WORKING AT HEIGHTS - Wind Energy Network

ALL IN A DAYS WORKALL IN ADAY’S WORK...Name: Jeff MainCompany: Tyne & Wear MarineOccupation: Managing DirectorHabitat: TyneAccoladeNot many people can boast the accoladeof 500 years experience in a specialistenvironment, collectively in the company!well Tyne & Wear Marine certainly can.Leading the way is Jeff Main, all told aneclectic and charismatic person who’s storyis a most unusual and enlightening one.In the beginning...A background as a fabricator and welderfor many years, Jeff utilised his experienceand became a welding inspector forsome 10 years. However the oil industrybeckoned, where he enjoyed many yearsemployment.Alas, with the slump in the 80’s he wasone of the casualties and was maderedundant.Not one to rest on his laurels, havinggained a wealth of experience and a ‘cando attitude’ he set about designing andbuilding his own salvage vessel. No meanfeat!Jeff, his colleagues in the businessand also his marine engineering friendscreated a 20 m 140 tonne steel workboatcomplete with a 15 tonne hydraulic crane– The TWM Reclaim. Almost 1 year to theday of sitting down to design his salvagevessel the company of Tyne and WearMarine Ltd was born in 1987.This quickly became a successfulbusiness, where there was muchdemand for his expertise, not only withinthe salvage business, but also withinengineering. With his diverse experience,he grew the company employing over 20personnel and over the years owning andmanufacturing some 20 vessels, 14 inplace currently.Challenges into solutionsJeff’s passion derives from the ability toturn challenges into solutions and has theinnate ability to be innovative – thinking‘out-side of the box’ as the saying goes.When he was building the TWM Reclaimhe was met with many build issues, oftennot having the correct tool or equipmentwith which to work – there was nothingsuitable available on the market - so hedesigned and built one which did!Jeff is very quick to point out that hissuccess is due to the support and loyaltyof his team, with particular mention tohis Business Manager and PA MargaretCarrigan and in recent years his ProjectsManager John Crammon who, he believesis very much on the same wavelength.Often coming up with the same solutionsto problems without conversing. Theybounce ideas off one another whendesigning and forward planning andtherefore make a formidable team.DiversificationThe success of his business is the abilityto diversify and offer a variety of serviceswithin the marine environment – with thisin mind Jeff and his team are constantlyflexing to the demands required within theindustry.New premisesSo much so, that they are currentlyplanning on new premises on thewaterfront, seeking an ideal location with adeep water berth, as they are increasinglydealing with the wind industry and wish toconcentrate on wind farm mobilisation.Wind energyAs the wind sector expands Jeff is findingthat the company is undertaking more andmore windfarm related projects.While chatting, Jeff just happened tomention matter of factly that he was one ofthe pioneers for deep wreck diving usingrebreathers and blending mixed gases in theNorth Sea. Diving - a passion he still enjoysto this day and has been involved for over30 years for both sport and work.Micro-ROVsTo add to his list of talents, he pilotsmicro-ROVs, and undertakes numerousdemonstrations and seminars on aregular basis. These micro-ROVs area scaled down version of their largerrelative, however just as adept andskilled in undertaking inspections suchas foundations, ships, j tubes, quaysides,walls and pipelines.Jeff has forged such a good rapportwith the company called Video Ray, whodesigned the micro-ROVs, in the USA thathe has undertaken seminars and talksover there as well as with Atlantas Marinein the UK; TWM has even designed toolsfor them!Jeff and John have also developed sidescanningfor quay walls and jetties whereimages can be processed immediatelyand work can be physically underwaywithin hours; where previously it wouldtake a dive team weeks to come up withthe same information. This developmenthas created a great deal of interestthroughout the world.Real life scenarioTyne & Wear Marine were called upon toassist with a wind farm vessel which hadbeen holed in the river, on an exposed oldpile, which ripped through the bottom ofthe ship. Thankfully, it did not sink and thewater was contained. Jeff’s team went inwith a micro-ROV, surveyed the damageand an underwater team sealed the holeon the outside of vessel - crisis averted!HobbiesDesigning and inventing (not surprisingly)and also skiing. Jeff also has a passionfor Salsa dancing, as he and his wife areregular travellers to Cuba, and no doubtend up dancing in the streets! Not sure ifthis is the case in Tyneside, but if anyoneheralds the way it will be Jeff and Gill!Unusual circumstances?One particular challenge that was broughtto his table was one that encapsulatesJeff in a nutshell – this was one whichdemanded tenacity, strategic thinking andabove all ingenuity! – all three things hehas in abundance!A client had some damaged dock gatesin a marina which were constantly leaking.They had to be sealed before work couldcommence and repairs carried out. Anumber of contractors had tried and failedpreviously to do this, however the gatescontinued to leak.22www.windenergynetwork.co.uk