Across the river at A&P Tyne's Hebburn facility at the New Year was Technip Offshore's 9,158grt diving support vessel CSO Wellservicer, which was due to leave the dry dock on 12 January. This will be followed by the De Beers Diamond Mining vessel the Gariep, which is due in the yard for a conversion project due for completion in May and involves the insertion of a mid-body section which will extend the vessel by 12m.

Across the border at River Dee Ship Repairers in Aberdeen, the team was working on Caledonian MacBrayne's 5,221grt passenger/ car ferry Caledonian Isles.

which was undergoing a 19 day repair and refit programme.

A&P Southampton has a busy few months approaching as the ferry season kicks in, with the first two ferries - P&O Ferries' 25,122grt PO Canterbury and Wightlink's 482grt fast ferry FastCat-Ryde, both ferries nearing completion after a 19 day 'double dry docking' refit period at the facility. Next to arrive in Southampton is P&O Ferries' 28,559grt PO Provence which will share the dry dock with two more Wightlink vessels - the 764grt Caedmon and the 2,983grt St. Helen.

Meanwhile, at A&P Falmouth, the ferry season has also arrived.

At the yard last month were four ferries including P&O Ferries' 37,583grt Pride of Bilbao and the 22,986grt European Seaway, Red Funnel's 2,881grt Red Falcon was in the No 4 dry dock (the Solent based ferry operating on the Southampton/Isle of Wight service) and Sea Containers 3,003grt Seacat Danmark had also arrived for her annual dry dock and repairs.

A&P Birkenhead has been consistently busy since re-opening as an A&P facility in 2002, and continues to welcome vessels to its dry docks. Undergoing repairs last month was Irish Ferries' 25,745grt Normandy, which arrived for a 14 day repair period and the second of three Mersey Ferries due to visit the yard - the 751grt Royal Daffodil.

MJ Information No: 17930