EDITORIAL COMMENT A tale of two expos
Visitors to Nor-shipping and Seawork (pictured) this June may get to compare two very different portraits of ‘the shipbuilding sector’
two of the most important expos – for Ship & Boat International readers, in any case – fling open their doors to the crowds. The biannual Nor-shipping 2013 will see the streets of Oslo heaving between 4-7 June, while the yearly Seawork 2013 promises to fill the UK port city of Southampton between 25-27 June. A combination of (usually) pleasant Summer weather and access to umpteen boat manufacturers, designers and equipment providers typically spells a memorable experience at each show. At this point, some may be wonder-
G
ing if that is where the comparisons between the two events end. After all, in terms of numbers, Nor-shipping has typically dwarfed its UK counterpart, which, in any case, is primarily devoted to a much smaller cache of patrol boats, fishing vessels, crew transfer boats and RIBs. However, when it comes to levels of industry optimism, Seawork may just take the crown this year. Nor-shipping has already seen a
fair percentage of its regular German shipyard exhibitors suffer the effects of the global downturn, and this year looks likely to be Finland’s turn to experience the gloom. The news that STX plans to withdraw from its Turku and Rauma yards (taking with it the 50% stake it holds in Arctech Helsinki) will undoubtedly cast a shadow on proceedings, serving as a reminder
Ship & Boat International May/June 2013
lobal marine conferences and exhibitions continue to abound, though this June sees
of the large shipbuilding segment’s ongoing woes. At time of going to press, the axe is
hanging over several hundred Finnish shipyard jobs as STX scrambles for means to curb its US$1 billion debt. Investment from a company of STX’s prestige is perfect when the going is good, but, when the chips are down, it can lead to the paralysis of entire maritime communities as investments turn sour and work drizzles away. In contrast, the UK boatbuilding
sector remains fairly solid and autono- mous in its commitment to meeting demand for niche vessels and custom- ised solutions. Judging each show by its turnout and / or total number of exhibitor stands could prove short- sighted; for those students, architects and builders dedicated to the produc- tion of vessels under the 100m loa mark, Seawork remains one of the key shows of the year, focusing exclusively on what is becoming one of the more successful branches of the maritime sector. The offshore wind farm support market has gone a long way in reinvig- orating small UK boatbuilders, and the announcement that this year’s show will feature a number of new international exhibitors, including debuts from US, Swedish and Dubai-based builders, confirms that Seawork is far from at risk of becoming a self-contained, myopic affair. None of which is meant to detract from Nor-shipping’s status as a
European centrepiece, up there with SMM and, to an extent, Europort. As our Scandinavia feature highlights (pp70-74), some Norwegian yards are still making a tremendous profit from producing offshore and single-purpose vessels in the sub-100m market. Speaking of Scandinavia, we were most interested to hear the opinions of Danish LSA manufacturer Viking (p74), concerning the potential use of helicopters to shuttle turbine technicians to and from wind farm arrays located in deep and rough waters. For many, the general consensus is that helicopter transport is extremely expensive. Then again, one needs to factor in the costs that maintaining a floatel or mothership on site would entail, in terms of supplies, heating, reliable (and environmentally friendly) sanitation systems and other living facili- ties. Perhaps, in this light, the extra costs of certifying larger crew transfer vessels to IMO 2000 HSC Passenger Code status – estimated by Alicat’s David Blake to be in the region of 10-15% on top – are not that excessive…though, of course, when facing potential two-hour trips out to these installations, the issue of techni- cian fatigue rears its head. Ship & Boat International would be delighted to hear from any readers within the offshore wind farm support sector who have strong opinions on the best solutions for deepwater personnel transportation. For sure, you will be able to catch us at the RINA booth at both Nor-shipping and Seawork this year. SBI
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