Reply To: Bluestream Netherlands

I notice that, as usual, there is always someone who think he has all the story but invariably has it wrong or only half right. RE: Deepseacon ….although the name fits 😀

I was probably the only person involved in the project for both Sealion Shipping and Bluestream and it was clear that the delays to the diving system supplied by Lexmar was a contributing factor to the readiness of the ship although it should be realised that the Toisa Paladin was not onhire to Bluestream while the system was refitted in Amsterdam. Bluestream did have an agreement with Sealion to carry out their own mobilisation of an ROV spread and Airdive spread while Sealion and Lexmar finished the Sat system installation. As for the comment about the poor quality work from the Norwegian shipyard that built the vessel….. I was on the ship and talked to the Chief Engineer on a regular basis and even a time served farmer could tell that the build quality of the ship was excellent.

Bluestream initially estimated 10 days to complete the mobilisation of their own equipment which was far too optimisitc as the preparatory engineering and class approvals had not been completed by Bluestream’s subcontractor who was poorly managed by the Bluestream project management team. Bluestreams issues with DNV ad nothing to do with the late delivery of the vessel….. in fact it should have helped Bluestream and enabled them to make the 10 day mobilisation a reality but the opportunity wasn’t taken.

It is true to say the Bluestream and Sealion techs worked very hard to get the ship working as soon as possible but also no one who was involved can argue that Bluestream was as far behind with their own mobilisation as Sealion appeared to be with theirs.

I for one am very disapointed to read here that Bluestream have been declared bankrupt but not suprised in the least. The Toisa Paladin mobilisation budget had completely unrealistic (and actually in some cases absent) contingency for events beyond our control. I think any Bluestream techs reading would agree that money was thrown at the ship to get it working which was a tech’s paradise but it’s a business at the end of the day and Kieren and the management just didn’t have a hand on things. When the contract fot the charter of the vessel was in the process of being put together Bluestream had difficutly fullfilling Sealion Shipping’s requirements such as bank guarantees etc.

What Deepseacon should also rememebr is that the nature of the charter with Sealion Shipping was such that they were only responsible for the maintenance of the dive system not the operation of it. Reports from the vessel should that 86% of defect reporting was actually operator error not actual faults with the equipment. There was never any contractual obligation for Sealion to provide 24hour Sealion tech cover to Bluestream….. was this a poor show by Sealion? I think not….. I think a refection of the lack of lack Bluestream’s understanding of the contract between the two parties. Bluestream only had 1 mech tech and 1 elec tech on at any time.

So it’s a shame that Bluestream have gone bust but I think a lot of people saw it coming.

Good luck to all the ex Bluestream guys and good luck also to the Toisa Paladin.