TRIMLINE TAKES ON MAJOR RFA PROJECT


Southampton-based marine outfitters Trimline have secured their biggest programme with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary after agreeing a multi-million pound contract to refurbish the forward repair and maintenance ship RFA Diligence.

Trimline will carry out an eight-month upgrade of the 1983-built vessel which will see major refurbishment to her accommodation, crew facilities and general operational areas while she is being refitted at North West Shiprepairers in Birkenhead.

The contract follows earlier large refurbishment tasks carried out by Trimline on the RFA tankers Gold Rover and Black Rover, although the project on the 8,000 tons Diligence will be far bigger in scope.

It will be a turn-key project with Trimline providing, where appropriate, design, plus stripping out existing areas, manufacture or procurement of new furniture and fittings, redecoration, installation and commissioning, supported by a considerable programme of electrical and plumbing work.

Trimline Sales and Marketing Director Mike Oliver explained: “This further cements the successful relationship we have forged with the RFA on the Black Rover and Gold Rover projects. However, the Diligence will be a far bigger challenge and is one of the biggest refits that we have undertaken in recent times.

“We have already worked closely with the RFA in planning the project and have now started the initial stripping out with a view to progressing the timetable ready for the crew to move back on board in August.”

Up to 70 Trimline craftsmen will be on site when the project reaches its peak. Initially, a team has been on board removing fittings and preparing the areas for refurbishment. Furniture and soft furnishings are already in production at Trimline’s in-house facilities in Southampton.

Over 50 cabins will be totally gutted and redecorated to a fleet-wide RFA scheme with new beds, wardrobes, desks, cabinets, bookcases and other furniture, built in cherry veneer, manufactured and fitted. New bathroom wet units will also be fitted in each cabin. Further work will be carried out on the accommodation area used for embarked forces.

In addition, several offices, mess rooms and crew bars will be totally refurbished, while new flooring, from carpets to rubber, will be installed in crew areas, alleyways and other common areas. Converting a cabin area to offices and vice-versa will be a further requirement.

One of the major differences to previous Trimline projects on RFA ships will be replacing the galley with new linings and stainless steel deckheads fitted in preparation for installing a complete range of kitchen equipment.

There will also be an upgrade for some of the ship’s operational areas, most notably the bridge and radio room.

___________________________

TRIMLINE MOVES OFFSHORE FOR LATEST REFURB PROJECT


Southampton-based marine outfitters Trimline have further expanded their traditional markets by taking on a major refurbishment of the former prison ship Weare in Portland.

The new role for the vessel is set to be as an accommodation barge serving oil rig workers based off the coast of West Africa. The massive programme to transform the vessel is likely to take some six months and has involved Trimline upgrading over 200 cabins and other living facilities.

Each of the cabins has been fitted with new flooring and decorations and the en-suite bathrooms have been improved by using a resin flake gloss for redecoration. Up to 25 Trimline contractors have been working on the refurbishment of the vessel, now owned by a Nigerian company.

In addition to cabins, they have been upgrading games rooms, classrooms, galleys, alleyways and toilets. One of the biggest tasks has been to remodel a former prison visitors room into a new mess area with servery. That entails stripping out the existing room, putting in new floors and deckheads, installing a servery and redecorating.

Trimline Sales and Marketing Director Mike Oliver explained: “This is another significant expansion of our customer base. We have already refurbished ships used in the offshore market and this accommodation unit is a further demonstration of the work that we can carry out in this sector.”

However, Trimline also has its eyes firmly fixed on maintaining its leading position in luxury passenger ship refurbishment. Curtains, carpet and soft furnishings have been supplied and fitted in more than 900 cabins on P&O’s Oriana during refit in Bremerhaven.

Further carpet work has been carried out on the liner MV Discovery, which is operated by Voyages of Discovery, while she was alongside in Barcelona and a Trimline team was called out to Dubai to redecorate public rooms on the small, luxury cruise ship Hebridean Spirit.

Closer to home, the winter is time for traditional ferry refit work and Trimline has despatched teams to carry out upgrades and refurbishment of various passenger facilities on the cross-Solent ships of Wight link and Red Funnel, along with the fast cross-Channel catamarans operated by Weymouth-based Condor Ferries.

______________________________

AIRPORT TASK UNDERLINES TRIMLINE DIVERSIFICATION

Leading outfitting and refurbishing company Trimline has built on its recent success in the aviation sector by carrying out an extensive fit-out of the duty free retail facilities at Norwich Airport.

Trimline, which recently refitted the British Airways Wingspan club at Gatwick Airport, provided a turn-key design, build and installation programme to the duty free area at Norwich, planning and building the facilities from an empty area created at the airport’s main terminal.

Trimline moved in to lay a ceramic floor in the 200 square metre area, installed lighting and fitted bespoke furniture including point of display units; jewellery cabinets and cashier areas. Floor to ceiling units and twelve free standing gondolas combining laminates and stainless steel were manufactured in the company’s Southampton joinery factory.

The work was carried out over a three-week period and involved a Trimline team of various trades deployed to the site for the project, which was required in a demanding timescale to minimise sales disruption.

The latest land-based project marks further diversification for Trimline, which has traditionally concentrated on passenger ship work for the cruise and ferry industry. That menu of activity has also been extended to include the superyacht industry over the past four years.

Sales and Marketing Director Mike Oliver explained: “Our menu of skills, supported by joinery and soft furnishing manufacturing facilities, has enabled us to apply our expertise to a wider range of markets and establish an expanded customer base.

Issued by:
Acadia PR & Design, Currie House, Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton S015 1HJ.
Tel: 023 8023 2525. Email: info@acadia.co.uk