APCL Group’s Falmouth yard has secured a prestigious contract to dry dock Saga Cruises cruise ship Spirit of Adventure, which arrives for dry-docking in the Queen Elizabeth dry dock on Monday morning.
During the vessel’s two week refit the underwater hull will be cleaned and coated with a revolutionary eco-friendly ‘Sharkfin’ anti-fouling paint system, which reduces friction and fuel consumption, and prevent marine organisms from attaching to the hull.
The azipods will be cleaned, whilst inside the ship teams of ship’s crew and contractors will be cleaning and refurbishing certain areas. All told, up to 500 crew and workers will be involved in the refit operation.
The ship’s hull will be entirely sheeted to allow the best conditions for hull cleaning and paint spraying.
During Storm Ciaran in November 2023 the vessel sheltered alongside in Falmouth for four days awaiting a better weather window to sail south.
The cruise ship also holds the record for being the largest ship ever to enter Fowey harbour.
The ship is currently en-route from St John’s Newfoundland to Portsmouth after completing a cruise around the Eastern USA and Canada.
Due to bad weather, high winds and ten metre swells the ship headed south east from Canada to avoid the worst of the weather and is expected in Portsmouth on Sunday.
Spirit of Adventure will resume cruising on November 7 on a round trip from Portsmouth, on an ‘Escape to the Canaries’ cruise.
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