Industry leading marine support
About North Star

About North Star

Always There, Always Ready

North Star crew looking out to sea
About

24/7 365 Marine Infrastructure Support

Founded in 1886, we own and operate the largest wholly UK-owned fleet engaged in the UK’s offshore industry in the North Sea, providing comprehensive operational experience of the seas around the UK coastline. Our clients rely on our advanced vessels and the unrivalled experience of our highly trained crews to provide offshore infrastructure support 24/7 365 days of the year.

We are recognised as a fully professional and proven mission-critical service partner, particularly in relation to long-term contracted infrastructure support. We combine safety, innovation and efficiency to ensure that we always deliver exceptional levels of support to all our customers in one of world’s most challenging and demanding marine environments, leveraging our 135 years of experience.

Passionate about our industry

At North Star, we are passionate about delivering our industry leading services to all of our clients, with a high focus on collaboration and a shared commitment to our vision, mission, and core values. As one team, we are focused on the trust and empowerment required as industry leaders to enable sustainable practices across all of our stakeholders.

Our industry leading cadet programme shows our commitment to invest in our people; and our track record of consistent innovation across the business, are clear evidence that we are ready as your partner of choice; now and in the future.

Meet the Team

Robert Catchpole

Chief Operating Officer

Fraser Dobbie

Chief Financial Officer

James Bradford

Chief Technology Officer

Lorna Gerrard

Group Finance Director

Michael Gordon

Group Commercial Director

Andrew Duncan

Renewables & Innovations Director

Donald Buick

Group Operations Director

Steve Myers

SOV Operations Director

Our Vision

Vision

Our vision is to be the market leading marine provider of Offshore Infrastructure Support Services, underpinned by a key focus on renewables, innovation, sustainability, care for the environment and our employees

Mission

​​​​​​​Our mission is to deliver the vision through the following:

Market leading Safety performance underpinned by employee satisfaction and wellbeing

Continued Customer satisfaction and loyalty, through best in class service provision - 24/7/365

Development of innovative value-added services through strategic technology partners

A diversified service provision, with a strong focus on offshore renewables support, globally

A commitment to our sustainability objectives, of which removal of carbon will be key

Our Mission

One Team, One Vision, 5 Values

Hover over our values below to learn more about what influences the way we work at North Star.

Tap on our values below to learn more about what influences the way we work at North Star.

A daughter craft fast at sea
Values
Tap on a value
Hover on a value
Safety

Safe

Safety

Safety is the backbone of our business, it’s what we do and it’s who we are. We are passionate about safety, with one goal, to make sure everyone goes home safe and in a positive frame of mind.

Care

Caring

Care

We care for the health and well-being of everyone our business touches; including our crews, our clients, our suppliers and the environment around us. This is a key focus for our organisation which ensures we work in sustainable and ethical way, with adherence to internationally recognised standards on Human Rights, to affect positive change in our communities.

Collboration

Collaborative

Collboration

We trust in each other to create an environment in which we can succeed together. Collaboration is apparent in our own operations and in our approach to partnership with our customers.

Innovative

Innovation

Innovative

We never stop trying to improve the services we offer and the vessels we operate. We are continuously looking for new ideas and new ways to deliver better. We are driven to be the best we can be.

Sustainable

Sustainable

Sustainable

We recognise the importance of acting in a manner which promotes sustainability, maximising our own performance whilst not compromising the ability of future generations to prosper. We are committed to continuous improvement towards the eradication of emissions, waste and carbon from our activities.

Through the years

Timeline
North Star
Boston Putford
onwards
onwards
1886
North Star founded and established as a fishing company out of the NE of Scotland
onwards
onwards
1948
Boston Putford Founded
onwards
onwards
1967
First energy industry contract won to support the expanding Southern gas fields as ERRV’s
onwards
onwards
1970
Diversification of the business into the Energy Industry supporting the North Seas Oil and Gas industry as ERRV’s
onwards
onwards
1979
Diversification into Offshore survey vessels
onwards
onwards
1984
Diversification into Diving support vessels
onwards
onwards
1985
New tonnage modified and engineered to suit the demands of the expanding ERRV industry and enhance safety offshore
onwards
onwards
1986
Innovative Daughter craft solution launched from ERRV’s brought to market, increasing safety and operability
onwards
onwards
1990
New innovative purpose built ERRV’s delivered into the oil and gas industry
onwards
onwards
1991
Fleet modernised to improve safety and operability of the fleet
onwards
onwards
1997
One of the industry’s first innovative dynamic positioning (DP) vessels brought to market through a collaborative partnership with clients
onwards
onwards
1999
Modern ships added to the fleet
onwards
onwards
2000
First iteration of large scale DC brought to market to increase operability (Putford progress)
onwards
onwards
2002
Modern multi role vessels added to the fleet
onwards
onwards
2003
Diversification into Survey Inspection and Repair vessels (DP2)
onwards
onwards
2003
Diversification into platform Supply Vessels (DP2)
onwards
onwards
2006
Fleet renewal takes place with 27 new vessels being commissioned costing £240m
onwards
onwards
2007
Purpose built MRV’s delivered to market
onwards
onwards
2016
Fleet renewal completes resulting in the most modern fleet of OSV’s in the UK
onwards
onwards
2017
Business Acquired by BASALT Infrastructure Partners
onwards
onwards
2018
North Star Renewables founded as part of the North Star Group
onwards
2019
Boston Putford Offshore Safety added to the group, solidifying the companies ERRV Market leading position
onwards
2021
North Star Renewables signs a contract for 3 purpose built innovative Service Operation Vessels to service the Offshore wind industry

Cadets

Our cadet programme is industry leading and we are proud to have trained over 500 cadets over the past 30 years, supporting the UK marine industry with fully trained UK merchant navy officers.

Our three year training programme offers you the opportunity to choose between a career path to become a Marine Engineer or a Deck Officer.