Features: - Tanker Operator

INDUSTRY - GIBRALTAR REPORT
Most service providers hire boats, such as these seen at Algeciras, as and when necessary.
throat” due to the increase in vessel calls at
both locations for bunkers, crew changes and
supplies.
ISS uses local Spanish agency Berge
Maritima in Algeciras as sub-agents.
They both agreed that Gibraltar was a good
place to arrest vessels as the agency work is
guaranteed as is crew wages until they are
repatriated, following a sale.
As for the future, it was “….more of the
same”. ISS was looking for a larger share of
the passing traffic, which could make use of
the Eastern Anchorage as the Western
Anchorage was virtually full. To expedite calls
at the anchorages, clearance is accomplished
by means of VHF.
One problem for the local agents are the
number of stowaways arriving in Gibraltar
and elsewhere in Spain. ISS represents several
of the leading P&I clubs and will deal with
the problem as and when necessary.
ISS can trace its history on the Rock back
to 1877. In 1992, the agency acquired another
old established player in the market – Lambert
Brothers.
According to ISS, Gibraltar offers owners,
managers and charterers competitive services
due to the high turnover. For example, the
average stay for a vessel in the Western
Anchorage bunker slots is around six to eight
hours. Several vessels often anchor or slow
steam off the Rock, waiting for a slot to
become vacant.
Costs, both for calls and services, are kept
to a minimum, due to Gibraltar’s unique status
of being tax free within the European Union.
ISS also said that the Gibraltar Government
continuously monitors the shipping market
and its players to ensure a competitive
environment for the benefit of vessels using
the many services on offer.
The company has been certificated to ISO
9001:2000 standard by Lloyd’s Register
Quality Assurance (LRQA), operates its own
global QA team and has issued an ISS Code
of Excellence.
Disbursement accounts (DAs) are
standardised throughout the company for
reduced admin costs and better efficiency. In
Gibraltar, ISS has implemented an improved
DA turnaround to reduce any backlog.
For example when calling for bunkers, an
electronic DA submission is issued within 48
hours of the operation and for husbandry, the
submission is made within 20 days. A single
point of contact is offered 24/7 to all vessels
and their principals calling under the agency.
Engineering
There are several smaller engineering
concerns offering repair and maintenance
services in both Gibraltar and Algeciras.
One, Sandvik Marine Electronics, has
experienced significant growth during the past
two to three years as during a period of low
freights, owners and managers are more prone
to repair and maintain existing electronic
equipment on board ship, rather than order
new replacements, service manager John King
explained.
King said that Sandvik had experienced an
upturn in maintenance tasks, but this was a
less lucrative business when compared with a
replacement of a part, or complete electronic
section. He also revealed that Sandvik was
going through a period of expansion with
more branches opening in Spain.
He described the company’s operation as
twofold. One was to maintain and repair
bridge equipment on vessels already on
extended contracts (about 40 thus far) and the
other was to attract passing traffic, as a large
stock of spares is kept in both Gibraltar and
Algeciras, especially of older generation
bridge equipment for which spares could be
difficult to source.
Sandvik maintains and repairs many OEM’s
bridge equipment and the company has been
approved by most of the major class societies.
For example, radar, VDR, GMDSS, Satcom,
gyro and autopilot installations are carried out
and radio and VDR surveys are also offered.
A major advantage claimed for the area is
that an engineer/technician is able to embark
OPL Gibraltar or Algeciras to install, or
repair/maintain a piece of equipment,
disembarking at for example - off Malta, or
the eastern Mediterranean – a few days later.
The company employs six engineers in the
area, but King admitted that recruiting
technicians was becoming a problem.
Sandvik’s clients are 60% Scandinavian,
due to its Nordic background – it was founded
more than 25 years ago in Oslo landing in the
southern Spain area in 1994. Today, the
company represents Kongsberg on the Iberian
Peninsular.
In Gibraltar, the office trades under the
name of Sandvik Services Ltd, while in Spain
it is known as Sandvik Marine Electronics.
Following TAKEROperator’s visit to
Gibraltar, King was travelling to Turkey as he
saw potential for new business in the recent
fleet expansion in that country and also with
the plethora of small shipyards, especially in
the Tuzla Bay area.
Rapid growth
Since the early days of Barwil on the Rock,
consisting of just one agent working out of a
small office, its successor Wilhelmsen Ships
Service (WSS) has experienced rapid growth
in the region.
Gibraltar operations manager Nicholai Bado
claimed that during the last five to six years,
WSS had experienced significant growth per
annum, gaining a large share of the market.
One of the driving forces of this growth
pattern was the integration of Unitor and its
products a few years ago. WSS can now offer a
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TANKEROperator November/December 2009