Arriving visitors moved straight into a new feature for seawork2002, an Innovations Showcase for fast-tracking to new products and services making their debut at the show. As always at seawork, visitors come to do business, and the opening day kicked off with announcements of engine sales for WaterMota, a high value refit contract for Halmatic, and the handover of £260,000 vessel from Wickham Marine to the Port of London Authority.

The dire weather of early June transformed itself to maintain another seawork tradition for three days of sunshine, which was of particular benefit to seawork's quayside and floating exhibitors. Redbus Workboats were among those moored at the pontoon to announce vessel sales, with two specially modified Redbus 520 Workboats going to oil spill control specialists Vikoma International as part of a major pollution control package for a European customer.

seawork's opening day was again crowned by the Gala Dinner, the event once more sold out with some 430 guests enjoying a splendid meal in the banqueting facilities at one of the UK's newest sporting venues, the St Mary's Road ground of Southampton Football Club.

Good food and wine in a convivial atmosphere was conducive to relaxed networking for exhibitors and their guests.

As Lynn Crossland of Volvo Penta said: 'The dinner is an invaluable addition to the exhibitor package.'

The concurrent seawork Conference drew record numbers, with attendance at some presentations on a standing room only basis. Focus across the three days fell upon Pollution Control and Prevention, Environmental Constraints on Commercial Port Operations, and Workboats.

The seawork floating pontoon remained a hotbed of activity throughout the event, with product demonstrations and trial runs from the more than 40 workboats in attendance.

The vessels ranged in size from 5m RIBs up to a newbuild customs cutter from Damen Shipyard, which had a 5m RIB as an accessory.

On the eve of the show the two new tugs Damen had planned to bring were sold. Fortunately the company convinced Dutch Customs to release the newly commissioned cutter from its duties to represent the builder at seawork.

MJInformation No: 17207