Page 53 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΣΕΠΤΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ 2022

ers when there is no demand. The repair yards are mainly
located in Asia, the Persian Gulf, and Europe. There are
large geographical areas, especially in the southern hemi-
sphere, where there are no shipyards. In these areas, ships
cannot get technical support, so they face serious issues if
unscheduled or emergency repairs are required.

Has the shipyard selection strategy changed due to the pandemic and
the restrictive measures that followed?
The Covid-19 restrictions necessitated a re-evaluation of
the drydocking preparation procedure. Local regulations
and quarantine periods were essential factors in yard eval- Drydockings are planned
uation. Some companies hired local superintendents to well in advance in coor-
attend drydockings or relocated the vessels and chose dination with the charte-
yards in areas where COVID regulations were not as strict. ring department to avoid
The yard’s restrictions were considered in planning the last the cost of deviation from
voyage before the drydocking. In our case, at least one of the last port of discharge
our superintendents stayed in China for a long time, and and minimise the off-hire
we managed to supervise all drydockings. time.

Do you contact a shipyard directly to book a repair or use an agent
instead?
In some cases, we approach a ship repair yard directly.
However, we usually book the yard through an agent. Rep-
utable and well-established agents have good knowledge
of the market and are advisors to the owner. The agent’s
relationship with the yard is crucial. Some agents have
personal contact with the yard’s top management and can
influence their decisions. Potentially, they could improve a
yard’s rates and gain priority and flexibility. In these cases,
agent involvement is very beneficial to a project.

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