As part of the revival of water transportation, plans are underway to launch the first new shipyard in possibly a century or more on the River Thames in London. The Port of London Authority (PLA) is seeking written expressions of interest from shipyard operators with proven maritime repair, maintenance, and build capability to develop and operate a new facility on approximately 3.3 acres located at Albert Island Royal Docks London
According to the PLA, use of the Thames has been growing rapidly in recent years, with increasing passenger services, barge movements, and deep-sea trade. The planned shipyard forms part of Albert Island, London & Regional’s 25-acre, multimillion-pound industrial regeneration scheme in the Royal Docks. The whole area is undergoing significant transformation as London’s only Enterprise Zone and presents a unique opportunity for a skilled maritime operator to develop dedicated facilities and highly skilled jobs for local people, serving the UK’s busiest inland waterway. Continue reading “First new shipyard for more than a century planned for London”
Lifeboats are designed to save lives, but over the years there have been many serious casualties that have occurred during drills, routine maintenance operations and inspections of davit suspended boats fitted with on-load lifeboat release hooks. These accidents have also resulted in seafarers losing confidence in the lifeboat launching systems. 
