So here we go again with an eclectic mix and round-up of the news stories and events that grabbed my attention and caught my eye during February 2023.
Robots to collect litter from surface and deeper regions of the Mediterranean
Once again, I take my hat off to the ingenuity of people. Here is yet another fine example of innovation at work that deserves to succeed. After the success of the first autonomous robotic system designed to search for, identify, and collect seafloor litter, a consortium of European researchers will develop a team of robots to collect litter from the surface and deeper regions of the Mediterranean.
The teams responsible for the Horizon 2020 SeaClear project have announced that they have expanded their consortium and received funding to begin follow-up work to further develop the robotic system and holistically address the issue of marine litter through the project: SeaClear2.0 – Scalable Full-cycle Marine Litter Remediation in the Mediterranean: Robotic and Participatory Solutions.
SeaClear 2.0, like its predecessor, attempts to use robots to combat one of the world’s most serious environmental issues: marine litter. Cleaning it up using divers poses danger to human lives and is economically overwhelming.
Rafael Nadal joins E1 electric boating league as team owner
As some of you will know, I am a keen tennis player, admittedly nowhere near Nadal’s standard (!); so, I could not let this story go past. I have read a widely circulated media report that Rafael Nadal is set to become a new team owner in the UIM E1 World Championship, the world’s first all-electric race boat championship. The 22-time Grand Slam champion will enter his own team for the inaugural season.
Alongside his incredible success on the tennis court, Nadal – a Mallorquin islander – says he is passionate about the ocean and is hugely supportive of E1’s mission to accelerate clean mobility and restore marine ecosystems.
“I’m really excited to be getting involved with a project like E1 that values sustainability and will make a positive impact on society as a whole, especially in coastal communities,” says Nadal. I always wondered what famous tennis players do when they retire. It seems Rafa is developing a plan of action for what to do when he finally hangs up his racquet. Good luck Rafa!
RNLI station celebrates first all-female crew
An RNLI station in North Shields has launched its first all-female crew, hailing it as a “momentous occasion”. Helmed by Anna Heslop, the four-strong RNLI Cullercoats crew spent an hour-and-a-quarter in the North Sea on a training exercise. It was the first time the station had ever launched a crew consisting of all women. Until ten years ago, there had never been a female volunteer at the station.
The station’s lifeboat operations manager — and mother of Ms Heslop — Kay Heslop says Cullercoats had sought an all-female crew for a long time. Speaking to the BBC, she points out that 10 per cent of RNLI volunteers across the UK are women.
Whatever next? A ‘flying’ superyacht concept …
“What will they come up with next”, I hear you ask. Well, a flying superyacht sounds rather cool – this concept to be powered by hydrogen and it’s full of Italian design flair too. What more could you want?
This futuristic looking concept by Italian design studio, Lazzarini, has now been revealed to the world. The concept is called Plectrum, a 74-metre (242ft) foiling ‘flying’ superyacht. The hull shape is said to take its design inspiration from the latest America’s Cup sailboats, but the Plectrum is powered by three hydrogen motors capable of 5,000hp each rather than wind power. Designer, Pierpaolo Lazzarini, says Plectrum is conceived to be entirely composed of dry carbon fibre composite, with an estimated top speed of 75 knots. Now that’s quick! What’s not too like?
Investigation ordered after media report about a superglue repair to a nuclear submarine
Not often am I flabbergasted, but this story is simply beyond belief. The Sun, a UK national newspaper, was one of several papers that broke the story recently. It reported that an investigation has been ordered after repair workers on a Trident submarine apparently glued broken bolts back together in a nuclear reactor chamber. As I said, unbelievable and who on earth thought this was acceptable? I know the depths professional marine surveyors go to ensure the safety of life at sea. This seems to fly directly in the face of common sense; but what do I know?
According to The Sun, “The unsatisfactory repairs to cooling pipes were discovered when a bolt fell off during checks aboard the 16,000-tonne HMS Vanguard.” The article says that the bolt had originally been sheared off through over-tightening, but instead of reporting the damage and taking the time to bore out the broken shafts, civilian staff simply glued the heads back on.
The whole sorry tale can be read here.
The Round Britain eRIB project and challenge
Now here’s an initiative and project that has really captured my imagination and I wanted to share it with you. It is inspiring to see a young person prepared to take bold actions to back up his fighting words and to stand up for what he believes in.
The young man in question is Harry Besely, aged 16. The Round Britain eRIB project intends to help drive the development of the eMarine sector for small leisure and commercial craft. With support from key industry stakeholders the team is planning a world record attempt to circumnavigate Great Britain in summer 2023 by means only of an electric RIB.
Harry Besley will be just 17 when he attempts the world record. His youth gives him the perspective of someone whose future is at risk, and he’s serious about making this challenge a reality. Harry believes that powerboats need to stop using fossil fuels. This is his way of having an impact.
The overarching aim of the project is to assist the small craft sector to better understand the implications of new technologies and will help build public confidence in a safe and financially viable transition to a cleaner and more sustainable future.
The team behind the project would ask you to consider the following points:
– Lithium-ion battery fires on vessels are a different risk. They are working with a specialist battery manufacturer who has a significant focus on battery safety, and the team plans to use a specialist fire extinguisher per their recommendation.
– Battery management systems on vessels are generally accessed through the mobile network. The team will be working with a firm that is developing a satellite-based remote monitoring system such that fleet battery health and other key systems can be monitored remotely. This could enable vessel battery health to be monitored all over the world.
– Battery overheating while charging is another key challenge, and they will be charging via a wide range of accessories and scenarios. The team will be able to log issues experienced during charging, enabling knowledge to build within the industry.
– The project team will be running consecutively for perhaps up to 3-4 weeks, with continual charge and discharge cycles. This level of usage will enable the industry to develop knowledge about degradation in battery performance and any increased risks associated with this.
– The team is working with a partner to develop a modular-based battery system to support the vessel and enable charging from the ground support vehicle.
If you want to offer support, or are interested in sponsoring, or being associated with this initiative, you can follow its progress and engage with their adventures by clicking here.
Here’s to next month’s round-up.
Mike Schwarz
IIMS Chief Executive Officer
