From a single slipway, UK Docks Marine Services has grown substantially in terms of both facilities and capabilities  

Family owned and operated since 1992, UK Docks Marine Services (UK Docks) proudly delivers a range of services across the marine, offshore, and defense markets, including offering dry docks, afloat repair berths, and specialist boat repair services. With unparalleled expertise and extensive capabilities, the company remains headquartered in the Northeast of England but works throughout the UK and around the globe to deliver vessel maintenance, repair, and refit, as well as in-service support, upgrades and modifications, conversions, and ship life extension programs, to name just a handful of its services.  

“My dad, Harry, established the business in 1992, and with a lifetime of experience in ship repair, he acquired a small slipway facility on the River Tyne and started

 a boat repair and maintenance company,” opens Jonathan Wilson, Managing Director. “At that time, we had a small workshop that served primarily small fishing boats and river craft. I’m the youngest of three brothers and all of us are involved in the business today, but my eldest brother, Chris, was first to join the business, followed by the middle brother, Gary.  

“Together, Harry, Chris, Gary, and Jonathan have grown the business by leveraging opportunities to take on additional facilities. They acquired a covered slipway, for instance, which not only doubled the size of the boats we could repair but also enabled us to tender for Ministry of Defence (MoD) work as we then had a secure, undercover site. Then, in 2002, an opportunity emerged to lease a ship repair and dry dock facility located in Sunderland, which saw us go from working on boats to small ships. This brought new opportunities for ship repair projects and servicing the MoD, and as we continued to tender for more MoD contracts, we needed a location on the South coast. We opened a facility in Gosport and subsequently won a contract with the MoD to repair approximately 120 small training vessels.  

“We continued to expand our footprint to coasts in the East, West, and South, to ensure we could service vessels around the UK, and amid our maintenance division taking off, the ship repair side of the business was also developing. In around 1995, we were awarded a contract with Brunvoll AS, a high-tech Norwegian provider of sustainable propulsion and maneuvering systems for the maritime industry, and we still maintain that contract today.” 

Facility expansion 

The company’s site expansions have continued, with increased facilities providing further opportunities for growth. “In 2014, we acquired a second ship repair facility with two dry docks on the River Tees in Middlesborough; one hadn’t had a ship in it for over 20 years and the other for over 30 years, so both needed extensive investment to replace infrastructure,” Jonathan narrates. “We then took on another facility in Plymouth in 2017, followed by the acquisition of a six-acre waterfront facility in Gosport at the Royal Clarence Yard in 2019, and a further two dry docks in Middlesborough in 2025 to take our portfolio from two to four dry docks. The site in Middlesborough has expanded from five acres to 16 acres, providing us with increased capacity, bigger workshops, and wider dry docks: one is 17.3 meters by 83 meters and the other is 22.25 meters by 175 meters, which enables us to tender for a new range and bigger category of vessels.” 

As a Grade II listed site, the second Gosport facility in Royal Clarence Yard brought unique challenges for the business. “The site has an interesting heritage; it contains the Navy’s former rum store and Queen Victoria’s personal railway station,” Jonathan reveals. “It was derelict when we moved in, but we established a significant, three-phase multimillion-pound investment plan to restore it into a marine service center. The first stage was to set it operational, the second stage was to occupy the buildings, and the third phase, which we plan to start later in 2025, is to refurbish the old rum store.  

“So far, we’ve equipped the site with boat lift and launch facilities, refurbished the workshops and office facilities, installed over 220 meters of working pontoons and re-surfaced the hard standing and work areas. The site now has 11 tenants, offering a complete range of marine services and employing over 60 people, including boat repair specialists, GRP fabricators, boat painters and engineers to a dedicated mast refurbishment business, and we’re passionate about expanding the facility to increase opportunities for marine companies.” 

Fleet maintenance capabilities 

When it comes to contracts, it’s clear that UK Docks has a strong relationship with the MoD. Having worked on its smaller vessels, the company won its first ship repair maintenance contract for the MoD in 2018. Maintaining three globally operating vessels, HMS Protector, HMS Enterprise, and HMS Echo, the company provides technical global fleet time support to these vessels to maintain availability, operational capability, safety, and environmental protection. 

“Today, we look after the Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessels, supporting the requirements of five vessels: Forth, Medway, Trent, Tamar, and Spey, as well as HMS Protector,” Jonathan states. “The latter is a unique ship that sails the waters of the Antarctic and the Southern Hemisphere, and she is currently traveling from the South Atlantic with a maintenance period due to begin in June. 

“We’re also working for Babcock and BAE Systems, with around 50 small vessels from these companies in our facilities at any one time. This work is very different to commercial ship repairs, as it requires a specific type of maintenance. As mentioned previously, we also operate a contract with Brunvoll AS, a Norwegian company that we support across the globe for all types of ships from cruise ships to supply vessels.” 

Investing in opportunities 

On a more personal note, Jonathan shares an overview of the family’s involvement in the business. “Harry just celebrated his 83rd birthday and was made an MBE in 2024 for his services to the marine industry,” Jonathan shares. “He is still involved in the business as our chairman, but day-to-day operations are managed by the three brothers. We also have the third generation now involved, with Chris’ youngest son, Lewis, supporting the Brunvoll contract, and Gary’s son, Euan, serving as an apprentice engineer.” 

With increased facilities and enhanced capabilities, UK Docks is sure to continue its current successes in 2025 and beyond. “Our ship repair division will continue to be busy throughout the year, and we have some major upcoming projects on MoD vessels,” Jonathan concludes. “From a company perspective, we’re always looking to develop, expand, and acquire more facilities as opportunities arise. While we’re now the UK’s largest family-owned ship management, ship repair and dry dock company, we’ll continue to invest in our facilities and contracts for both defense and commercial customers, as well as invest in the wider marine industry.”   

www.ukdocks.com