Azura refit

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Ray B
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Azura refit

#1

Post by Ray B »

Just been reading that Azura is being refitted at Harland and Wolffs shipyard in Belfast. She was I believe slated to go to Spain but maybe the Covid situation has change that.
Nice to see P&O back with Harland and Wolff, it may be a number of years since the last PO ship was there.
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Kendhni
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Re: Azura refit

#2

Post by Kendhni »

Indeed it is parked right outside our office at the minute. It should actually have been doing med cruises and we should have been on her last week.

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towny44
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Re: Azura refit

#3

Post by towny44 »

Do H&W have a dry dock big enough for Azura?
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Kendhni
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Re: Azura refit

#4

Post by Kendhni »

No idea, but she isn't in dry dock (when we were up during the week) it is just berthed along side.
Last edited by Kendhni on 19 Sep 2021, 12:43, edited 1 time in total.

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towny44
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Re: Azura refit

#5

Post by towny44 »

She will need to go into dry dock to complete the critical part of her 5 yr service.
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Manoverboard
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Re: Azura refit

#6

Post by Manoverboard »

We were told that refitting in Belfast is being done under the guise of ' Fred ', info from ' Fred '.
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Ray B
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Re: Azura refit

#7

Post by Ray B »

towny44 wrote: 19 Sep 2021, 12:10
Do H&W have a dry dock big enough for Azura?
Had a look on the H&W site, they have a dry dock that could I assume comfortably take 190mt long Azura in the dry dock at 335mts by 50mts wide. Iona is 334mts so to big
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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Azura refit

#8

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

She's 290m long but you're right should still fit, assuming the depth is also adequate.

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Ray B
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Re: Azura refit

#9

Post by Ray B »

Sorry Merv, fat fingers, she is 290mts
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Happydays
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Re: Azura refit

#10

Post by Happydays »

When we were in Belfast recently on a staycation cruise we were told that H&W had been taken over by Fred Olsen

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Kendhni
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Re: Azura refit

#11

Post by Kendhni »

It was once owned by Fred Olsen (from 1989) it was put up for sale but there were no bidders. In the end an energy company, Infrastrata, picked it up for a bargain (2019?).
Last edited by Kendhni on 19 Sep 2021, 15:19, edited 1 time in total.

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barney
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Re: Azura refit

#12

Post by barney »

Happydays wrote: 19 Sep 2021, 14:46
When we were in Belfast recently on a staycation cruise we were told that H&W had been taken over by Fred Olsen
H&W recently bought the Appledore shipyard.
They are refitting Frigates.
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Manoverboard
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Re: Azura refit

#13

Post by Manoverboard »

Kendhni wrote: 19 Sep 2021, 15:18
It was once owned by Fred Olsen (from 1989) it was put up for sale but there were no bidders. In the end an energy company, Infrastrata, picked it up for a bargain (2019?).
We were told it was Freds' and that they were expanding in this sector ... in 2017
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Kendhni
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Re: Azura refit

#14

Post by Kendhni »

That would have been correct in 2017 - I am reasonably sure it was 2018 when it went for sale. I only know because it was (obviously) huge news over here with politicians doing their best to out-willy-wave each other as to who cared the most.

It was nice to see that when InfraStrata bought Appledoore they paid homage to the H&W heritage by renaming it H&W Appledoore
Last edited by Kendhni on 20 Sep 2021, 09:42, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Azura refit

#15

Post by barney »

They called it H&W Appledore because that’s what the company is called.
Nothing about paying homage.
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Ray B
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Re: Azura refit

#16

Post by Ray B »

I think the homage is to H&W barney. Appledore are the company that purchased it.
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Re: Azura refit

#17

Post by barney »

Empty vessels .. and all that

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Kendhni
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Re: Azura refit

#18

Post by Kendhni »

Ray B wrote: 21 Sep 2021, 09:32
I think the homage is to H&W barney. Appledore are the company that purchased it.
InfraStrata is the company that bought both H&W and Appledore. They renamed the Appledore yard to include H&W, probably because of the huge international reputation H&W had
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-53903667
Last edited by Kendhni on 21 Sep 2021, 10:30, edited 1 time in total.

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Ray B
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Re: Azura refit

#19

Post by Ray B »

From Azura going in for a refit we have had a potted lesson of the great shipyard H&W, most interesting.
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Kendhni
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Re: Azura refit

#20

Post by Kendhni »

Ray B wrote: 21 Sep 2021, 13:50
From Azura going in for a refit we have had a potted lesson of the great shipyard H&W, most interesting.
Indeed, the bit I thought was funny though was that Appledore had only one employee prior to being purchased by InfraStrata.
Here's hoping that both yards can make a go of it.

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barney
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Re: Azura refit

#21

Post by barney »

That one employee is my wife’s cousin.
He was kept on when Babcock pulled out, to keep a presence on site. He’s worked there since he left school.
Babcock pulled out for their own commercial decision but it wasn’t because of lack of work, because they had actually stopped quoting for work.
They transferred some of the staff to Plymouth, a two hour each way commute.
Most of those skilled people are now back working locally.
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Ray B
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Re: Azura refit

#22

Post by Ray B »

Azura has arrived in Hamburg.
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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Azura refit

#23

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

The word on Facecloth (always accurate of course) is she's going to have a crack welded. Similar thing happened to Ventura. Not clear if they're doing anything else or not at this point, but it would seem daft not to do so when she's out of service anyway, rather than have to take her out again later.

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screwy
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Re: Azura refit

#24

Post by screwy »

Our granddaughters partner did some work on Azura last year while she was in Weymouth bay. He said at the time there was a large Crack across one of the decks.
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Ray B
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Re: Azura refit

#25

Post by Ray B »

I hope they put their best welders on the job to repair the crack, I am on it in March. We don't want a cut and shunt job done on it. :lol:
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