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In our latest ‘member profile’, we speak to Malcolm Duncan of Briggs Marine, a longstanding member of the association, with 28 workboats registered. Malcolm gives us an overview of the firm’s current commercial priorities as an integrated marine service provider – and an insight into the challenge of helping clients reduce project costs while facing […]

We can confirm the Annual Dinner and AGM will once again be held at the Lakeside Hotel, Windermere on Thursday 18th and Friday 19th January, following a similar format to last year.  We have again booked the entire hotel’s rooms for the night of Thursday 18th January as our membership numbers continue to grow.  Rooms […]

Yvonne Orr, Nick Allen and Mark Ranson met MCA representatives last month to express disquiet at how things were to be taken forward with regard to the acceptance of the <200GT Masters Certificate of Competence (CoC) in German waters. The MCA have written to BG Verkehr requesting another meeting ASAP and the German have responded […]

We are pleased to announce that, at long last, we have secured acceptance for our workboat crewmember apprenticeship in the new ‘Trailblazer’ format. This format attracts a higher level of government funding and will enable you to receive additional funding to train new crews for our industry in the future. Our hard-working Training and Trailblazer […]

In the first of a series of regular ‘member profiles’, we talk to Kerrie Forster of Acta Marine, Chairman of the NWA Safety Forum and a Member of the Committee. Kerrie gives us an insight into recent news at Acta, his view on the state of the market, and a perspective on discussions at the […]

The National Workboat Association (NWA) would like to thank everyone who attended our first Offshore Wind-specific Safety Forum on 6th September, at the Orbis Centre, Lowestoft.   The forum provided a round table discussion for crew transfer vessel operators and managers, and wind farm operators, to address common issues challenges in the safe operation of […]

After two weeks of waiting for the BG Verkehr to respond to Roger Towner’s last proposal, we have now had two unwelcome developments: We understand the BG Verkehr are requesting more detail – which sounds suspiciously like a delaying tactic We have learned that Roger Towner has recently been suspended from his role at the […]

Lowestoft, 31st August 2017 – Managing the working and rest hours of crews whilst ensuring the successful completion of technician transfers continues to pose a significant challenge in the safe operation of offshore wind Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs). This is according to the National Workboat Association (NWA), the trade, skills and safety standards association for the […]

The next NWA Safety Forum will be held at the Orbis Centre, Lowestoft, on 6th September at 10am.  This offshore wind-focused forum will look to involve all stakeholders in the offshore wind supply chain, with representatives from a selection of our members’ wind clients, shore managers and CTV Masters.  Two items to focus on will […]

Roger Towner, Head of the MCA Seafarer Standards branch recently met section heads and a lawyer from the BG Verkehr in Hamburg. Whilst the BG Verkehr are currently still refusing to accept the UK <200GT Master Code Vessel and <500GT Master Workboat CoCs, issued under article IX of STCW, they did reach a verbal agreement […]

This month, the NWA launched its LinkedIn profile, with the creation of both a public NWA LinkedIn Page and a members-only NWA LinkedIn Group. This presence on LinkedIn will create two new channels of communication for our members.  The NWA LinkedIn Page will be publicly available, and used to share updates on the NWA’s activity […]

This month, the G+ released a consultation draft of the 2nd edition of their version of the Good Practice Guidelines: “The safe management of small service vessels used in the offshore wind industry”. The consultation period is open now and runs until 9th September 2017.  As we know, this publication has become the offshore wind […]