Posted on March 27, 2017
Bridlington’s new dredger is set to roll into harbour next week.
It’s due to leave Inverness in Scotland at some point today before making its way down the east coast. Bridlington has been without a dredger for a number of years after it’s former appliance named ‘Gypsey Race.’
Since then, Bridlington had to rely to on lending Scarborough’s dredger for a couple of years but this did not prove efficient enough for both towns.
Now, the new appliance named ‘Gypsy Race’ (no ‘e’) is set to solve the dredging problems. Work began on the build of it in April last year, and it’s name is a direct reference to its predecessor.
It’s been built by Hyundai on the Isle of Bute and is believed to cost in the region of £1 million. The aim of the dredger is to remove the build of spoil in the harbour to prevent flooding as well as relaying mooring chains and barrels.
Margaret Hyland is from the Bridlington Harbour Commissioners. She said:
“Unfortunately, when you’re at the mercy of having to pre-book and charter in somebody else’s vessel and then you end up with bad weather or if a contract overruns, you’re shortening up your own availability.
The previous ‘Gypsey Race’ was a 1940s vessel and eventually became too uneconomical to run due to the age and the hardship of getting parts.”
Source: Yorkshire Coast Radio
