The Slippurinn yard in Akureyri in the north of Iceland has been busy with work for companies in Greenland and Canada, and more on the way.
According to Bjarni Pétursson of the yard’s ship service division, this is very positive, although this level of activity is unusual at this time of year.
‘Canadian longliner Kiwiuq has been here for a while during the winter and we’re completing some maintenance work on board,’ he said.
Also from Canada, freezer trawler Saputi is undergoing a refit that includes steelwork, repairs to the winch system, painting the processing deck, repairs to the trawl blocks, steering gear maintenance and an all-over paint job.
Greenlandic freezer trawler Angunnguaq II is also at the yard for a range of maintenance work, inside and out. Added to these is a Norwegian aquaculture service vessel that has been in operation off the north-west of Iceland.
‘This is a catamaran that has been to us before for minor repair work, and the owners were satisfied enough with the services we’ve provided that they decided to come to us for some larger-scale maintenance, instead of taking it back to Norway,’ he said.
This job entails replacing the two main engines and repairs to six propellers, and more.
‘It’s a big job for us, and it’s positive that we get to service the growing aquaculture sector in Iceland,’ Bjarni Pétursson said.
‘All these jobs reflect the strength of the offering we have at Slippurinn’s ship service division in taking on a variety of tasks. We have a great deal of expertise, know-how and experience among our workforce and facilities to cope with these jobs, and we can see that our customers trust us,’ he said, commenting that this work has come through tenders and direct approaches.
‘There’s a lot of competition in the service sector in northern Europe, while for companies in Canada and Greenland it makes a difference not having to steam further than to Iceland,’ he said and commented that this work for customers in other countries is welcome during the winter months as Icelandic operators prefer to dry-dock their vessels in the spring.
