The Channel Islands authority, Guernsey Harbours’ new Meercat Boats steel multirole vessel is nearing completion. The steel workboat has been specifically designed to delivery the myriad of duties that the port and harbour authority’s require.

The Meercat MRV15 is a 15.6m steel multirole vessel which features a new side wheelhouse configuration. The vessel’s design was extremely challenging due to the complexity of the multiple tasks that the workboat is expected to undertake.

Guernsey Harbours, manages four marinas, plus 1,850 berths and moorings. It also operates and maintains over 60 navigational aids and delivers 330,000 tonnes per annum of essential supplies to the Bailiwick.

Martyn Stanfield of Guernsey Harbours said: “As the Channel Islands are renowned for their challenging tidal flows and myriad of marina and port support and maintenance requirements to the leisure and commercial markets, Guernsey Harbours’ new workboat needed to be able to operate in all weather and sea conditions, and we are confident the MRV15 will do just that. Meercat was chosen for due to its impressive build quality and the opportunity to take a standard specification and work with the design team to build a truly bespoke vessel for our needs. The wide variety of on board equipment combined with exacting performance requirements will result in a highly versatile vessel. Following our surveyor’s recent visit, we are delighted with the progress and quality of the build, and we look forward to the vessel’s launch this September. The team at Meercat have been great to work with and have proactively communicated with Guernsey Harbours during the build of this vessel.”

Following the painting of her hull and topsides, when the engines were also fitted, the Meercat Boats’ production team is currently painting the wheelhouse as well as the inner voids, including the engine room. Following the fitting of the two Doosan engines, these engines were then carefully extracted, in preparation for the engine room to receive its paint job. Delivery is scheduled for September.

Meercat Boats, renowned as UK’s leading builder of versatile steel workboats, launched its new multirole vessel (MRV) range at Seawork International in Southampton, in June.

The new range reflects Meercat Boats’ enhanced designs, which are a natural evolution of the vessels which have been built over the past ten years and created in conjunction with naval architect firm, Walker Marine Design, headquartered in Hamble, near Southampton, UK.

The Meercat name has been long regarded as synonymous with versatility and unsurpassed build quality, which results in strong residuals and repeat customers.

Since its inception in 2009, Meercat Boats has delivered multirole steel workboats to numerous sectors for use in port harbour servicing, fish farms, ship servicing, as well as UK wind farms. Meercat Boats is ideally placed to build workboats for maritime operators via outright purchase or lease, due to numerous purchaser and operator incentives, including buy-back, charter and part-exchange options.

Meercat has vessels undertaking port and harbour servicing, civil engineering, aquaculture support, rescue and the renewables; operating in the UK, Middle East, Europe, Africa, Saudi Arabia and Australia, in addition to other locations.

Clients include; BAE Systems, Williams Shipping, Associated British Ports, The Scottish Salmon Company, Dawnfresh, Zamil Offshore and Belfast Harbour Commissioners.

Take a look at the photos and video of this stage of the build, and watch Meercat Boats’ Business Development Manager, John Buck’s, video update below: