Birkenhead based marine specialist V&A Hydraulics has completed maintenance work on the Liverpool Pilotage Service vessels.
V&A Hydraulics secured the work with marine contractors and environmental services firm Briggs Marine, of Fife, Scotland, which recently took charge of the overall vessel maintenance contract.
The Liverpool Pilotage Service which is one of the oldest of its kind and is officially celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. The Liverpool Pilots navigate ships in and out of the Port of Liverpool, which is surrounded by some of the toughest waters in the world. Ships entering Liverpool Bay and the River Mersey face serious hazards and rely on the skills and knowledge of pilots to ensure their safe passage.
In turn, the pilots depend on the reliability of the current generation of vessels, the high-speed launches which deliver them safely to and from ships in Liverpool Bay.
V&A managing director Vic Seddon said: “We were drafted in by Briggs Marine to provide support with the hydraulic systems aboard the Liverpool Pilot launches Fulmar and Dunlin.
“We completed a pump flow and pressure test on the Fulmar. The pumps were failing due to an inherited problem from the initial installation which was detrimental to their integrity.
“We installed two new pumps as fast as possible in order to get the vessel operational and back out in service. We had a similar call on Dunlin, but in this case it was due to a major fire onboard, before Briggs took over, which burned out the steering gear. The vessel was eight months out of service, but has now been recommissioned by Briggs.
“It has been a privilege for us to be involved in this one-off piece of work with the Liverpool pilot boats which are so well known in the Merseyside region, and in particular this year which marks a special anniversary for the historic service. As a fellow Merseyside business we have taken great pride delivering this work.”
V&A Hydraulics is a specialist pipework installation company with a marine orientation, which has more than 30 years’ experience in the hydraulics industry and has undertaken work in around 20 countries.
While around 70 per cent of the company’s work is for the maritime sector, its customers cover the full range of industries including defence, steelworks, paper mills, power stations, aerospace, petrochemical and automotive.
For further information contact V&A Hydraulics on 0151 647 3354 or email: info@vahydraulics.com
Notes to editors
V&A Hydraulics
V&A has the personnel and equipment to provide a complete professional installation service for new pipework and the skills to modify existing pipework systems and networks.
The company is highly experienced in servicing hydraulic equipment overhaul, fault finding, pressure testing, hydraulic flushing of pipework systems and the repair of pipework systems worldwide. It has undertaken contracts all over Europe, in the US and the Caribbean.
It operates an ISO 9001 certified quality management system for pipework installation, hydraulic system upgrades and maintenance.
Briggs Marine
Briggs Marine, of Burntisland, Fife, Scotland, has more than 40 years of experience working in the maritime sector. Experts in coastal and near-shore operations, as well as vessel management and maintenance, Briggs Marine is also highly involved in offshore and subsea with marine services ranging from vessel charter to subsea cables, marine salvage and diving.