Weathernews beefs up polar routing capabilities

It’s one more indicator that one effect of climate chang will be to see more commercial shipping activities in the arctic.

The Global Ice Center (GIC) at Weathernews says that the northeast passage along the Russian coast has been open to shipping traffic since August 18, and the northwest passage across North America has been opened from September 1, making this year the first since 2013  that both passages have been open .

The GIC defines “open” as conditions free of ice in all passages, based on satellite observation

The northeast passage is expected to stay open until early October, with the northwest passage closing by late September, thus making it possible for commercial vessels to enter the icy region.

This year, ice in the Arctic Sea is melting at a fast pace, already reaching the third-lowest extent observed in the two routes, However, information available on conditions in two northern sea routes is still scarce, so Weathernews is planning the launch of the WNISAT-1R satellite.

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Eight technologies that will transform shipping

“The marine world in 2030 will be a connected and digital one, bringing closer integration between people, software and hardware in a way that could transform the way we operate,” says LR’s Marine Marketing Director, Luis Benito. “We know technology is changing our world and there is a great deal of overlap between technologies and how they combine will be important.”

LR was the lead partner on the commercial shipping parts of the report and focused on eight technologies that will transform commercial shipping:

LR says that these eight will have a profound impact on ship system design and operation in the next 15 years. With faster technological advances, there will be a move towards delegating authority from the human operator to the machine. Machines will perform many more of the tasks which are considered dull, dirty and dangerous to achieve a higher level of safety and efficiency.There are varying degrees by which a human can delegate responsibility to a machine, depending on the nature of the task and goal they wish to accomplish, and depending on the levels of automation and autonomy built into a ship.

The report identifies two groups of technology drivers – those that will transform the ship design and build space – leading to advancement in shipbuilding, propulsion and powering and the development of smart ships; and the technologies that drive safety, commercial and operational performance – advanced materials, big data analytics, communications, sensors and robotics.

Looking at the impact of these drivers on different ship types, the report presents “Technomax” scenarios for bulk carriers, tankers, containerships and gas carriers. These scenarios are not concept ships but give an indication of the potential maximum technology uptake relevant to the four ship market sectors.

Tom Boardley, LR’s Marine Director commented: “Shipping is likely to evolve quickly now. That evolution is likely to be uneven but while 2030 is not far away, we think that shipping is likely to have changed significantly.”

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USMMA Midshipman gets maritime security award

Jenny Terpenning, labor relations representative for Crowley, presented the certificate of recognition and cash award to Miller on behalf of Crowley, commenting, “We are very proud to present this award to Mr. Miller who is eager to start his seagoing career on a Crowley tanker.”

Mr. Miller, a native of El Paso, Texas, began attending USMMA in 2011 and graduated this year with a degree in intermodal logistics and transportation.

During his senior year, he participated in the maritime security elective, with a focus on maritime cyber security, leading to his award. He also served as regimental supply officer within the regiment of midshipmen and was captain of the tennis team during his senior year.
Since 1984, Crowley has provided more than $3 million dollars in scholarship funding for more than 1,000 students.

The company has also donated more than $2 million over the years to support other educational programs.  In 1994, Chairman and CEO Tom Crowley Jr., established the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship Program in honor of his father. The company continues to give scholarship dollars to deserving students in the U.S., Alaska and Puerto Rico. In 2006, the program was expanded to Central America and to date, has provided financial assistance to 20 students in that region. Crowley’s Jenny Terpenning (left) and USMMA Midshipman Christian Alexander Mille

Evergreen gears up for projected increase in intra-Asia trade

All twenty newbuildings are planned to be deployed in the intra-Asia trade. Evergreen believes that under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that is now being negotiated, the ASEAN countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand will remove trade barriers,  boosting regional cargo growth.

The first ship in CBC series is set to be delivered during the second half of 2017 with the completion of the CSBC series due by the first half of 2018. The first ship from Imabari Shipbuilding is planned to be delivered during the first half of 2018 with the completion of the series due by the first half of 2019.

Evergreen’s B-type vessels will be 211 meters in length, 32.8 meters wide, and have a design draft of 10 meters with a capacity of around 2,800 TEU. The ships are designed to load 13 rows of containers on deck, which is within the span of existing gantry cranes in the major ports on the intra-Asian trade.

The hull design of the vessels is wider in comparison to ships of a similar capacity, enabling the ships to navigate in the shallower ports encountered in the intra-Asia trade and to enhance their cargo carrying capability. The ships can cruise at a speed up to 21.8 knots, enhancing their on-time performance and competitiveness.

Vessels operating on regional trades, such as intra-Asia, often sail in coastal areas. To reduce their impact on port communities and eco-systems, Evergreen has imposed stringent eco-friendly criteria on their operation. The B-type vessels will be equipped with a range of environmental protection devices.They will have electronically-controlled fuel injection engines, meeting IMO Tier II standards for NOx emissions and Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirements.

