Cicek Shipyard to return to ship repair market

TURKISH shipbuilder Cicek Shipyard is to return to the ship repair market utilising its Panamax building dock at Tuzla Bay.

The company has been concentrating on new ship construction since 2003 but with the downturn in the market, it has decided to broaden its activities so as to maintain employment for its skilled workforce and to maximise utilisation of its dry dock and fitting out quays.

With an internal length of 225 metres and a width of 37.5 metres, the dock is capable of accommodating most Panamax vessels. Furthermore, the availability of a 300 tonne gantry crane on the dock will enable Cicek to undertake conversion projects as well as more routine repairs and dry dockings.

In early May, the 58,000 deadweight tonne bulk carrier Kaptan Arif Bayraktar was floated out of the dry dock, clearing the way for this facility to switch to ship repair. However the company will continue to construct newbuildings in its yard utilising two slipways, one capable of accommodating ships up to 26,000 dwt and the other suited to the construction of smaller, more specialised vessels up to 5,000 dwt.

Cicek has already won its first ship repair contact with the 35,795 dwt Italian chemical tanker Maritea. She will undergo an intermediate survey together with some general maintenance work.

(Source:www.schednet.com)