News Content

First Indian built floating dry dock by Katale Shipyard

Katale Shipyard steps into a sea of opportunities with its indigenously built floating dry dock which will greatly meet the heavy demand for ship repairs from vessels operating on the Indian offshore and the coast

The first floating dry dock to be built in India, at Katale Shipyard Pvt. Ltd., is ready and will be commissioned by end of March this year. The dry dock to be situated on the bank of Jaigad creek in Ratnagiri district on the West coast of India has a load capacity of 1800 tons, will be able to repairs ships of 100 mtrs length or two vessels of 40 mtrs simultaneously.

“Built at a cost of around $ 4 million this size of the floating dry dock is suitable for all offshore supply vessels, tugs, barges, mini bulk carriers and also for coast guard vessels operating on west coast of India in large number,” stated Sr. Manager Arvind Gupta who has been involved with the construction of this dry dock from the very beginning. “The opportunities in India for ship repairs are immense. We expect our dry dock to be continuously engaged with repairs. With the construction of the floating dry dock being completed it will be launched into waters and the operations will be done in the deep water available alongside. Katale Shipyard aims at becoming a world class shipyard and will serve the shipping requirement of the mercantile marine, offshore sectors of India.”

Giving details he informed that considering each vessel takes 10 to 15 days time for docking survey in dry dock; this facility will provide services for 2 or 3 ships per month and thus approx. 24 to 30 ships per year. The floating dry dock will be a big boon for repairs and maintenance including, engine overhauling for main engine & generators, complete vessel sand blasting & painting, shaft & propeller replacing , alignment, engine alignment and underwater area sand blasting & anti-fouling, besides others jobs.

Katale Shipyard is targeting mainly offshore and coastal vessels for which repairs facilities are hardly available in the country and ships have to go overseas to undertake the mandatory repairs. Every vessel requires docking survey and under water area inspection twice in the span of five years of operation as per rule requirement. As now it is need of the time to provide dry dock facility for the vessels operating on west coast Katale Shipyard are inducting this facility at an opportune time.

Katale shipyard is spread on a 20 acre land and has nearly 490 mtrs long water frontage having 6 to 8 mtrs deep water close to shore line.

The company is involved in construction of new building including barges, pontoons, yachts, and fishing boats. Besides, it also makes wooden dhow, pleasure boat of teak wood and hopper barges among others.

At present the company also has a multipurpose terminal and provides cargo service. This terminal is made for loading bulk cargo into barges and mini bulk carriers for coastal and export shipments. Loading rate 600 ton per hour is achieved while loading cargo into barges at this terminal. Export shipment of 39717 tons lateritic cargo is handled from this terminal successfully.
Source: Maritime Professional