The agreement for B-type vessels is the third project in which Imabari will participate in Evergreen Line’s fleet renewal program. Evergreen has signed agreements with Shoei Kisen Kaisha, the ship owning arm of Imabari Shipbuilding Group, to charter five 14,000 TEU containerships to be delivered in 2017 and eleven 18,000 TEU containerships to be delivered in 2018 and 2019.

Evergreen gears up for projected increase in intra-Asia trade

All twenty newbuildings are planned to be deployed in the intra-Asia trade. Evergreen believes that under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that is now being negotiated, the ASEAN countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand will remove trade barriers,  boosting regional cargo growth.

The first ship in CBC series is set to be delivered during the second half of 2017 with the completion of the CSBC series due by the first half of 2018. The first ship from Imabari Shipbuilding is planned to be delivered during the first half of 2018 with the completion of the series due by the first half of 2019.

Evergreen’s B-type vessels will be 211 meters in length, 32.8 meters wide, and have a design draft of 10 meters with a capacity of around 2,800 TEU. The ships are designed to load 13 rows of containers on deck, which is within the span of existing gantry cranes in the major ports on the intra-Asian trade.

The hull design of the vessels is wider in comparison to ships of a similar capacity, enabling the ships to navigate in the shallower ports encountered in the intra-Asia trade and to enhance their cargo carrying capability. The ships can cruise at a speed up to 21.8 knots, enhancing their on-time performance and competitiveness.

Vessels operating on regional trades, such as intra-Asia, often sail in coastal areas. To reduce their impact on port communities and eco-systems, Evergreen has imposed stringent eco-friendly criteria on their operation. The B-type vessels will be equipped with a range of environmental protection devices.They will have electronically-controlled fuel injection engines, meeting IMO Tier II standards for NOx emissions and Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirements.

The agreement for B-type vessels is the third project in which Imabari will participate in Evergreen Line’s fleet renewal program. Evergreen has signed agreements with Shoei Kisen Kaisha, the ship owning arm of Imabari Shipbuilding Group, to charter five 14,000 TEU containerships to be delivered in 2017 and eleven 18,000 TEU containerships to be delivered in 2018 and 2019.

Bulker can’t leave Australia until crew gets paid

The MV Apellis is operated by Piraeus, Greece, headquartered Pyrsos Shipping Co Ltd and chartered by Hudson Shipping Lines.

All Australian registered and foreign flagged vessels within Australian waters must comply with the standards set out in the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) of 2006. Any vessel which is found to be in breach of the MLC or other Australian standards will be detained by AMSA and repeat offenders risk being banned from Australian waters.

AMSA inspected the vessel at Esperance grain jetty after receiving a complaint from the International Transport Workers Federation raising concerns about the welfare of the crew. Once on board, the AMSA surveyor discovered a number of deficiencies including:

The vessel has been detained on the matter of non-payment of wages.

The MV Apellis will remain under detention by AMSA until this deficiency is rectified.

AMSA’s General Manager of Ship Safety, Allan Schwartz, said that the proper treatment of seafarers is just as important as the proper maintenance of ships’ equipment – a failure in either system can lead to serious accidents.

“All ships in Australian waters need to comply with Australian standards,” Mr. Schwartz said. “Seafarers live difficult lives often spending many months at sea away from their families and friends.”

Second “enhanced” RAmparts tug joins Harley Marine

The Lela Franco, named in honor of the  wife of HMS founder Harley Franco, is a sister ship to the Michelle Sloan delivered earlier this year. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., both tugs were built at shipbuilder Diversified Marine Inc.’s Portland, OR, shipyard.

The Lela Franco is the sixth tractor tug HMS has added to its fleet in under two years, improving its ship assist and tanker escort capability and bringing more horsepower to the U.S. West Coast. Like its twin sister the Michelle Sloan, it is an enhancement of HMS tugs the Tim Quigg and John Quigg, built in 2004 also by DMI. These enhanced designs developed by Robert Allan Ltd. feature a wider hull, increased bollard pull performance, improved crew accommodations, and a modified skeg.

Particulars of the Lela Franco are as follows:

The tug was designed and constructed to satisfy all applicable USCG rules and regulations and meets or exceed classification society minimum scantling requirements. Tank capacities are as follows:Fuel Oil:          32,800

On trials, the vessel achieved an average bollard pull, ahead, of 69.0 short tons and a maximum of 71.3 short tons, Astern, average bollard pull was 65.4 short tons and maxium was 67.4 short tons.  Free running speed, ahead, was 12.5 knots   

The vessel has been outfitted to the highest standards for a normal operating crew of two, with accommodations for up to six persons. The Master’s cabin is located on the main deck, with two additional double crew cabins located on the lower accommodation deck. There is also a galley and mess room located on the main deck.

The deck machinery comprises a Markey DEPC-48 render-recover type ship assist hawser winch on the bow, spooled with 500′ of 9″ line, and a Markey DEPC-32 towing winch aft with a capacity of 250′ of 6-1/2″ line. In addition, a capstan is installed on the fore deck to facilitate line handling operations.

