Marine News

Hapag-Lloyd tests ship-painting robots

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Traditional manual work is increasingly being replaced by automated processes, such as self-driving Automated Guided Vehicles in container terminals. Thanks to robots, the quality of ship painting can also be improved and the docking time shortened. Hapag-Lloyd is currently testing the process with nine ships.

Keeping barnacles, mussels and algae off the hull – the subject of fouling is as old as shipping itself. Fouling dramatically increases drag, which results in high fuel consumption and makes it harder to achieve climate targets. So, it’s a question that repeatedly arises: How can fouling be efficiently and reliably prevented over a period of five years, when a vessel will have to go into a shipyard anyways for its regular Continue reading “Hapag-Lloyd tests ship-painting robots”

Wavefoil is set to give ferries wings to optimize wave power

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Photo by Wavefoil
Photo by Wavefoil

The boat wings started as an unfinished idea in Eirik Bøckmann’s head. Now they’re being mounted on a ferry in the Faroe Islands.

Actually, he doesn’t call them boat wings, but wavefoils. Eirik Bøckmann won the regional finals of the NTNU Researchers’ Grand Prix with a lecture on wave-propelled ships in 2013.

The wavefoils on the front of the ship enable the waves to contribute to propelling the ship forward. This reduces fuel consumption. At the same time, the foils can dampen some of the pitching and heaving motion from the waves and provide a more comfortable journey.

Continue reading “Wavefoil is set to give ferries wings to optimize wave power”

In what is described as a sensational find, archaeologists have uncovered two rare Viking-era boat burial sites in Sweden

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Image courtesy Arkeologerna
Image courtesy Arkeologerna

Archaeologists in Sweden have uncovered two rare Viking-era boat burial sites during an excavation in Uppsala. It has been five decades since the last similar find in the area, and national archaeology agency Arkeologerna described the discovery as “sensational.”

The team stumbled upon the burial sites during the excavation of more modern ruins in Old Uppsala. The boat graves were buried beneath a well and a cellar from later eras. One of the two graves was quite intact, with remains of a man at the stern of the boat and those of a horse and a dog found towards the bow. Personal items – a sword, a spear, a shield and a comb – were also laid within the vessel.

According to the agency, this kind of grave typically dates back to the Vendel Period (around 550–800 AD) or the Viking Age (800–1050 Continue reading “In what is described as a sensational find, archaeologists have uncovered two rare Viking-era boat burial sites in Sweden”

Delivery of first vessel with Wärtsilä HY hybrid technology marks new era in shipping

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The ‘Vilja’, an escort tug operated by the Port of Luleå in Sweden, is the first vessel of its kind operating with the Wärtsilä HY hybrid power module. Copyright: Port of Luleå.
The ‘Vilja’, an escort tug operated by the Port of Luleå in Sweden, is the first vessel of its kind operating with the Wärtsilä HY hybrid power module. Copyright: Port of Luleå.

The technology group Wärtsilä’s hybrid power module solution, the Wärtsilä HY, is now fully operational on the ‘Vilja’, an escort tug owned by the Swedish port of Luleå. The tug was built at Gondan Shipbuilders in Asturias, Spain and was delivered in the end of June 2019 following successful completion of the commissioning and sea trials. The Wärtsilä HY is the first hybrid power module in the marine industry, and its operational application onboard the ‘Vilja’ marks a new era in shipping.

The solution has been specially developed to meet the specific needs of the tug market. It features operating characteristics that include ‘green mode’, with zero emissions and no noise, a ‘power boost’ that delivers a higher bollard pull than any other conventional solution of Continue reading “Delivery of first vessel with Wärtsilä HY hybrid technology marks new era in shipping”

Seawork 2019 a success despite unseasonal weather conditions

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Nusrat Ghani MP (pictured right) with Mercator Media's CEO, Andrew Webster
Nusrat Ghani MP (pictured right) with Mercator Media’s CEO, Andrew Webster

Three days packed with equipment launches, contract signings and vessel handovers came to an end on Thursday 13 June as the 22nd edition of Seawork closed on an unseasonably cold and wet but successful business high.

Seawork was delighted to welcome Nusrat Ghani, UK Minister responsible for Maritime, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Maritime Security, Skills and Apprenticeships, who made a return visit to officially open Seawork 2019.

The Minister stated, ‘Seawork is one of the highlights of the maritime calendar, showcasing an industry that contributes over £3 billion to Continue reading “Seawork 2019 a success despite unseasonal weather conditions”

Wight Shipyard completes two catamarans for Ultramar

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Britain’s Wight Shipyard Co. has completed its second export order. Placed by Ultramar, the largest ferry operator in Mexico, it consists of two 37 meter catamaran fast ferries which will be transported to Cancun at the beginning of July.

