More Meercats emerge with company move

With production requirements increasing, the company’s original premises at Mill View Barn in Butlocks Heath were becoming untenable. The new boat building shed is the oldest shed on the Trafalgar Wharf site. Most recently home to VT Halmatic, the facility has had shipbuilding as its core activity since being built in 1933.

With in excess of 10,000 sq/ft of covered space available, Meercats now have the capability of producing multiples of vessels concurrently. Although the shed is in good serviceable condition, it has been upgraded with the installation of two 15ton Goliath gantry cranes. Besides being extremely efficient in assisting with the builds, the cranes will be able to move completed hulls around the facility.

The move will also enable the company to offer a larger range of vessels. Being on the waterfront with a slipway right outside the main door provides Meercat Workboats with the ability to build non-road transportable vessels of up to 100 ton deck loading capability as well as larger versions of their existing dismountable multi-hull designs. Sales had occasionally been lost in the past due to long lead times but that will no longer be a problem as a result of the new facility.

The successful 15.5m twin and triple hulled Meercats are now being offered as 16.5m versions, and the next newbuild, for Swedish owners Jurstaholms Marina Entreprenader, will be the first of these ‘stretched’ versions.

Meercat’s principal Peter Smith and Jurstaholms’ Stefan Thiger have had considerable negotiations with the Swedish shipping authorities to agree design criteria which enable the vessels to be certified under the Swedish flag. The resulting design has proved a challenging but ultimately rewarding achievement in meeting the high levels of safety and comfort demanded by Swedish regulations.

The Jurstaholms vessel will be fitted out to a very high standard, with electric tiller steering and autopilot, a fully remote controlled Palfinger hydraulic deck crane and a 10 ton deck winch. In order to meet Swedish regulations which call for only 65db noise levels in the wheelhouse, resilient rubber mounts are being used.

The vessel will feature WaterMota supplied keel cooled, turbocharged Doosan marine diesel engines driving propleers in each of the twin hulls.

This first boat to be built in No.5 Boat Shop marks a new chapter in the evolution of Meercat Workboats. Enquiries are coming in to the company from all corners and there will surely be significant interest when this first 16.5m Meercat appears on the floating pontoon at Seawork 2010 in June.