The team at ABL Group shares the passion, vision and values for working in energy and the world’s oceans, de-risking and driving the energy transition. We are driven by the idea that the best work is born from professionalism, diligence… and fun. You know ABL Group, but do you know our team?
Jo MacGregor | Snr. Naval Architect, Longitude UK
What does your day-to-day look like at Longitude?
My time can be quite varied. Sometimes I’m working on a new vessel design, my specialisation (and most of my experience) is in small craft design, mostly high speed craft up to about 40 metres. I get involved with hull form development, resistance and powering predictions, stability analysis and weight estimates for new vessels. There’s always a lot of conflicting requirements in vessel design, I love the challenge in finding the right balance.
I’m also involved in the naval architecture of other projects such as assessing the stability of a loaded barge or tug requirements for a towing operation, and from time to time even doing some structural work with the rigs engineering team!
What inspired you to join your industry?
My parents introduced me to boats and the sea through sailing at a young age – it’s been my passion ever since. This combined with a knack for maths and physics at school lead me into a degree in Naval Architecture at the University of Strathclyde.
After graduating I worked for over a decade at a couple of boat builders and shipyards before joining Longitude.
Can you tell us about something exciting you are working on right now?
There’s been a few exciting things on my to-do list recently; including a high speed small craft design with hybrid propulsion, a support vessel for floating offshore wind and an involvement with wind assisted propulsion for cargo ships.
What does the future look like in energy and oceans in your region?
In the small craft sphere it’s still fairly unknown what the future will look like, for example what fuels we will be using. But there is definitely a desire and a drive to decarbonise and make the industry more sustainable. There’s such a high flow of technical developments surfacing at the moment, giving a wide array of possible solutions to suit the varying needs of small craft, such as electrification for short transit vessels or alternative fuels for longer endurance requirements.
What do you most enjoy about working as part of the ABL Group team?
I love the range of skills and experience that we have at the ABL Group, every project is always collaborative and when you get stuck there’s always someone you can ask to help you out.
Discover more on Longitude’s expertise and track-record in small craft design, conversion and refit, and get in touch to discuss how we can support you:
