Baird Maritime / Work Boat World
Best of 2023 Awards
Message from our co-founder Neil Baird
While not yet completely rid of it, the world is adapting to the Covid-19 virus and returning to normal. This is being seen, particularly, in the rapid recovery of the tourism industry, but also in many other areas of maritime activity as well.
The Vladimir Putin-led assault on Ukraine is moving into its third year. That, tragically, has inspired a return to normalcy for the offshore oil and gas sector with the OSV market recovering faster than expected from a serious cyclical slump.
The fishing and aquaculture industry is starting to thrive again as are port and coastal development and operations activity as the spectre of Covid fades. And, as can usually be reliably expected, the maritime security market is almost booming again thanks to unpleasantness in the South China Sea and Middle East particularly.
Not everything, of course, in the garden is rosy. The over-hyped offshore wind support sector, as we predicted, has felt some serious knocks. They are a natural economic reaction to unsubstantiated booming markets and are really just a return to reality.
Similarly, government interference in shipbuilding and ship operating as we have seen so blatantly in Scotland Canada and Australia of late, inevitably results in waste, delays and political turmoil. Governments almost invariably retreat from involvement in the maritime industry with bloody noses and considerable unpopularity. Related to that, but not necessarily connected, have been the many instances of corruption described on Baird Maritime by our brilliant and tireless correspondent Hieronymus Bosch.
Safety, particularly in the fishing boat and domestic ferry sectors, remains a problem, albeit a slowly diminishing one. Except in the poorest and most corrupt countries, safer vessels, stronger and more effective regulations and more rigorous enforcement are making a real difference.
Without in any way discounting the several very serious geopolitical threats that face several parts of the world, the maritime industry, generally, has experienced an encouraging year and has an even more promising one on the horizon. While that is wonderful for our industry, it makes our job of deciding Baird Maritime’s “Best Of” Awards all the more difficult.
Such times invariably produce more, and more impressive, new vessels and their equipment. During 2023 Baird Maritime published reviews of more than 400 new vessels. While some were fairly pedestrian, many were inspiring in terms of design, use of materials, construction methods, their equipment, innovation, and even their styling.
In our “Best Of” Award analysis we examine many of the factors that contribute to the complete vessel. Safety and economy are obvious but environmental sustainability, recyclability, reliability, quality, comfort, utility, ease of operation and cost of maintenance are all very important. They obviously make our selections all the more difficult.
We try very hard to maintain our objectivity. Despite that, we are well aware that not all of our readers agree with all of our choices. So, as always, we appreciate hearing from readers who may disagree with us. Your comments are valuable and valued.
The widely predicted global recession of 2023 and the advent of “La Nina”, so far, has not happened and the overall maritime market, particularly in vessel design and construction, is looking promising for 2024. We trust that most of our global readership will participate in and benefit from that.
List of Vessels 2021
All the vessels in all categories from around the world that we reviewed in this awards period.
Selection Criteria
How we decide on the award-winning vessels and equipment/service suppliers in each category
THE WINNERS:
Winners will be announced day by day over the course of the event
Best Small Ferry:
Talwurrapin
Norman R. Wright and Sons, Australia
Best Small Tourist Boat:
Pearl of Siam
SeaCat Ships, Thailand
Best River Ferry:
Earth Clipper
One2Three Naval Architects, Australia / Wight Shipyard, UK
Best Medium Ferry:
Altena VI
CoCo Yachts, Netherlands
Best River Tourist Boat:
Strasbourg
Ship-ST, France
Best Multi-Purpose Fishing Vessel:
Stødig
Karstensens Skibsværft, Denmark
Best Prawn Trawler:
Zenith
Macduff Ship Design, UK
Best Large Wellboat:
Bakkafossur
Knud E. Hansen, Denmark
Best Medium Fish Farm Support Vessel:
San Little Glory
Southern Ocean Solutions, Australia /
Best Purse Seiner:
Nord-Fugløy
Skipskompetanse, Norway
Best Aquaculture Landing Craft:
Turas a ‘Bhradain
Macduff Ship Design, UK
Best Small Trawler:
Copious
Macduff Ship Design, UK
Best Large Trawler:
Gollenes
Karstensens Skibsværfts, Denmark
Best RIB Pilot Boat:
Aldebaran
Naiad Design, New Zealand
Best Medium Pilot Boat:
Shipeku
Baltic Workboats, Estonia
Best Remote Area Pilot Boat:
Svitzer Marlin
Southerly Designs, Australia / Dongara Marine, Australia
Best FRP Pilot Boat:
Wardan
Hart Marine, Australia
Best Small Training Vessel:
Master Class
Dongara Marine, Australia
Best Large FiFi Boat:
Strazak 28
Remontowa Shipbuilding, Poland
Best SAR RIB:
Woolgoolga 30
Naiad Design, New Zealand / Yamba Welding and Engineering, Australia
Best Medium SAR Boat:
Orinoco
Baltic Workboats, Estonia
Best Electric Cargo Vessel:
Hydromover
Lita Ocean, Singapore
Best Medium Pusher Tug:
HB Poraque
Belov Engenharia, Brazil
Best Medium Patrol Boat:
Balchik
Best Assault Craft:
Lightning
Ultimate Boats, UK
Best Medium WFSV:
HST Tynemouth
Strategic Marine, Singapore
Best Small Crewboat:
NSW Al Yamama
Lita Ocean, Singapore
Best W2W Craft:
Gen-4 Two
Best Debris Collection Vessel:
8.5-metre Debris Collecting Boat
Rockabill Marine Design, UK
coming soon…
Best Assault Craft:
Lightning
Ultimate Boats, UK
coming soon…