American Ro-Ro
Changing the model for European vessel surface maintenance
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Summary
WJ Marine has formed a strategic relationship with the American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier (ARC) Group since 2022, providing specialised surface coatings across Europe to minimise vessel downtime and enhance operational safety. By offering consistent, high-quality maintenance solutions, including advanced anti-slip systems, WJ Marine has helped ARC reduce the costly downtime associated with their fleet’s maintenance, which is crucial for their extensive trans-Atlantic logistics operations. The collaboration has proven successful, with significant projects demonstrating WJ Marine’s commitment to meeting ARC’s stringent requirements and tight schedules, thereby establishing a new standard in European vessel surface maintenance.
Improving Surface Maintenace Efficiency
The American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier (ARC) Group is renowned for its extensive fleet and pivotal role in trans-Atlantic maritime logistics. Their fleet consists of 9 vessels, with an average length of 213 metres, specialising in the transportation of a diverse range of cargo, including heavy vehicles, helicopters, household goods, privately owned vehicles, and various equipment for the U.S. government and its agencies. ARC’s commitment also extends to facilitating the transport of agricultural and construction equipment for developing nations, public transportation cargoes, and managing commercial break-bulk and Ro-Ro business operations.
As a group, ARC requires its vessels to be continually operational not only for profitability but often for US security reasons, it’s vital that they experience minimal downtime during regular maintenance. Historically, they would have used various local contractors for surface coatings on their vessels, often opting for the cheapest price. This had led to inconsistencies in quality and further downtime of their asset, downtime which depending on a vessel’s tonnage and cargo has been estimated to cost $20,000 per day.
After being approached by WJ Marine in 2022, the American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier group (ARC) sought to collaborate with a surface coating specialist that could service their ships whilst they were docked in any of their European base or partner ports. WJ Marine provided this solution, leveraging our Europe-wide coverage to offer the consistent and quick turnarounds that suited ARC’s shipping schedule, ensuring its assets experienced minimal downtime.
WJ Marine has continued to maintain their vessels since 2022. At the heart of the relationship is a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by maritime operators like ARC, particularly the need for secure vessel ramps and ship decks. Aware of these challenges, WJ Marine offers tailored surfacing solutions that not only meet but exceed these requirements. From meticulous surface preparation to the application of the most advanced anti-slip systems like Bimagrip, our approach is designed to minimise disruption to ARC’s operations while significantly enhancing safety and efficiency.
Our recent project at the Remontowa Shipyard was a further milestone in our collaboration, focusing on enhancing the anti-slip surface of an ARC vessel ramp. The precision and care with which WJ Marine executed this task not only improved the vessel’s operational safety but also demonstrated our capacity to meet ARC’s high standards within tight deadlines. This successful project, along with other similar maintenance projects across the ARC fleet, has further cemented the WJ Marine-ARC relationship.
The WJ Marine and American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier collaboration stands as a new model of for European vessel surface maintenance that focuses on the costs savings of minimal downtime and the benefits and consistency of service that comes with opting for a solutions provider like WJ Marine.
