A trio of Maritime and Coastguard Agency colleagues were given the honour of attending the naming ceremony in Cardiff of a new UK-registered workboat.

The UKD Seadragon, a 27-metre dredger, will be operated by UK Dredging (UKD), a division of Associated British Ports (ABP) at HMS Cambria, the Royal Naval Reserve Unit in the city.

Representing the MCA at the celebrations were Jon Evans, Manager of Seafarer Certification (Cardiff); Pete Belby, Key Account Manager; and Chris Williams, Customer Service Manager for UKD.

They watched as the Champagne bottle was broken onto UKD Seadragon by the vessel’s godmother, Rhian Lewis, wife of ABP Chair Jon Lewis, and blessed by the Rev. Rufus Noy.

Jon Evans said: “Seadragon is a highly impressive vessel combining the need to clear UK waters with the requirement to provide minimal impact to the environment – supporting the MCA philosophy of ‘Safer Lives, Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas’.”

Chris added: “UKD Seadragon showcases the use of modern, innovative technology in the critical role that dredging plays in keeping Britain’s ports operational.  

“It was a great opportunity to network and gain further insight into how the MCA can support the maritime industry.”

The event on Wednesday 14 May was overseen by Mark Pearson, UKD General Manager, with MCA representatives joined by a number of organisations from the British maritime industry.

Following the naming ceremony, guests were invited on a tour of Seadragon, a Shoalbuster dredger designed specifically for UK waters by Damen Shipyards.  

She is specified to provide multipurpose dredging support with water injection, bed-levelling, buoy handling and survey capability.

The moment is a significant milestone for ABP and UKD as UKD Seadragon is the first commercial vessel to be registered for the company in Cardiff in six years.