Burntisland, Scotland, based Briggs Marine has placed an order for an ORC 121 pilot launch with Great Yarmouth, England, based Goodchild Marine Services. This will be the sixth Goodchild ORC in the Briggs Marine fleet and the company says that the order targets a market where demand is currently outstripping supply.
The investment will enable Briggs Marine to offer charter opportunities for pilot launches, a service which, the company believes, will continue to grow as many ports struggle with aging fleets.
The new pilot launch has been designed to be road transportable allowing Briggs Marine to be both highly reactive to customers’ timescales and more fuel efficient when transporting the vessel longer distances.
“We are delighted to be providing Briggs with an ORC 121 which is a 12 meter long vessel. We have previously supplied ORC 171s and ORC 136s but this vessel is shorter enabling it to be road transportable,” said Steven Pierce, of Goodchild Marine, which will be manufacturing and delivering the vessel to Briggs Marine in 2023.
“The other benefit to this vessel of course, is that the semi displacement hull design of the ORC is about 40% more fuel efficient than counterparts of similar size, helping to reduce emissions,” Pierce added.
In the lead up to celebrating its 50th anniversary, Briggs Marine is continuing to upgrade its assets and work towards reducing the environmental impact of the fleet.
“We are extremely pleased to confirm that Briggs Marine is continuing to invest in its fleet.” said general manager Rob Baker. “This latest project will enable current and future customers more modern and efficient pilot launch options.
This is the sixth pilot launch we’ve commissioned with Goodchild Marine in the last eight years. The first five vessels have enabled us to provide first-class pilot services in the port of Liverpool and this service is now extended to other customers through this charter opportunity.”
Other recent investments for Briggs Marine include a Crew Transfer Vessel in 2021, a new multipurpose workboat and three new line handling vessels to support a range of customers.
Family-owned Briggs Marine is a leading provider of marine and environmental services, specializing in port and marine operations, subsea and environmental support and vessel charter.
Source: https://www.marinelog.com/inland-coastal/coastal/briggs-marine-orders-new-pilot-launch/
