Amble Marina, in Northumberland, is carrying out major infrastructure works in order to guarantee the longevity of the site. The project sees Amble Marina make a £1million privately funded investment, employing three new team members as well as multiple regional contractors to ensure a safe harbour for its 250 commercial and leisure berth holders and many visitors.
A maintenance dredge of the marina basin must be carried out every seven years to ensure deep water at Amble. This vital project, costing over £500,000 is carried out under licence from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and to the strictest guidelines.
Humber Work Boats, the chosen contractor due to their expertise and capability, launched the 60 tonne dredger “John M” in early September using a 500 tonne crane. Many local contractors including welders and hauliers have played a key role in the works which were completed on 14th October.
Amble Marina Managing Director Karl Brunton said: “This is the fourth time we’ve dredged the marina basin with Humber Work Boats and we are delighted that it has once again been completed successfully and ahead of schedule.”
The MMO licence secured by Amble Marina extends to include the Amble lifeboat pen and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have made use of the dredger while it was on site to ensure the lifeboat is kept afloat for many years.
The second phase of the work which has been running simultaneously with the dredge sees Amble Marina replacing all 32 steel piles and upgrading them with increased length and wall thickness. Following the unprecedented impact of Storm Arwen on the region a decision was made to replace every pile in the marina to ensure all pontoons are secure for the future. This is a highly technical project where accuracy and minimal disruption are far more important than speed.
Amble Marina invested in a mini piling rig from Piling Equipment Limited, a Volkersmarine Linkflote raft and have hired a small spider crane. Three specialists from the local area are employed driving the rig and crane and installing the piles. The job is expected to be complete early in 2024.
Mr Brunton said: “This investment is essential to our sustainability. Our small team is working incredibly hard to ensure these vital infrastructure projects are completed so we can continue to provide quality berthing to all of our customers for years to come.”
