Developments at Fowey
The Polruan, UK-based shipyard of C.Toms Ltd in the Fowey river is busy with new construction but is also in the process of a major upgrade and expansion.
This work which is currently in progress is designed to allow the yard to handle larger vessels brought in for refit and to facilitate the launching of new build work.
Currently the yard has two slipways with the largest capable of slipping boats up to 350 tonnes. With the alterations now taking place the smaller northern slipway will be filled in to create more winter storage area for yachts and the work previously handled by this slipway will be taken over by a large travel hoist that will operate in the yard.
Currently work is in progress to provide the facilities for this travel hoist to operate. This construction work is being carried out by Falmouth based Keynvor Moorlift (KML) who have deployed one of their flat top barges with a tracked crane alongside the yard and one of their heavy lift cranes which is currently moored in the harbour, to assist with the installation work. This crane, the BD6072 is a fully revolving unit capable of lifting up to 150 tonnes at a 20 metre radius.
The construction work involves strengthening the existing hard standing area in the yard and then building two piers out from the existing quay wall along with cutting into the quay wall in order to create the operating recess in which the travel hoist can work.
The 220 tonne travel hoist is being supplied by Boat Lift in Italy and sections are being brought in by road and then loaded onto one of the double ended ro-ro ferries that provide a car ferry service across the harbour at Bodinnick. These ferries are operated by the shipyard and their shallow draft allows them to operate alongside with the cargo discharged by the yard’s cranes. The construction work is planned to be completed by the autumn this year in time for the winter lay up where the yard provides the major winter storage area in Fowey harbour.
Allen Toms from the yard commented, “We now have new build work extending to eight vessels. With this new travel hoist the yard will be able to offer a much better service for commercial craft wanting repairs and refits and they will be able to be lifted out without having to wait for a slipway to be cleared. We aim to allocate one section of the yard for commercial and fishing vessels and the new hoist will also facilitate the launching of new construction where previously we had to wait until a slipway was clear before we could launch.”
By Dag Pike
