When most people think about ship repairs, the first thing that comes to mind is servicing damaged sections of the ship and bring it back to full operation. However, shipyards working on ship repairs not only attend to ships in service, but they also repair decommissioned ships. One might, therefore, ask why decommissioned ships need repair. Well, if you have ever heard the saying 'One man's trash is another man's treasure,' then decommissioned ships are precisely that. Abandoned vessels can be repurposed. Here are three ways that ship repair work can transform an out-of-service ship.
Living Space for the Homeless
According to recent reports, the number of homeless people in Australian cities has increased dramatically in recent years. Homelessness has become an urban phenomenon despite the government's efforts to bring the numbers down. One ingenious way that the governments can deal with homelessness is to transform out-of-service cruise ships into living quarters for the homeless people. For instance, an average cruise ship houses more than one thousand cabins. As such, the government can task interested shipyards to make repairs on an abandoned cruise ship and transform the cabins into living spaces. It means that once repairs are completed, more than one thousand homeless individuals will have space to call home.
Restaurants
It is one thing to dine at a brick-and-mortar restaurant and another to do it inside a decommissioned ship. This is precisely what savvy investors have done with small vessels, and the response is more than expected. The reason is that customers are always on the lookout for new dining experiences, and with so many brick-and-mortar restaurants to choose from, few establishments offer differentiated services. A shipyard that understands these needs can therefore quickly convert an old ship into a restaurant that is open to the public. Such transformation can be fascinating, especially for customers that have always wanted to dine in a cruise ship. With the right repairs to the interior and exterior, an out-of-service ship can do well as a restaurant, thanks to the maritime vibe it creates.
Museums
Ships from the past carry with them memories of past voyages, and the moment the vessels are decommissioned, the memories fade away. Although such stories can be read in books, the best way to bring these memories back to life is by transforming the vessels into museums. Quality workmanship can quickly turn an old ship into a popular museum where families can engage in interactive exhibits as they learn about the vessel's legendary history.
