Saga Cruises orders 1,000 passenger newbuild at Meyer

The dock is presently used for block construction and by reopening it the shipyard will be able to deliver three cruise ships, including the Saga newbuild. The cruise line’s memorandum of agreement with Meyer has an option for a second vessel for 2021 delivery.

The Meyer Werft ship will be Saga Cruises’ first newbuild.  Catering for passengers in the 50+ age group, the cruise line currently has two ships, the 446-passenger Saga Pearl II and the 706-passenger Saga Sapphire, both built in 1981. According to Daily Telegraph, demand for sailings on the ships is extremely high: they carried around 25,000 passengers last year, with a 75 per cent repeat passenger rate.

The new ship will be 234 m long by 30.8 m wide and will have 540 cabins, all with balconies and with about 15% designed for passenger cruising solo.

“This is an important milestone in the future of Saga Cruises,” said the line’s CEO, Robin Shaw. “We are happy to develop this vessel, tailored to our individual needs, and we’re delighted to be working with Meyer Werft, a recognized leader in cruise ship construction.”

Crowley takes delivery of first LNG-ready Jones Act tanker

Crowley says the delivery is momentous not only for Crowley, but also for the industry because it is the first time a product tanker has been constructed with consideration for the future use of LNG as fuel. The remaining three ships in the series have planned deliveries through 2016.

The ships are based on a proven Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) design which incorporates numerous fuel efficiency features, flexible cargo capability, and meets the latest regulatory requirements. The vessel is 600 feet long and is capable of carrying crude oil or refined petroleum products.

Crowley’s Seattle-based, naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary Jensen Maritime is providing construction management services for the product tankers. Jensen now has an on-site office and personnel at the Philadelphia shipyard to ensure strong working relationships with shipyard staff and a seamless construction and delivery program.

“We are excited to offer our customers cutting-edge technology available in these new tankers, which not only embraces operational excellence and top safety, but also offers the potential to be powered by environmentally friendly LNG in the future,” said Crowley’s Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum and chemical transportation. “Adding these new Jones Act tankers to our fleet allows us to continue providing our customers with diverse and modern equipment to transport their petroleum and chemical products in a safe and reliable manner.”

“We are proud to have Crowley as a repeat customer at the shipyard and to deliver another quality tanker to them. This vessel continues our strong history of building ships here in Philadelphia,” said Aker Philadelphia President and CEO Steinar Nerbovik.

MSE swoops on gas specialist TGE Marine

 

TGE Marine is a leading provider of engineering services for the design and supply of gas carriers, fuel gas systems and offshore units. Its deliver turnkey solutions for engineering, design, procurement and construction supervision (EPCS) of marine gas handling and storage systems as well as vessel designs. It specalizes in the containment and handling of cryogenically stored gases and is a market leader in the ethylene carrier and small LNG carrier segment.

It is a pioneer in LNG fuel gas systems and LNG bunkering. Most of its customers are commercial shipyards that build gas carriers.

MES says that with the demand for small-to-medium sized carriers for LNG, ethane and ethylene gas, and LPG expected to increase it is currently engaged in the development and sale of medium sized multi-gas carriers. And with the increasing focus on environmentally friendly marine fuel, it has been engaging in the development and sale of electronically-controlled dual fuel gas injection diesel engines (ME-GI) and high-pressure compressors for fuel gas supply systems that can use not just heavy oil, but also natural gas as fuel.

The technology and the engineering and construction knowhow and strong customer bases at both MES and TGE are expected to be highly compatible with each other and, by bringing all of this together, MES believes the two companies will be able to establish an excellent market position in the global small-to-medium sized gas carrier market and offer high value-added solutions to their customers. Furthermore, MES offering its core gas fuel products, such as engines and high-pressure compressors, is expected to produce significant synergies with TGE’s fuel gas supply system.

Austal gets $13.9 million to prep LCS 6 for shock trials

They will be the first littoral combat ships to undergo these trials, though DOT&E had tried hard to impose them on earlier ships in the two series. The trials are not quite a deliberate attempt to blow up a ship, but they come pretty close to it.

Yesterday, the Pentagon announced Independence class shipbuilder Austal USA, Mobile, AL, was awarded a $13,398,209 cost-plus-award-fee order to provide all supplies, services, labor and material in support of what it calls the  pre-shock trials emergent availability for PCU Jackson (LCS 6).  

The order is for execution of LCS 6’s emergent availability to be conducted prior to full ship shock trials.
Efforts under the work will include program management, test plan and integrated master schedule development, and work package execution and testing.  The work will be performed in Mayport, FL, and is expected to be completed by June 2016.  

Fiscal Year 2015 Shipbuilding and Conversion Navy (SCN) funding in the amount of $9,131,542; and Fiscal Year 2010 SCN funding in the amount of $1,611,449, will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  

The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is the contracting activity.

Panama Canal Authority issues update on leaks in new lock

ACP says that it has now been told by contractot Grupo Unidos por el Canal, S.A. (GUPC) that the localized seepage found in the concrete sill between the lower and middle chamber of the Canal’s expanded Pacific Lock was the result of insufficient steel reinforcement in the area that was subjected to stress from extreme condition testing.

After careful examination of all the other sills in both lock complexes, GUPC stated that in addition to reinforcing the sill that presented the issue, it would also reinforce the first and second sill in the Cocoli Locks and the first three sills in the Atlantic-facing Agua Clara Locks as a preventative measure, though these sills have not presented any issue.

ACP said that GUPC also verbally indicated that the completion date for the Expansion Project will remain April 2016, as planned; however, the ACP is awaiting formal confirmation from GUPC, in the form of a comprehensive report which should also include the root cause of the detected filtrations.

