It’s all in a name…

Sue Shove has taken first prize in the London Array boat naming competition with an entry that combined her love of Ramsgate Harbour with her interest in engineering and architecture.

Sue, a Ramsgate resident, won the competition after she suggested naming the second of the offshore wind farm’s Gardline crew transfer vessels the ‘Smeaton Array’.  The boat, built by Gardline in Great Yarmouth, was officially named and blessed in a ceremony last week (Friday 7 October) before travelling from Great Yarmouth to start working at the London Array site this week.

“John Smeaton was one of the pioneers of civil engineering and had a key role in the development of Ramsgate Harbour,” said Sue, who used to work for a major engineering consultancy in London and subsequently for the former Ramsgate Harbour Master, Captain Ken Gray.

“Smeaton was a brilliant engineer and was responsible for the design of the beautiful harbour that we have in Ramsgate today.  His name seemed the natural choice for a vessel that is going to be operating out of the harbour supporting such a major engineering project.”

Sue, who lives close to the harbour, was taken by Gardline to Great Yarmouth for the vessel naming ceremony.  A cheque for £500 is also being sent by London Array to the Thanet charity of her choice: T S Bulldog Ramsgate Sea Cadets Reg. Charity 302822.