SENTINEL MARINE MAKE FURTHER FLEET INVESTMENT WITH NEW PLATFORM SUPPLY VESSEL
Offshore support vessel operator Sentinel Marine is adding to its state-of-the-art fleet with the purchase and major refit of a multi-role ship. The Aberdeen based firm, which has just seen the eighth of nine new builds commence operations in the North Sea, expects that Scotian Sentinel will enter service in November as a Group A combined PSV/ERRV.
The vessel, which will perform a dual platform supply and emergency response and rescue role, was purchased from a Canadian seller and is currently in drydock where she is being upgraded to fully comply with UK standards.
It comes just a few weeks after Bailey Sentinel, which led to the creation of a further 24 jobs at Sentinel Marine, arrived in Aberdeen following construction at a shipyard in China. One further ERRV will complete the firm’s fleet of new-build ships – the youngest and most efficient in the North Sea - and is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2019.
The recent investment has resulted in dozens of new jobs being created both on and offshore, with 350 people now employed by the firm. The growth in staff numbers at Sentinel Marine’s Aberdeen headquarters has led to the firm relocating to new, larger premises at The Exchange on Market Street.
Sentinel Marine Chief Executive Officer Rory Deans said that having such a high quality fleet – offering a comfortable, reliable and modern environment to work in - had allowed the firm to attract the industry’s very best talent.
He added: “The expansion of our team both on and offshore has been in tandem with the development of our fleet, and we had reached the point where we had simply outgrown our old offices. Our new premises provide us with three times the floor space.
“While our purpose-built ERRVs are attractive to operators because of their multi-role capabilities, their reliability and their efficiency, these vessels have also been instrumental in allowing us to attract employees of the very highest calibre.
“As well as recruiting skilled and established seamen, we also invest very heavily in staff development and nurturing new talent. Our first cadet graduated this year after three years of study and has commenced employment as a ship’s engineer. We now have eight cadets – four deck officer and four engineer officer – who are studying towards their first certificate of competency.”
