9 July 2012
The Shoreham Port Dry Dock, completely refurbished over the last two years, is attracting a steady stream of trade this summer.
For the last week or so, the 26 metre long beam trawler ‘Our Miranda’ has been in the dock to be repaired, cleaned and painted and to undergo its annual DTI classification inspection and survey. Keith Wadey, Assistant Port Engineer, said “these regular checks are important to carry out; it’s almost like an MOT for sea vessels”. Although ‘Our Miranda’ is registered in Newhaven she is based at Brixham in Devon and fishes the waters off the south west coast of England.
Over the summer period, the dry dock will welcome the survey vessel ‘Discovery’ to have a new high-tech sonar pod fitted to the underside of the hull, and ‘Discovery’ will be followed by another survey vessel, the ‘Ariedirk’. ‘Ariedirk’ will be docked for about three weeks while a number of steel hull plates are replaced.
After ‘Ariedirk’ comes the Shoreham Port tug ‘Adurni’ for its own annual DTI classification inspection and survey and then the Steam Tug ‘Challenge’. ‘Challenge’ is well known as own of the Dunkirk ‘little ships’ that rescued 300,000 British and French soldiers from under the noses of the advancing German army in May and June 1940. ‘Challenge’ has been awarded a substantial sum from National Lottery Funds to be restored to working condition in time for the Dunkirk Evacuation 75th Anniversary celebrations.
