Rolls-Royce to lead research project into autonomous ships

Autonomous ships are the thing of the future and Roll-Royce is leading the early research in this area
Autonomous ships are the thing of the future and Roll-Royce is leading the early research in this area

Rolls-Royce is to lead a new €6.6 million project that could pave the way for autonomous ships. The Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative will produce the specification and preliminary designs for the next generation of advanced ship solutions.

The project is funded by Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) and will bring together universities, ship designers, equipment manufacturers, and classification societies to explore the economic, social, legal, regulatory and technological factors which need to be addressed to make autonomous ships a reality.

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Van Oord installs Gemini wind project’s first monopile

Gemini ship on a dry dockVan Oord’s offshore installation vessel Aeolus has successfully installed Gemini wind project’s first monopile. The offshore wind project, one of the largest in the world, will consist of 150 monopiles. The project is expected to be fully operational by 2017 generating clean and renewable energy for 1.5 million people in the Netherlands.

Gemini is being built in the North Sea. The project consists of two areas of 34 km2 and is located 85 km off the coast of Groningen. Each monopile is designed for its specific location in the wind project. Depending on water depth, they vary in length from 59 to 73 m. The monopiles have a diameter of 7 m, and a wall thickness of 7 to 11 cm. During the three-year construction period, a wide range of equipment including Van Oord’s specialized offshore wind vessels will be deployed. An estimated workforce of 500 will be involved on the project.

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National Boat Shows rebrands as British Marine Boat Shows

Here is the new logo as national Boat Shows rebrands to become British Marine Boat Shows
Here is the new logo as national Boat Shows rebrands to become British Marine Boat Shows

As British Marine unveils a strong new identity, National Boat Shows (NBS) has also re-branded to become British Marine Boat Shows. This aligns it with the new British Marine brand.

The British Marine Boat Shows’ portfolio contains two world-leading events: the Southampton Boat Show, which this year takes place 11-20 September, and the London Boat Show, taking place at ExCeL, 8-17 January 2016. The new look is the result of a year-long re-brand exercise which has been undertaken in-house.

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DYT Yacht Transport schedules its largest yacht carrier for trip to South Pacific

DYT Yacht Transport schedules its largest yacht carrier for trip to South Pacific
DYT Yacht Transport schedules its largest yacht carrier for trip to South Pacific

New policies making it easier for foreign flagged vessels to explore the coastlines of Australia have inspired DYT Yacht Transport to schedule its largest semi-submersible yacht carrier, the 686-foot (209-metre) Yacht Express, to deliver yachts to the South Pacific. The trip coordinates with the end of the Mediterranean charter season, starting in Genoa (Italy) in November to accommodate private luxury yachts and charter vessels departing from the Mediterranean Sea. Operating with its unique float-on/float-off method, the ship will make additional port calls in the Caribbean, Florida, Costa Rica, and Tahiti before arriving in Sydney and Auckland by the end of January.

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Shortage of ship officer crew receding

Shortage of ship officer crew receding according to the latest findings from Drewry
Shortage of ship officer crew receding according to the latest findings from Drewry

Shipping will require an additional 42,500 officers by the end of 2019 to cope with the expected growth in the main cargo carrying fleet, equivalent to 7% growth over the five year period. But the persistent shortage of officer crew is receding, according to the latest Manning report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry.

Current officer supply is in the order of 615,000 and there is a nominal shortfall of approximately 15,000 officers, which is expected to remain the case until 2019. In the main the shortfall is made up by officers working longer shift patterns.

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Surveying large crewed yachts

Surveying large crewed yachts requires a different skill set to the norm argues Phil Duffy
Surveying large crewed yachts requires a different skill set to the norm argues Phil Duffy

Article by Phil Duffy MIIMS
Principal Surveyor at Interface Marine Yacht and Boat Surveyors France

The focus of this article is on the process and the logistics involved in surveying large crewed yachts, rather than on the practicalities of the survey. The areas of inspection are basically the same as on any pre purchase survey, albeit larger and with regard to machinery systems can be more technically involved, the time frame of course is much longer.

One question I often get asked is how to get the business, or how to make the jump from surveying small pleasure craft to larger vessels…. As always, the client will need to trust your ability to carry out the job, and for that you will need to prove your track record with references etc. It can be a chicken and egg situation, unless you have worked for one of the larger surveying companies or are able to assist on some large yacht surveys and gain an insight that way. In my case it was quite an easy transition, as during my career at sea I have held both Engineer and Captain Positions of large yachts.

