Dales expands repair facilities
Leith drydock is part of the expansion plans at Dales Marine Services
Aberdeen-based ship repair and maintenance specialist, Dales Marine Services, has expanded its operations on Scotland’s east coast with the lease of a dry dock at the Port of Leith and a workshop at Montrose.
Managing Director, Maurice Nicol, said: “The additional facilities are another major step forward for Dales Marine and will reinforce our current activities and open up significant new opportunities. Over the past five years, we have regenerated the dry dock at Aberdeen and have the skills, experience and, now, the wider resources to build on that success.”
Part of the Dales Group, based in Peterhead, Dales Marine was established there in 1987, moving in 1991 to Aberdeen where it has leased the two acre harbour site and 112m x 21m x 6.5m dry dock since 2004. There are already more than 20 vessels booked for dry docking at Aberdeen in 2010.
Dales Marine is now operating the Imperial dry dock at Leith on an initial 10-year lease from Forth Ports and is to invest around £250,000 in an upgrade and overhaul, including gate seals, hydraulics, pipework, sluices and pumps, with the dock to be available for use by 1 March. Offshore industry vessels, ferries, tugs and commercial shipping are among the potential users of the Imperial Dock where 30-40 jobs could be created in the first year of operation.
Dales Marine already uses Montrose Harbour to carry out work afloat on vessels based there and on overspill projects during times when the port of Aberdeen is particularly busy. “Leasing a workshop from Montrose Port Authority for three years from 1 February, with an option to extend, reflects the potential we see to develop there, with the aim of making it a stand-alone business,” explained Nicol.
Dales Marine also undertakes contracts afloat at various ports around the UK and overseas and also makes use of the dry dock at Fraserburgh on an ad hoc basis.
