It was a double celebration at Portland Port in Dorset, UK, when a naming ceremony was held for two new state-of-the art vessels.
Dignitaries and guests watched the christening of the Wyke Castle tug and the Silverwell pilot boat on the Dorset port’s Dock Jetty before an exhilarating demonstration of the vessels’ capabilities.
The multi-million-pound investment in the new boats for Portland Harbour Authority comes as the port continues to grow. It follows the opening of a £26m new deepwater berth in 2023.
Portland Port chairman Christopher Langham was joined for the naming ceremony by the Naval Regional Commander for Wales, the West of England and Channel Islands, Commodore Tristram Kirkwood OBE ADC RN and Commodore Sam Shattock, Commodore of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).
A commemorative plaque was unveiled on the Wyke Castle before Commodore Shattock named and blessed the tug with a bottle of sparkling wine from the Langham Wine Estate.
Mr Langham said: “We are here to name this fine tug boat and we also have a new pilot boat for good measure. We really now have the full toolkit and can go out and grow the business even further.”
Commodore Shattock said: “It’s an amazing honour and privilege to be here to name this vessel.”
He added ‘God bless her and all who sail in her’ before breaking the bottle against the ship.
The ceremony also included a champagne reception and a lunch for more than 30 guests. They included the Mayor of Portland Town Council Cllr Charlie Flack and Mayoress Maria Flack.
Crew from the visiting RFA Lyme Bay also attended along with businesses based at the port, councillors, representatives from Dorset Council, Portland residents and Weymouth Town Council Mayor Caroline Nickinson and Mayor’s Consort Richard Nickinson.
Wyke Castle continued in the tradition of being named after local castles, apart from the previous tug which was named in honour of late Portland Port director Rupert Best in 2021.
The port’s pilot boats are named after local wells with the Silverwell being the latest.
Portland Port chief executive Bill Reeves said: “These new, state-of-the-art vessels represent further significant, multi-million-pound investment in the business.
“They will enhance our capabilities and enable the growth of our business as well as that of our customers and tenants at the port while supporting the local economy.”
The Wyke Castle joins the Rupert Best and Maiden Castle in the port’s fleet. She will be used for towage, manoeuvring and support for a diverse range of vessels, including cruise, merchant and MOD ships.
The Wyke Castle is an azimuth stern drive (ASD) 2111 tug built by Damen Shipyards. With a 198 gross tonnage (GT), she has a 10m beam and two Caterpillar main engines connected to selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units to minimise emissions.
The tug has a top speed of around 12 knots and 50 tonnes of bollard pull. She has a winch below the wheelhouse with access for towage over the bow or stern, plus a small deck crane for equipment handling and a Furuno radar and navigation suite.
The Silverwell is an ORC 121 fast pilot boat built by Great Yarmouth-based Goodchild Marine Services Limited.
She will be used for pilotage services, such as transferring pilots to cruise liners, RFA ships and large vessels to enable them to navigate into Portland Harbour and alongside at the port.
Her features include a beak bow hull design with minimal drag for speeds of up to 27 knots.
The Silverwell also features Goodchild’s Man Overboard Platform for rapid and efficient rescue of anyone in the water.
Portland Port provides a range of marine services including cargo handling, vessel berthing and logistics support as well as space for business and tenants, including dry and liquid bulk cargo businesses.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, the port has operated on a commercial basis since 1996.
Its cruise business has grown substantially with 64 ships due to have visited by the end of 2025.
The cost of the new vessels combined is in high seven figures although the exact amount has not been revealed.
Source: Portland Port