Boat manufacturers across the European Union are being invited to tender for a contract to build a new 12-metre vessel for Falmouth Harbour Commissioners (FHC).
The new vessel will replace FHC’s existing mooring maintenance vessel, Pendennis, which has been in operation since 1980. The closing date to ‘request to participate’ in the tender is 12 noon on Monday, February 22.
The new 12-metre steel-hull catamaran, which is based on the design of Pendennis, will be primarily used for maintaining small craft moorings. It will also be used for other operational activities such as the servicing of navigation marks, undertaking limited salvage and any counter pollution duties.
The contract, which is estimated to be worth around £400k, will be awarded in accordance with the European Union’s procurement procedures. FHC hopes to place an order in April and take delivery of the new vessel, which has been designed by Naval Architect Ian Darley, before the end of the year.
Mark Sansom, chief executive and harbour master, said: “Pendennis has served us very well for 36 years but it has now reached a point where maintaining it is uneconomical.
“Having reviewed all the options for replacing it we concluded that no off-the-shelf replacement design would carry out the range of tasks as efficiently and effectively as our existing craft. The new vessel has therefore been purpose designed based closely on Pendennis.
“Due to the estimated value of the contract and the fact that we are a Trust Port, we are obliged to follow the strict EU procurement process. We look forward to receiving applications and very much hope that local businesses will be interested in tendering.”
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