Five vessels being launched at the Cochin Shipyard, in Kochi on November 12, 2020. Special Arrangement. The shipyard achieved this milestone amidst the COVID-19 pandemic by working with available resources taking all necessary precautions

The public sector Cochin Shipyard sought to put paid to the pandemic blues by launching five vessels from its building dock in Kochi on Thursday. The day also saw keel being laid for two vessels.

The vessels launched are two mini general cargo ships, each with a dead weight tonnage of 8000 tonnes, for JSW Shipping and Logistics Pvt Ltd, and three Floating Border Outpost Vessels (FBOP) for the Border Security Force (BSF). Meanwhile, keel laying was carried out for two more mini general cargo ships for JSW Shipping and Logistics.

The shipyard achieved this milestone amidst the COVID-19 pandemic by working with available resources taking all necessary precautions, said a communication.

The five vessels were launched by Rameetha K — Scientist ‘G’ at the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, a DRDO lab — who is spouse of the shipyard CMD, Madhu S. Nair. Mr Nair and Pranab K Jha, VP of JSW Shipping, conducted keel-laying of the two vessels. Senior shipyard officials were present on the occasion.

The mini general cargo ships launched on Thursday are part of a series of four similar ships being built for the JSW group. These vessels are built and classed under the standards of Indian Register of Shipping and will be used for transportation of dry bulk cargo such as coal, iron ore, dolomite, and limestone. The vessels, with a length of 122 metre and height of 7.20 metre and speed of 10 knots, will have a compliment of 16 crew. These ships are expected to ply on the coastal route between Jaigarh Port and Dolvi Steel Plant in the river Amba near Dharamtar Port.

The three FBOPs, with a length of 46 metre each, are part of a series of nine vessels being built for the Water Wing of the Border Security Force. These vessels are designed in-house by Cochin Shipyard and classed by Indian Register of Shipping. Each FBOP is designed with stowage arrangements for four fast patrol boats, which can be launched and hoisted using its own davit system. The vessels will act as a floating base for the flotilla of fast patrol boats and will supply petrol, fresh water and provisions to smaller boats and are meant for deployment on India’s eastern and western borders.