Belgia and Gothia Seaways get new 110-tonne ramp

Belgia Seaways and Gothia Seaways are having a movable ramp installed while dry-docked in Poland. The delivery of the 90 tonne ramp for Belgia took place on 2 June, and as the picture shows, it was no small operation. The ramp will connect Decks 2 and 3, and enable the ship to load Deck 3 via the normal aft ramp. 

Superintendents Nicolai Andersen, Igor Kastanov, Igor Fokin and Chief Engineer Brian Bering Pedersen are busy with an impressive ramp-building task at the Remontowa Shipyard in Gdansk, Poland.

“We are having a movable ramp installed on Belgia Seaways and Gothia Seaways . The ramp will function both as a weathertight deck and a driving ramp between Decks 2 and 3. With this, all decks can be loaded via the normal aft ramp instead of via an external ramp for Deck 3. This means that the ship can use other berths that do not have the equipment for external loading of the upper deck. And as it is a movable ramp, we lose very little space for cargo,” says Nicolai Andersen who is Project Manager.

The project includes cutting one large hole of 60 x 5 metres and removing about 80 tonnes of steel, and installing some 110 tonnes of new steel and 90 tonnes of new ramp and equipment.

“I need to thank Igor Fokin & Igor Kastanov for at the same time handling a regular 20-year dry-docking of the ships while they are docked,” says Nicolai.

“I also need to extend warm thanks to Brian B Pedersen. He lives in Poland and therefore – being very flexible and agile – was able to join the project almost instantly at the end of March, in spite of travel restrictions due to COVID-19 being implemented in Poland. Normally, Brian is on Ark Futura and he left home for his normal tour of duty, without knowing he would be deeply engaged in this project. In my opinion this is the real ‘Yes we will’ attitude of DFDS.”

It was a spectacular view on 2 June when the ramp was delivered for Belgia Seaways.

June 8, 2020