Our Services
The safe mooring and unmooring of vessels is impossible without the services of professional, fully trained and experienced boatmen. The role and service of mooring crews for the efficient and safe operation of a modern port is sometimes overlooked, but mooring, moving and unmooring of vessels is one of the most dangerous and at times complex operations within a modern port and as such is a controlled activity, without a fully trained mooring crew standing by a vessel in what in most cases is a very exposed location or difficult berthing operation, this "controlled activity" could not be done safely. By employing mooring crews and lines men or the services of a mooring boat crew from Sunderland Foyboatmen, a captain is choosing quality, safety and efficiency.
Sunderland Foyboatmen Moor vessels from 50 metres up to 50,000 gt (gross tonnage). We were established in 1922 and are fully licensed from the port of Sunderland authority. All personnel are equipped with hand held VHF radios and always operate with PPE (personal protective equipment) and self inflating life jackets, and have also passed the sea survival course. Work boat skippers have boat masters certificates issued by maritime coastguard agency Royal Yachting Association. Sunderland Foyboatmen have unrivaled experience and knowledge of working within the port of Sunderland, on all riverside berths and within the dock complex also of local tides and weather conditions from the harbour entrance to fat field bridge. Sunderland Foyboatmen attend all vessels entering the port over 50 metres which is compulsory and can be available with 1 hours notice any time of the day 7 days a week throughout the year.
We have carried out risk assessments on all berths and dry dock within the port on all types of vessels that use the port. These have been implemented with our health and safety practice issued September 2012. Sunderland Foyboatmen have come a long way since the beginning of the last century when they would sail as far south as Whitby which is over 40 nautical miles in there Foycobles and arrange a foy/fee with the ships captains to moor their vessels in the port of Sunderland. Towards the end of the century when the major industries closed in Sunderland ending the coal export trade (at its height Sunderland shipped 6.5 million tonnes of coal from the port) and also the closure of the shipyards Sunderland Foyboatmen diversified into other areas and now also provide fully trained crew to operate on board any vessels, ships or barges within the port of Sunderland. These are fully trained and experienced personnel. This service has been operating for over 30 year. Since 2003 Sunderland Foyboatmen have been assisting the port of Sunderland work force with the loading and discharging of vessels within the port, all members are trained to the level of slinger/banksmen and have carried out the manual handling awareness course. We also have personnel trained and licensed to operate various plant equipment including: forklift trucks, j.c.b's and 360 excavators.
Sunderland Foyboatmen also offer a safety boat service and have operated on several major projects within the port limits from fatfield bridge, we also provided the personnel to skipper and crew jack up barge to take samples and survey the proposed new wear crossing at hylton. We have several boats at our disposal including ribs, work boats, mooring boats and towing boats/personnel carriers licensed to carry up to 12 people. This is also fitted with a 1.5 tonne hiab crane.
Sunderland Foyboatmen can also provide working platforms of up to 10.5 metre x 6 metre capable of carrying up to 20 tonne which can be used as transporting equipment or as a safe working platform.
Sunderland Foyboatmen also provide a watchmen service for any vessel laid up within the port that is unmanned, this can vary from a service of checking the vessel and mooring ropes once/twice per day up to a one or two man on board watchman service 24hours a day.
Our boatmen are available (subject to notice), normally with 1 hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are in the port around the clock, ready to assist any vessel. Our office is located centrally within the port area, which means that we can reach, either by road or mooring launch, any vessel at any of the north or south berths quickly.
Sunderland Foyboatmen have implemented their own health and safety structure and management policies, which are externally audited; these policies include our "SMOS" (Safer Mooring Of Ships) monthly report, which is e-mailed to the Port Authority, Harbour Master and all port and terminal operators.
Sunderland Foyboatmen continually monitor its working practices and service along with its health and safety management policies, with the aim of improving our performance and the service that we provide, to ensure a high quality, reliable, cost efficient service to the Port Of Sunderland and its customers.
Sunderland Foyboatmen operate a number of mooring launches, which are designed to operate in open water and within the tight confined spaces between the vessel and mooring points.