ACP says that its contract with GUPC clearly states that the group is responsible for all corrections that may be required. The contractor has an obligation to ensure the long-term performance on all aspects of the construction of the locks and to complete the Expansion Project following the quality standards established in the contract.

ACP says it “will continue to assess the situation and communicate next steps.”

Willard takes new Mission Pro 730 RHIB on U.S. tour

The nearly 24 foot long and 9-foot wide RHIB is designed with a deep-V hull for maximum stability in the roughest sea conditions, and delivers 300 horsepower from twin 150 Mercury four-stroke engines.

The 40-ounce polyurethane WING inflatable collar has reinforced rub-strakes to reduce risk of boat damage upon boarding and stability during weight shifts.

For protection from the elements, there is an aluminum T-top over the ergonomic center console, which features cup holders, a weather-protected laptop compartment, and an aft-folding windscreen that is safe and convenient for one-person crews

Willard Marine designed the Mission Pro 730 based on the 7-meter RHIB it has provided to the U.S. Navy for 35 years.

Interviews with law enforcement and first responder professionals underscored the need for a durable vessel that would withstand the test of time and lower the total cost of ownership, which is what the Navy and other military branches have required of Willard Marine for decades.

As requested in these interviews, the Mission Pro 730 also provides substantial dry storage and multiple options like tow-posts, gun lockers, communications gear, electronics packages, boat colors and graphics.

“For 35 years, Willard Marine has built strong, dependable vessels for American and international militaries around the world,” said Ulrich Gottschling, president of Willard Marine. “We are proud to offer first response professionals a genuine mission-proven boat like the Mission Pro 730 that they can depend on for optimum performance and minimal maintenance year after year.”

Built to USCG and ABYC specification standards, the Mission Pro 730 can be customized to an agency’s unique mission requirements and performance specifications.

Willard Marine is the exclusive builder of commercial vessels originally designed by SeaArk Marine and Crystaliner. Based in California with facilities in Maryland and Virginia, Willard Marine is ISO 9001:2008 certified and the sole American manufacturer of SOLAS rescue boats. 

USCG icebreaking tug gets life extension makeover

The cutter is one of nine WTGB Bay Class icebreaking tugs built between the late 1970s and early 1980s in Tacoma, WA. Their hulls have an air bubbling system to help them proceed through fresh water ice up to 20 in thick and can break ice up to 3 ft thick by ramming. But after nearly three decades service they are now ready for the SLEP, a major mid-life overhaul expected to extend their service life by 15 years.

Major SLEP work items on the Morro Bay included renewal of the crew’s berthing and mess deck, comprehensive navigation and steering systems upgrades, main propulsion motor overhaul, and installation of a new engine room water-mist fire fighting system and a modern small boat davit system.

The original icebreaking bubbler system, located on the fantail was decommissioned, and a new bubbler system installed in the engine room, where the ship’s service diesel generators had to be moved to accommodate the bubbler system diesel engine and compressor.

The cutter was also sandblasted and painted top to bottom, stem to stern.

With the cutter in the shipyard for theSLEP, Morro Bay’s crew maintained icebreaking proficiency by crew-swapping with the cutter’s sister ship Neah Bay, also homeported in Cleveland, during the 2014-2015 icebreaking season.

Duncan Hunter honored as Champion of Maritime

 

AMP says that Rep. Hunter’s longstanding support for the domestic industry is demonstrated through his work as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation and as a member of the Seapower Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. AMP adds that as the first U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan elected to U.S. Congress, Rep. Hunter understands the importance that the maritime industry serves in the everyday lives of our civilians and our service men and women.

“The true champions of maritime are the hundreds of thousands of highly-skilled service men and women in the American maritime industry who tirelessly work to protect our waterways — such a strength in defense wouldn’t be possible without the Jones Act,” said Rep. Hunter in accepting the award. “I will continue to vocalize my support for the American maritime industry; one that creates good paying family -wage jobs, secures our borders, and fuels our economy.”

This past June, Rep. Hunter demonstrated his commitment to the U.S. maritime industry when he joined hundreds of veterans and active military at the American Maritime Partnership’s Military to Maritime career fair in San Diego where he met with men and women looking to transfer their specialized skills earned from the military into a lucrative career in U.S. maritime.

“Chairman Hunter has been a tremendously valued champion for the domestic American maritime industry, serving as a leader who truly understands our industry’s critical role to the vitality and security of our nation,” AMP Chairman Tom Allegretti said. “From his time in the service to his seat as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Congressman Hunter has witnessed first hand what it takes to sustain a strong maritime industry and because of his dedication, we are honored to provide him with our highest honor – the Champion of Maritime Award.”

 

Indiana shipyard faces $119,700 in OSHA penalties

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 — Corn Island Shipyard Inc., Grandview, IN, faces proposed penalties of $119,700 after a March 2015 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspection. The inspection was a follow-up to

Greek operator uses SKF solution for condition monitoring

Athens, Greece, headquartered TCM will be using a customized version of SKF’s hand-held Marine Condition Monitoring Kit to monitor critical auxiliary machinery such as cargo pumps, engine room fans, compressors and electric engines. The data can then be integrated into the ships’ maintenance management systems and transmitted to TCM’s headquarters, to form the basis of a detailed report on the current condition of the machinery in each vessel, helping service engineers to plan and prioritize maintenance work.  

Ole Kristian Joedahl, SKF’s Sales and Marketing Director, Industrial Market, says, “The marine industry is a key segment for us, and one in which we see significant potential. By giving operators access to data that helps them prioritize their maintenance work, our solutions directly support them in preventing unexpected failures and reducing their overall operating costs.”

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