer, a radical new self-propelled, sub-surface viewing pod designed by Chris Garner. This unique vessel was launched at last week’s show, together with a purpose-designed 13-metre launch and recovery catamaran, the SP02.

The MSV Explorer and SP02 support vessel were designed by Chris Garner, whose personal passion for the marine environment drove him to develop a versatile and safe way for non-divers to enjoy the underwater world. He originally devised the lifting mechanism on the catamaran to assist in the rescue or stranded whales and dolphins.

Both the MSV Explorer and the SP02 lifting catamaran are built in the UK, to the high standards you would expect from GRP Laminates. The system offers safe, dry underwater exploration for a wide range of leisure and commercial purposes, and has already generated keen interest from dive centres, luxury resorts, marine research and other commercial operators.

GRP Laminates’ Martin Antrobus said: “We are very excited about the potential for these new products, and delighted that Chris’s innovative design has been recognised by leading experts from the diving and underwater technology industry.”

For full specifications and more information about the MSV Explorer, SP02 or other new product development projects, please contact Martin Antrobus at GRP Laminates on 01983 200988, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or sign up for regular enews. You can also visit www.msvexplorer.com or see some more images and leave us your comments on flickr.