Shiny, new, shipshape

TWO new metal cutting and shaping facilities and a ship bound for the Caribbean are the latest additions at In cat after a tough year.

Shipbuilder and Incat chairman Robert Clifford hopes his organisation’s recovery from COVID-19 comes sooner rather than later.

“It’s been a challenge, we haven’t lost too much but of course it’s affecting the market and all our customers are on hold ,” he said.

But Mr Clifford remained optimistic a“gang busters” season was in store as short sea trips and interstate commutes are favoured over international travel given the threat of corona virus.

Incat’s new inter-island ship Buccoo Reef will serve such a function, taking about four trips a day between the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.

“She’s all finished and ready to go, it’s great,” Mr Clifford said.

“The next one’s going to Spain, then South Korea, but the one after that’s on hold and the one after that needs work so there’s lots to get through.”

Buccoo Reef can hold up to 995 people at 100m long.

Closer to home, the new Max Creese and David Jones facilities at the Derwent Park shipbuilders were unveiled yesterday following two years of work.

The two manufacturing sheds, named after esteemed Tasmanian shipbuilders, will help Mr Clifford in his latest competitive goals.

The Jones shed has been designed for cutting aluminium before moving to the Creese shed for shaping and bending.

“It’s all about making it more efficient so there’s less movement of machinery ,” he said.

Though in hindsight Mr Clifford would have delayed the project amid the COVID-19 downturn, he expressed excitement to know the facilities were ready for a market boom.