Karstensens Skibsværft at Skagen on the northern tip of Jutland has always been a busy place, but for the last few years activity at the shipyard has been breaking its own records.
During the leaner years when many shipyards concentrated on work for the oil industry, Karstensens stuck to its roots in fishing. Today the oil business is in the doldrums courtesy of low oil prices, there’s a surplus of tonnage in that sector and many yards are short of work.
At the same time, Karstensens has a full orderbook that will keep it busy for the next few years, plus no shortage of repair work and a steady flow of prospects for future newbuilds coming in.
‘It wasn’t just that we stayed with fishing, we also developed our own designs,’ said the yard’s Kent Damgaard. ‘It has helped us a lot that we design with the owner’s involvement. It’s a close co-operation that gives them a lot in input and involvement from the start. Details are important,’ he said. ‘We’ve been doing the smaller stuff better and better.’
It’s noticeable that of the dozen pelagic vessels on order for delivery between now and the beginning of 2019, all but one are the yard’s own designs.
‘The new Voyager is designed by Salt Ship Design. All the rest are ours,’ he said.
The roster of vessels on order almost reads like a Who’s Who of the north Atlantic pelagic sector.
Pathway in May and Grateful in July for owners in Scotland are the next in line, then Voyager in the summer closely followed by the new Aine and Rockall at the end of the year.
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