The raised forecastle and elevated wheelhouse ensure good all-round visibility of the working decks and when handling large barges with high freeboard. The higher freeboard feature also provides a high standard of seakeeping when working in exposed waters, but is configured so as not to impede the ability of the tug to work closely under the flare of the newer generation of large ships.

Main propulsion power for each tug is provided by a pair of CAT 3516C diesel engines, each rated 2,575 bhp at 1,600 rpm, and each driving a Rolls-Royce US 205 Z-drive unit, with a 94.5″ diameter fixed pitch propeller.

The electrical plant consists of two (2) identical CAT C6.6 diesel gen-sets, each with a power output of 125 ekW, 60 Hz.

Ship-handling fenders at the bow consist of one tier of 36″ OD x 18″ ID cylindrical fender at the main deck level, with 12″ loop type Schuyler fenders between the main deck and the knuckle, 11″ laminated bow fenders below, and 12″ hollow D style fenders along the stem and skeg. Tires and 8″ hollow “D” fender provide protection at the main and forecastle sides and sheer lines, and 12″ loop type fendering is used at the stern.

llela francoGA

IACS nod for higher strength intermediate shafts

Today’s low speed, high torque engines for large ships call for high strength intermediate shafts that can suppress the torsional vibration that occurs when the engine rotates at low speed, shafts of high strength are required.

Until now, however, under the IACS UR, material design for intermediate shafts had been limited to a maximum tensile strength of TS800N/mm2.

Kobe Steel’s production technology enables it to make highly clean steel in an integrated manufacturing process that gives it control from steelmaking to final product. It can thus produce high-strength steel up to TS950N/mm2, which has now been adopted as the tensile strength limit for intermediate shafts under the IACS UR.

What this means is that, under the IACS UR, it is now possible to design intermediate shafts of higher strength. Shafts of the same diameter will be better able to cope with large torsional vibrations. Alternatively, at the current level of torsional vibration stress, intermediate shafts of smaller diameters are also possible, saving on weight.

Kobe Steel’s casting and forging business supplies a range of shipbuilding components including built-up crankshafts, solid crankshafts, intermediate shafts and propeller shafts. These components are all inspected and assured under a stringent quality control system that includes Automatic Ultrasonic Test (AUT) and quantitative digital evaluation of the contact area of crankshafts.

Donjon gets $11.5 million dredging contract

Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Fiscal 2015 other procurement funds in the amount of $11,552,862 were obligated at the time of the award.

Army Corps of Engineers, New York, NY, is the contracting activity (W912DS-15-C-0016).

Deltamarin unveils design for 80 m LNG fueled ferry

The ready-to-apply DeltaLinx design uses existing technologies to its full potential and integrates them into the smallest possible package, enabling the ferry to operate in small ports and congested harbors. The propulsion system utilizes LNG as fuel to eliminate SOx and to reduce NOX and CO2 in exhaust gases.

A large LNG tank below the car deck is designed for weekly refueling.

The vessel length of approximately 80 meters allows easy operations between smaller towns and congested ports. High-lift rudders and a bow thruster make maneuvering easy.

Reduced resistance and low wash are ensured by streamlined hull lines. To cope with rough weather along the route, an extensive freeboard in the bow area is provided. Additionally fin stabilizers ensure smooth sailing.

The spacious multipurpose passenger facilities allow for seasonal adjustments by operators. They are arranged on two decks and include a spacious restaurant and pub, a children’s area and small spa corner.

Inside and outside seating combined with an exclusive SkyRoom mean that the ferry is an exciting place in all weather conditions.

To make the vessel suitable for disabled persons, a passenger lift from the car deck is provided.

The main car deck can accommodate up to 82 cars (incl. partial mezzanine deck) or 16 trucks. The bow and stern ramp arrangement enables easy drive-through loading and unloading operations. The unobstructed main deck (exhaust casings at sides) also helps to smooth the cargo operations.

The ship’s main dimensions and watertight subdivision ensure compliance with SOLAS 2009 and the Stockholm Agreement. Lifeboats and Mass Evacuation System (MES) are installed onboard for full international as well as domestic voyages. A Man Overboard Boat (MOB) and rescue boats are also provided. Fire safety is ensured by proper fire zone arrangement and state-of-the-art fire-fighting equipment.DeltaLinx main dimensions

Length     Lpp     73.10 m
Loa     80.40 m
Breadth     B     18.00 m
Draft     T     4.00 m
Height (car deck)     H     6.75 m
Deadweight     dwt     1,220 t
Cargo capacity     lane meters     360 lm
cars only     82
trucks only     16
Passengers     no.     800 persons
Service speed     V     15 kn.
Total propulsion     P     6,000 kW
Class notation: DNVGL 1A1 Car Ferry A MCDK COMF-C(2)V(2) E0 F-M NAUT-AW CLEAN DESIGN DG-P GAS FUELLED TMON PWDK

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