Slipway Hoist System, Portavogie Harbour, Ireland

A royal blue painted steel cradle sits at the top of a harbour slipway. A boat is held in the cradle's vertical bilge arms, which stand along the cradle on either side of the boat. The sky is cloudless and blue, and and we can see the grey, concrete slipway in the foreground of the image, a grey, pipework metal fence and cream-coloured buildings with dark rectangular windows at the slide of the slipway.
Portavogie Harbour, Ireland

Slipway Hoist System for Marine Vessel Slippage

Part of a £3.8 million project which replaces and enhances the existing boat cradle and winch at Portavogie Harbour, this slipway hoist system was funded through the UK Seafood Fund.

This slipway transfer system consists of 3 sets of hydraulically powered and remote-controlled bilge arms which can support vessels up to 570 tonnes being hauled out of the water for maintenance, repair or decommissioning.

The cradle is pulled up the slipway by a twin drum hoist designed by our team and manufactured in the Qualter Hall workshop. It is operated using a control system designed and installed by our specialist in-house controls and commissioning teams.

What work was done by Qualter Hall on this Marine Vessel Slippage System?

  • The cradle was designed by our team in collaboration with KGAL Consulting Engineers, whilst the system’s twin drum hoist and control system were designed by our in-house Hoisting and Controls teams. The fully designed system was supplemented by 3D modelling, detailed manufacturing drawings, full calculations and assembly drawings.
  • Our manufacturing team cut, formed, fabricated, welded, machined and painted the various cradle and hoist components, in our Barnsley Workshop.
  • The base of the cradle was fully assembled in our workshop, connected to a robust hydraulics system and control panel built inside an integrated control room.
  • Factory Acceptance Testing was completed in our workshop prior to critical path installation works at the harbour site. This reduced the overall project risk and slipway down-time. Testing confirmed that the bilge arms of the cradle moved across the base cradle smoothly, and moved in/out to the minimum/maximum specified distance at the correct speed (1.5 meters per minute). This swift and smooth movement is critical to assure stability to a vessel whilst it undergoes maintenance on the slipway. The design enables operatives to move the bilge arms one-at-a-time to access the entire hull of a vessel whilst it sits in the cradle.
  • Components were delivered to Portavogie Harbour for the installation and commissioning phase of the project. Our Site Services team managed the on-site assembly and installation of mechanical and electrical equipment, before completing full functional site acceptance testing to prove all key modes of operation, and a successful live boat trial.
  • Our Site Services and Controls team delivered formal operator and maintenance training to the client’s personnel, along with pre-prepared supplementary reference manuals.
  • The entire project was overseen by a dedicated project manager, accountable for ensuring that contractual and performance obligations were met to the satisfaction of the client.
A royal blue painted steel cradle sits on a harbour slipway. 5 bilge arms are visible, standing vertically along the cradle, and timber struts are attached to the bottom of the cradle to buffer the hull of a vessel. The sky is light blue and we can see the brown metal rails built into the slipway to carry the cradle into the water. A large building is in the background, behind the cradle, it has a brown roof and two large white shutter doors.
Qualter Hall has proven to be a reliable partner. We particularly valued their efficient collaboration and professional attitude; they have been responsive, keeping us updated throughout the project, and demonstrated a high level of expertise and competence. They also demonstrated a commendable regard for health and safety which was an important factor for us.
David Lindsay
David Projects Manager at Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority (NIFHA)
We have worked with Qualter Hall for over 20 years, from the provision of the new winch and cradles for Kilkeel Harbour in the early 2000's and ongoing support for these installations. So, we were encouraged when they won the tender to deliver this new system for Portavogie, giving us confidence for this substantial investment which was delivered on time and budget.
David Lindsay
David Projects Manager at Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority (NIFHA)
The new system for Portavogie will reduce labour needed when slipping and launching as well as providing a safer working environment. It has enhanced the capacity and range of vessel which can be accommodated, offering more options for vessels working in the Irish Sea and beyond.
David Lindsay
David Projects Manager at Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority (NIFHA)
A royal blue painted steel cradle sits at the top of a harbour slipway. A boat is held in the cradle. 5 bilge arms are visible, standing vertically along the cradle on either side of the boat.The sky is cloudless and blue, and and we can see some of the grey, concrete slipway in the foreground of the image.
Port of Dover: MEICA Engineering Installations and Upgrades
A royal blue painted steel cradle sits at the top of a harbour slipway. A boat is held in the cradle's vertical bilge arms, which stand along the cradle on either side of the boat. The sky is cloudless and blue, and and we can see the grey, concrete slipway in the foreground of the image, a grey, pipework metal fence and cream-coloured buildings with dark rectangular windows at the slide of the slipway.
Slipway Hoist System, Portavogie Harbour, Ireland
Hull's Millennium Bridge photographed from the bank of the River Hull. The bridge is white and forms an 'L' shape with a striking yellow counter-weight on its elevated side. The skiy is blue and full of white/grey clouds. The river is light-brown and the Hull Tidal Barrier can be seen in the distance, behind the bridge.
Hull Tidal Barrier
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