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Helm Operations report pinpoints workboat and OSV safety shortcomings

Some 50% of crews working on offshore support vessels are willing to compromise safety rather than say ‘no’ to clients or senior management says a new report by Helm Operations
Some 50% of crews working on offshore support vessels are willing to compromise safety rather than say ‘no’ to clients or senior management says a new report by Helm Operations

In a shocking study by Helm Operations, some 50% of crews working on offshore support vessels are willing to compromise safety rather than say ‘no’ to clients or senior management, while nearly 80% believe commercial pressures could influence the safety of their working practices. These findings and more come from a new report on workboat and OSV safety commissioned by operations and maintenance management software specialist Helm Operations.

The chilling findings, released to coincide with this week’s International Maritime Organization Maritime Safety Committee meeting, come from a new report on workboat and OSV safety commissioned by operations and maintenance management software specialist Helm Operations.

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The Ian Millen Interview: Maritime surveillance and security

Ian MillenThe Report Magazine went to interview Ian Millen, COO of Dryad Maritime, a specialist company providing a range of maritime security products and services that are essential in times of heightened security risks to keep seafarers safe. Dryad Maritime says it is a maritime operations company with a high grade intelligence capability. But what does this actually mean? Mike Schwarz went in search of some answers.

Q. Your company slogan interests me: ‘Dryad Maritime is a maritime operations company with a high grade intelligence capability’. What are the core services that you provide? I understand it is more comprehensive than just giving details of the threat of worldwide piracy attacks?

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Griffon Hoverwork BHT 150 fitted with Dometic air cooled system

Dometic Marine is behind the air cooled system fitted to the Griffon Hoverwork BHT 150, the largest hovercraft to be built in the UK since the 1970s
Dometic Marine is behind the air cooled system fitted to the Griffon Hoverwork BHT 150, the largest hovercraft to be built in the UK since the 1970s

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning specialists, Dometic Marine, have supplied a custom made air cooled system for the Griffon Hoverwork BHT 150 – the largest hovercraft to be manufactured in the UK since the 1970s.

The 30.8-metre craft, which was recently delivered to South Korea for use by the Korean Coast Guard, has been fitted with Dometic’s air-cooled DuraSea Condensing Units. According to the brand, the new unit is an optimal solution for hovercraft, which are vessels that can be difficult to cool with normal marine air-conditioning.

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Electric drive train by Visedo to equip world’s largest electric ferry

Artist's impression of the new ferry that will be powered by the new Visedo electric power train. Picture by Greenferryvision.dk
Artist’s impression of the new ferry that will be powered by the new Visedo electric power train. Picture by Greenferryvision.dk

The Finnish electric drive train specialist Visedo has been selected as the sole electric-system supplier for the world’s largest fully electric ferry to be built by the Danish shipbuilder Søby Shipyard Ltd. The ferry will be introduced in June 2017 for transportation of vehicles and passengers between the island Ærø and the mainland in Denmark.

As one of the top 5 projects in the EU Horizon 2020 initiative, a program with a total budget of 21 million euros, this initiative is part of the Danish Natura project, which guarantees local people green transportation in these areas. The ferry will be a state-of-the-art design and will achieve efficiency gains by optimizing weight by integrating lighter materials and equipment. It will reduce the CO2 emission by 2000 tons and NOx emissions by 41,500 kg per year.

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Lloyd’s Register issues new guidance on large battery installations

The new guidance note issued by Lloyd's Register on large battery installations is freely available to download
The new guidance note issued by Lloyd’s Register on large battery installations is freely available to download

LR’s experience with large battery installations is captured in a new guidance document aimed at facilitating a risk-based approach to battery use. The guidance describes the key hazards to consider when installing battery technology, and gives an overview of our non-prescriptive approach to approval. The guidance also covers battery chemistry and industry standards.

The guidance starts at the beginning of a battery system’s life cycle when the cells are being manufactured, and goes on to consider how an installation affects or is affected by a vessel’s power system, placement on board, ventilation, fire-fighting, electrical protection and maintenance. The guidance aims to help industry consider the hazards associated with large battery installations but is not specific to a particular cell chemistry.

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Norsepower’s Rotor sail system successfully trialled

Norsepower forecasts savings of 20% from their Rotor Sail system for vessels with multiple, large rotors travelling in favourable wind routes.
Norsepower forecasts savings of 20% from their Rotor Sail system for vessels with multiple, large rotors travelling in favourable wind routes.

The Rotor sail system was installed on the 9,700 DWT Ro-Ro carrier M/V Estraden at the end of 2014 and the vessel has operated in continuous service between the Netherlands and the UK, sailing through the North Sea at speeds of 16 knots.

The trials were measured and analysed with continuous monitoring systems from maritime data analysis, software and services provider, NAPA and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland collected data over a six-month period, during which both the Rotor Sail technology and automation system was operational 99% of the time. The results confirmed that the Rotor Sail is able to produce large amounts of thrust force, which enables considerable fuel savings.

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