Dales Marine Services

First Catamaran Dry Docks At Dales Marine's Aberdeen Facility
19 January 2009

The versatility of Dales Marine Services' Aberdeen facility is being demonstrated again with the arrival (Saturday 17 January) of a catamaran in its dry dock for the first time.

The ferry, Pentalina, built in the Philippines, was delivered in December to its owners, Pentland Ferries, in Orkney, to undergo final fitting-out and tests, including an underwater survey and painting by Dales Marine over several days.

Michael Milne, Dales Marine Director and General Manager, said: "The work on the Pentalina is another demonstration of the range of vessels we can accommodate and of our ability to turn work around quickly to meet clients' schedules."

The Pentalina, 81.5 metres long, with 20 metre beam and a draught of 2.5 metres, can carry 9 articulated lorries, more than 30 cars, and 250 passengers. Larger and faster, she will replace the Claymore which has also been dry docked previously in Aberdeen for work by Dales Marine, as has Pentland Ferries' Pentalina B.

The new, 18-knot ferry is due to enter service in January on the shortest route across the Pentland Firth, between Gill's Bay, on the Scottish mainland, and St Margaret’s Hope, on South Ronaldsay, Orkney.

Dales Marine, part of the Dales Group, provides ship repair, dry docking, fabrication and engineering activities in Aberdeen – where it operates around-the-clock - and elsewhere for a variety of industries.

Established in 1987 in Peterhead, Dales has been in the Aberdeen since 1991, leasing a two-acre site and dry dock – at 112m x 21m x 6.5m, the largest privately-operated facility in Scotland – since 2004. Shipping handled includes oil-related vessels, ferries, tugs, tankers and cargo vessels.