First workboat arrives at Ports of Jersey

Ports of Jersey was incorporated in 2015 with the government of Jersey its 100% shareholder. The largest of the Channel Islands, Jersey is dependent on its lifeline connections to the outside world by both air and sea, whereby it is of vital importance to maintain the island’s air and sea ports. The Ports is also responsible for running Jersey’s Coastguard service.

Maintaining the port and outlying harbours requires multi-purpose tug/workboat type vessels and its fleet has grown to satisfy these demands, now numbering four also put to profitable use in markets beyond the confines of the Channel Islands.

The latest addition is the Neptune Shipyards EuroCarrier 2611 Viking Energy, which was built in 2019 and operated by Stewart Marine Ltd. Now, along with Ports of Jersey’s three Damen Shoalbuster tugs and managed by its Marine Services Team, it will operate around the UK and EU, supporting marine projects as part of the Ridderkerk, Netherlands-based Landfall Marine Contractors fleet. At the time of writing it was in the Aegean Sea showing destination Rotterdam after working on a project in Romania.

Viking Energy is a DP1, shallow-draught multipurpose vessel of 26m length, 11m beam and a minimum draught of 2.12m. Twin Caterpillar C32 main engines power fixed-pitch propellers in nozzles delivering a bollard pull of 35 tons. Deck equipment includes two Ridderinkhof winches along with two Heila deck cranes and the usual fit of other deck equipment standard with such multi-purpose vessels. It includes an optional four-point mooring system, mass flow system for subsea cable burial and capability of ROV operations.

The three other vessels in Jersey’s service vessel fleet are all Damen Shoalbuster tugs.

Duke of Normandy is a SB2609 marque, delivered to the port when it was named Jersey Harbours, in 2005 and providing a bollard pull of 28.3 tons. Next to arrive in 2021 was another newbuild, Duchess, a SB2711 design offering a greater bollard pull of 42.8 tons. Earlier in 2023 its largest Shoalbuster arrived in the form of the SB3209 (51.6 tons bollard pull), Elisa. Built in 2017 as Isa it was previously operated by Dutch tug owner ISA Towage BV.

As with Viking Energy, all three Shoalbusters are operated by Landfall Marine and again, at the time of writing, and further illustrating the wide areas of operation for Ports of Jersey’s vessels, Duchess and Duke of Normandy are located in Rotterdam, while Elisa is in Liverpool.

“I am pleased to see the continuing success of our marine services team, which has developed a new income stream for Ports of Jersey,” said Head of Marine Services Donford Nicholas. “Our small fleet of workboats will support our investment in Jersey’s future.

“As always, any profit from our operating activities off-island is ploughed back into the business, as we continue to develop and invest in services for the benefit of Islanders, visitors, and businesses.”