Royal Daffodil

[James Curry]

The new Mersey Ferry is well under way at Cammel Lairds shipyard.

AA1Hyf4b ferry across the mersey.jpg

AA1HxloQ Royal Daffodil.jpg

AA1HylZT Royal Daffodil 2.jpg

She was ordered in 2023 and if all goes well she should enter service in 2026. It would be great if the builders can deliver her on time and on budget.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/...d=BingNewsSerp

[happy daze john in oz]

All now bult under cover.

Maybe this is why they go over budget and time.

[James Curry]

Building under cover John is nothing new. All ships this days are built in Modules. One advantage is no matter what the weather is doing fabrication can continue. Small craft like this will be rolled out and finished alongside a fitting out berth. Larger vessels the modules are lifted into place in a building dock and welded together. Okay it may well rain but at least the job will progress quicker.
Japan & Korea can build a ship from first steel cutting to entering service within 6 months.
Makes one wonder what goes on in the defence industry ship building and the costs!!! no real competition so they can happily rip the tax payer off, MP's will be well looked after I am sure.

[John Arton]

James
3 years to build a new Mersey ferry?, even allowing for design, funding etc. 3 years build time doesn't really smack of efficiency.
Rgds
J.A

[Des Jenkins]

Hi John
Perhaps they should take a leaf out of the wartime builders in the States biild a ship in a fortnight.
Des

[James Curry]

James
3 years to build a new Mersey ferry?, even allowing for design, funding etc. 3 years build time doesn't really smack of efficiency.
Rgds
J.A

John the ferry was ordered in December 2023. The keel was laid early 2025. Looks to me as if they are well on with the build so far. Let's have positive thoughts here. Surely it can not end up like the disaster that is the Glen Sanox & Glen Rosa being built at Fergusons. The cost increase for the Glen Rosa has been bumped another £35million. The Royal Daffodil is costed out at £26 million,. Fingers crossed it is on buget and delivered on time. If so could reall kick start ship building on the Mersey again.

[John Arton]

James
Certainly hope so that they can get commercial ship building back on the Mersey.
Many years ago C.P built 3 container ships in cammell lairds.
They were ice strengthened built like the preverbial outhouse but suffered terrible vibration problems due to harmonic vibration in the steering flat.
Regretfully industrial disputes led them to be delays in delivery to such an extent that a Canadian Pacific executive was appointed in an effort to turn around the industrial disputes and revitalise the yard but failed. Led to the decline in the yard but that was many years ago. We used to use them for minor repairs when I was in stolt tankers and we found them excellent and speedy workers.
Rgds
J.A

[James Curry]

Cammel Lairds is the Yard of choice for the RFA ships and has been for several years. When the yard went burst years ago Wirral council wanted the land and really wantwed the Yard to close. Not sure who it was but they fought the council and thankfully the yard does seem to be moving forward.
They did not cover themselves in glory though when it came to the building of the Artic research vessel Sir David Attenborough. 2 years late and £milions over budget.