The Colombo Dockyard PLC laid the keel to commence shipbuilding work on the third boat for the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). The ceremony marked the commencement of the hull construction work of the 19 Meter Fast Pilot Boat. Minister of Ports and Shipping Sagala Ratnayaka was the chief guest at the event. The boat is expected on August 13, 2020.
President of Onomichi Dockyard Co. Ltd of Japan (the parent company of Colombo Dockyard), T. Nakabe, and Chairman DOCK H. Tanaka were present at the event. The 19m boat is designed by MACDUFF of Scotland. The boat will serve to transport pilots from shore to ship. The boat can accommodate a total number of 8 persons including four crew members and four pilots and it can achieve a service speed around 22 knots.
The boat is designed to hold a high degree of stability and comfort in all weather conditions and the will provide a stable platform during embarking and disembarking pilots.
By building the boat requirement in Sri Lanka, SLPA helps develop the economy of the country by developing the local shipbuilding industry. The local ventures such as the dockyard generate a large number of direct and indirect employment opportunities and develop the skills and technical know-how of the local workmen and help save on valuable foreign exchange.
The dockyard operates in collaboration with Onomichi Dockyard Company Limited of Japan who owns a stake of 51% at Colombo Dockyard PLC while Sri Lankan Government institutions have a 35% shareholding at Colombo Dockyard.
Colombo Dockyard has proposed an 85 meter patrol vessel for the coast guard of Sri Lanka.
The said vessel will aid in the protection of Sri Lankan waters. As the leader of the Shipbuilding Industry in Sri Lanka, the Dockyard continuously proves its excellence by successfully securing shipbuilding projects both local and worldwide. The company is the front runner of Sri Lankan industrialization and is one of the main contributors to the Government’s National Export Strategy from the Shipbuilding sector.
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