AN ESSEX-based marine civil engineering company is to play a crucial role in the restoration and construction of a series of lifeboat stations with a new multi-million vessel.

Red7 Marine, based at Wrabness, near Manningtree, has added the �2million, 250-ton jack-up barge Haven Seariser 2 to its fleet.

The vessel has initially been despatched to Swansea Bay where it is working on a new �9.5m boathouse and slipway for the RNLI at the end of the 113-year-old Mumbles pier.

The delicate nature of the historic pier and the inaccessibility of the lifeboat station means that materials and plant are being brought in by sea and the construction work managed over water.

Haven Seariser 2, the acquisition of which was financed by Clydesdale Bank, has been jacked-up out of the water to provide a stable working platform from which Red7 Marine’s client is able to manage its craneage, piling and construction work.

“We are grateful to Clydesdale Bank for providing the funding to allow us to buy the Haven Seariser 2,” said Martin Spurr, chairman of Red7 Marine.

“The purchase of the new barge, a sister vessel to Haven Seariser 1, means we’re able to commit to a three-year contract to provide a safe and secure operating platform for building and restoration work on a range of RNLI stations around the coast.”

The purchase of the new barge extends a long-standing relationship between Red7 Marine and Clydesdale, which has seen the bank provide full banking services as well as individual packages for the purchase of equipment, including other vessels.

“Our operations mean that we need to be in a position to upgrade our fleet as and when necessary,” said Mr Spurr. “Speed is often critical and the responsiveness of Clydesdale bank meant that we were able to move quickly and secure this asset when the opportunity arose”.

Andrew Pike, head of business and private banking in East Anglia for Clydesdale, said: “As a bank, we are focussed on building relationships. It is important for us to understand how our customers’ businesses operate so we can make informed lending decisions.

“We also have the ability to make those decisions at a local level, based on our knowledge of our customers and their business plans, and our relationship with Red7 Marine is a great example of this. It is great for us to see their new vessel in action on such an important and worthwhile project.”