(October 9th 2001)
Ro-Ro Keel Laid
Yesterday saw the first of two roro ferries being built for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) begin to take shape, as the first keel section was laid at Harland & Wolff's Belfast shipyard.
Measuring 22m x 26m x 8.6m, the 480-tonne weldment for the vessel - to be named Hartland Point - was lowered into position by the yard's 840-tonne capacity Goliath crane.
Robert Hunter, the Yard's project manager for the contract said "Although a substantial amount of steelwork for the vessel is progressing through our facilities, the physical appearance of any vessel in the Building Dock always marks a watershed in a shipbuilding contract."
"The coming weeks will see further installation and assembly of hull weldments as the vessel begins to take shape."
Harland & Wolff is building two of the six ships ordered under the Government's Strategic Sealift Programme. Hartland Point is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2002 and the second vessel, to be named Anvil Point, is due for completion in the first quarter of 2003. The remaining four vessels are to be built in Germany.