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RNZN Ship Contract to Australia Sank Fitzroy Yachts of New Plymouth . . .

Thursday 9 October 2014, 11:32AM

By Manufacturers Success Connection

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Wednesday 08 October 2014    |   The Isaac Files   |

The recent closure of Fitzroy Yachts is linked to the failure of the yard to win the contract to construct vessels for the RNZN.


The super yacht yard sank recently taking with it 120 jobs.


Fitzroy Yachts was partnered in the RNZN new building project by Britain's Vosper Thorneycroft which had been in patrol boat construction for the Royal Navy since the beginning of the last century.


The New Zealand project centred on inshore patrol and offshore patrol ships.


Also involved was a frigate-class vessel with multi-role capability.  Fitzroy was standing by to integrate into its yard slipways for the project. At the time it was associated with nearby Fitzroy Engineering, then as now the nation's biggest heavy engineer.


Under the Fitzroy-Vospers scheme the RNZN vessels would have been leased rather than sold and under the lease terms the consortium members would have provided through life maintenance under a service guarantee.


In the event the contract went to Tenix Defence of Australia.

 

Substantial remedial work was required on the vessels with compensation eventually also being paid to the New Zealand government.

 

Peter Isaac   |   |   Wednesday 08 October 2014   |   |   MSCNewswire   |