Ferguson Marine reaches milestone as bridge is lifted on to Hull 802

The wheelhouse was added to Hull 802 in Port Glasgow today, allowing work to begin on the officers’ cabins which sit behind it.

A spokesperson for Ferguson Marine said: “We started building the wheelhouse in February, conducting dimensional checks along the way to ensure a perfect fit.

“Throughout the build, we also monitored the weight, to ensure it was the correct weight for the tower crane to lift.

“We had a thorough plan in place for today’s lift, which worked perfectly.

The ship is already five years late (Image: Duncan Bryceland)

“Now the wheelhouse is in place, it will be fully welded to the deck and the windows will be installed, and then work can begin on the crew cabins that sit behind the wheelhouse on deck 7.”

Ferguson's said the vessel is now watertight and 80 per cent structurally complete.

Hull 802 and her sister ship Glen Sannox are both five years late for completion, with the cost for the ferries rising from the initial projected spend of £97m to an estimated £293m.

Her main machinery items have been installed, including main engines, generators, and LNG tanks.

Ferguson Marine has identified various key milestones for the vessel throughout the second half of the year (Image: Duncan Bryceland)

Large self-contained elements, such as toilet modules and air handling units, are on-board and ready to be installed.

The shipbuilder also said that ‘key learnings’ have been ‘captured’ from the Glen Sannox, and that it is in a position to deliver the fit out of Hull 802 ‘much more efficiently’.

Ferguson’s has identified several key milestones for the ship, including the installation of shafts and rudders in July, fixing the aft ramp into position in August, erecting funnels and masts in October, and launching her into the Clyde in November.

The ferry is expected to be fully completed in the summer of 2024.