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?

  • Name: Alasdair Honeyman
  • Role: Lead Naval Architect, Vessel Design
  • Location: Dundee, Scotland
  • Favourite Book: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
  • Hobbies Outside of Work: Looking after cats, dogs, fish, and children!

Alasdair Honeyman | Lead Naval Architect, Longitude Dundee

Can you give us a glimpse into your day-to-day life at Longitude?

My work is a mixture of concept design for new vessels, and vessel design tasks for clients. This includes drawing general arrangements for ships, modelling hulls for resistance and stability calculations, carrying out weight estimates, and drawing reviews. Ship design projects are typically long term, and can take several years to complete, however there are a lot of smaller projects such as feasibility and stability studies which I also work on simultaneously.

What inspired you to join your profession? 

I have always been interested in cars and tools, I was originally drawn to work with small boats as I liked the idea of seeing a project through from start to finish and being involved in all aspects of the design. In previous roles I have worked in a boatyard and designed and overseen construction for several vessels including a fishing trawler and an island ferry. As I have progressed on to larger vessel designs I have tried to maintain an awareness of the different specialisms involved.

Can you share with us something exciting that you are currently working on? 

I am part of the team working on the IMT ISCA G-Flex, Longitude’s new series of high-performance PSV vessels, and I am looking forward to this concept design turning into a reality.

Looking ahead, what do you think is key to driving sustainability in your industry?

A large part of our current projects is the drive to integrate alternative fuels such as methanol, hydrogen and ammonia –  however beyond this ships are going to have to become more efficient generally, with consideration given to reducing the weight and resistance of ships and overall considerations of how much time and fuel are required to complete a task. Given that the expected operating life of a commercial ship is in excess of 25 years, efficient design is vital for sustainability.

Besides work, what do you enjoy most about working within the ABL Group? 

I enjoy the atmosphere of cooperation and the ability to work with colleagues all over the world via video conferencing without having to leave my house, as well as the waterfront views of the historic frigate Unicorn from our dockside office in Dundee.

Learn More About the IMT-Isca G-Flex