“Working with Ultramar is a good match for Wight Shipyard, our standards and attention to detail are of paramount importance to produce not only an on-time build, but one of superior quality. Ultramar provide both commuter and holiday destination vessels and the level of fitout is far higher than normal commuter boats. Stages for live bands, multi colored LED lighting above and below the waterline and very powerful sound systems were a first for us,” said Peter Morton, CEO of Wight Shipyard

Continue reading “Wight Shipyard completes two catamarans for Ultramar”

MAIB issues urgent bulletin for owners and operators of boats with retractable keels or retractable weighted centreboards

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Photo courtesy of MAIB
Photo courtesy of MAIB

The MAIB has issued a safety bulletin after the capsize of a sailing boat on Windermere with the loss of one life on 12 June 2019. The bulletin contains details on the background of the accident, initial findings, action taken and a safety lesson.

At approximately 1220 on 12 June 2019, a RS Venture Connect sailing boat fully inverted, its crew comprised an assistant instructor and an experienced disabled crewman. The boat was knocked down in the windy conditions on the day and heeled to such an extent that the keel fully retracted. During the subsequent capsize, the disabled crewman became trapped under the inverted boat. The safety boat crew Continue reading “MAIB issues urgent bulletin for owners and operators of boats with retractable keels or retractable weighted centreboards”

USCG raises awareness on towing vessel’s unsafe condition

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The US Coast Guard has published Findings of Concern 009-19, entitled Corrosion Caused Casualties. The purpose of this release is to bring awareness to unsafe conditions discovered during 2018 on a Louisiana towing vessel during a marine casualty investigation.

On September 25, 2018, an Inspected Towing Vessel (ITV), pushing a loaded tank barge, experienced a loss of steering and ran aground.

The marine casualty investigation decided the initiating event to the incident to be the port shaft propeller nut that was wedged into the rudder, which obstructed the free and full movement of the steering gear.

Continue reading “USCG raises awareness on towing vessel’s unsafe condition”

IIMS London Conference 2019 reviewed

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Great venues – Herringham Hall and Regent’s University and 10-11 Carlton House Terrace – none better. Brilliant speaker content on a range of relevant surveying topics on all three days. Meeting old friends and colleagues, networking and reconnecting with old chums and adversaries! Excellent food and the odd beer or two. What’s not to like about an IIMS London Conference? Those who attended have been most kind and wholesome in their praise for the event, which took the best part of a year to plan and deliver.

It would be wrong to single out any one presenter over another and IIMS is truly grateful to the speakers who came to present for the benefit of others! But, for example, Neale Rodrigues (Britannia P&I Club) reminded everyone of the importance of going back to basics and doing the Continue reading “IIMS London Conference 2019 reviewed”

Reflections on a memorable 2019 IIMS London Conference

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Mike Schwarz (right) welcomes Toastmaster, Richard Palmer, to 10/11 Carlton House Terrace

Great venues. Brilliant speaker content on a range of relevant surveying topics. Meeting old friends and colleagues. Excellent food and the odd beer or two. What’s not to like about an IIMS London Conference? OK so we had non stop rain and a train strike to contend with, but that did not put a dampener on proceedings! Judging by my email inbox, the event would seem to have been a great success not only for those who joined us in person, but also for our increasing number of online delegates who joined online from far afield via Zoom. If I have one regret it is simply that only 75 of our near 1,000 members were present and exposed to some wonderful and pertinent content.

These events are not easy to get right and they require detailed preparation. The IT is always a challenge – trust me I know! Making the right food choices is equally challenging. So my thanks to my colleagues who worked so hard behind the scenes to deliver this year’s Continue reading “Reflections on a memorable 2019 IIMS London Conference”

Sunseeker appoints Andrea Frabetti as new CEO

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Andrea Frabetti has taken over as Sunseeker International CEO following the resignation of Christian Marti.

Andrea, formerly chief technical officer at Sunseeker, will work with chief financial officer Mike McMillan and chief operations officer Michael Straughan to form a new strategic committee focusing on developing a strategic framework for the business.

The committee will continue to work with the current executive management team of Adrian Powell, Sean Robertson, Barbara Baker (as interim HR director) and Sian Dodds on return from maternity leave, to formalise a more ‘product-facing organisation structure and a Continue reading “Sunseeker appoints Andrea Frabetti as new CEO”

METSTRADE set to get bigger still in 2019

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The expansion of the METSTRADE trade show is set to continue say the organisers with almost 1,500 companies already signed up including newcomers Suzuki, Nuova Protex, NOCO and Nautinov.

The SuperYacht Pavilion, which was extended to three halls last year, has already sold out and will host 334 exhibitors including first time participants, Inmarsat, Vedder, Pianeta Gemme and LuminellWhile.

Away from the SuperYacht Pavilion, space has been created on the METSTRADE floor for the 2019 event by removing and combining some show items and areas. In recognition of the success of the MaterialDistrict Pop-up and to enable growth for the Construction Continue reading “METSTRADE set to get bigger still in 2019”

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