Vane Brothers takes delivery of latest Maryland-built tug

The Fort Schuyler is the eleventh Sassafras Class tugboat built for Vane Brothers by Chesapeake Shipbuilding, Salisbury, MD. Its sister tug, the Kings Point, was delivered in April this year.

“Working alongside another Maryland-­‐based company to deliver safer and more productive working vessels such as the Fort Schuyler has been a great experience for Vane,” says Vane Brothers President C. Duff Hughes. “Chesapeake Shipbuilding is helping us to further our mission of providing the highest quality service to our customers.”

Measuring 94 feet long and 32 feet wide with a hull depth of 13 feet, the Fort Schuyler is similar in most respects to the previous ten tugs built for Vane by the shipyard.

The vessel is equipped with twin Caterpillar 3512 Tier 3 main engines producing a combined 3,000 horsepower, and operates with a single-drum hydraulic towing winch.

“Soft-core” panels and heavy, fire-rated doors are used throughout, offering the crew a safer and quieter living environment.

In a first for Vane Brothers, the Fort Schuyler’s state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art wheelhouse features multi-­‐functional Simrad marine electronics that utilize intuitive interfaces for heightened performance.

The Fort Schuyler, like the Kings Point, has joined Vane Brothers’ fleet based in New York.The two vessels are named for the campuses of SUNY Maritime College in Fort Schuyler, NY, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point,NY.

 

Joe Mayhall joins Bollinger Shipyards

“I am pleased to announce the addition of Joe Mayhall to the Bollinger family of employees,” said President and CEO Ben Bordelon. “In his new role of Vice President, Commercial Business Development, Joe will have commercial sales and marketing responsibilities for Bollinger as well as Tampa Ship. Joe brings to the table 23 years as a solid contributor in shipyard sales and marketing. His knowledge and understanding of the industry will open new doors and new markets for Bollinger as well as expand on our existing new construction and repair efforts. Joe is a strong addition to our team and I am excited to see his impact on our business.”

Mr. Mayhall is a veteran of new construction and ship repair sales and has worked in increasingly responsible positions, overseeing blue water ship repair and new construction sales in the oilfield and passenger vessel markets as well as coordinating advertising and marketing.

DESMI Ocean Guard BWTS picked for Maersk newbuilds

NOVEMBER 9, 2015 — Aalborg, Denmark, based DESMI Ocean Guard A/S is to supply 14 RayClean ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) for a series of new container vessels to be built at

TOTE pushes back Orca Class LNG conversions

NOVEMBER 9, 2015— The tragic October 1 loss of the El Faro means that TOTE Maritime is having to delay the planned conversion of the first of two “built for Alaska” 839

LNG bunker/feeder vessel will be Wartsila powered

The contract with Wärtsilä was placed in September. The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery in 2016 and the vessel is due to be delivered in February 2017.

When delivered, the ship will be operated on a long-term charter by Skangass, the leading player in the Nordic and Finnish LNG markets. Sirius Veder Gas AB, the owner of the new vessel, is a joint venture formed by Sirius Rederi of Sweden and the Netherlands based Anthony Veder Group.  

The Wärtsilä propulsion package will comprise a 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel main engine capable of running on either LNG or diesel, a reduction gearbox with power take-off (PTO), a shaft line suitable for use with environmentally friendly lubricants and equipped with a Wärtsilä Airguard aft seal that allows zero emissions, and a Wärtsilä controllable pitch propeller.

The latest Wärtsilä 34DF engine version features high power output and reduced fuel consumption in both gas and diesel modes. In gas mode, the vessel will comply with the IMO’s Tier III NOx emission regulations without need of secondary exhaust cleaning systems.

“We are committed to developing energy-efficient solutions for small to mid-size LNG shipping. The use of LNG as a marine fuel is rapidly increasing and there is growing demand for efficient bunker and feeder vessels. Wärtsilä has both the technology and the experience necessary to meet the needs of this market,” says Jan Valkier, CEO of Anthony Veder.

“Since Wärtsilä introduced dual-fuel engine technology, more than 1,300 Wärtsilä DF engines have been ordered. Similarly, bunkering and feeder vessels such as this one are also increasingly taking advantage of our proven technology. This extensive experience adds tremendous value as it allows us to provide expert engineering and project support to the shipyard, which importantly saves time and reduces risk,” says Göran Österdahl, General Manager, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions .

First four-stroke in boxship retrofit to burn LNG

NOVEMBER 6, 2015 — German feeder containership operator Wessels Reederei and MAN Diesel & Turbo have now signed a contract covering the retrofit of the four-stroke 8L48/60B main engine in the 1,000

VT Halter launches 130 ft ATB tug for Bouchard

 

The vessel is one of two sister vessels being built under a two vessel contract signed with Bouchard Transportation, Inc. in August 2014. Morton S. Bouchard and sister vessel Frederick E. Bouchard each measure 130 feet by 38 feet by 22 feet and is classed by ABS as +A1 Ocean Towing , Dual Mode ATB, USCG Subchapter C. On completion, both tugs will be equipped with an Intercon Coupler System. Deliveries are expected in January and May 2016 respectively. The vessels will enter into Bouchard Transportation’s fleet service in New York, N.Y.

This most recent launch follows the September launch from the Moss Point shipyard of another ATB tug for Bouchard, the 10,000 hp M/V Donna J. Bouchard.

Also equipped with an Intercon Coupler, Donna J. Bouchard, is classed by ABS as +A1 Towing Vessel, Dual Mode ATB, USCG Subchapter M.
She will be paired with barge B.No.272, which is currently under construction at VT Halter Marine’s Pascagoula, MS, shipyard to comprise the second ATB unit built for Bouchard Transportation as part of its major expansion program.

“Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. is happy to announce yet another successful launching of a state of the art ATB tug built by VT Halter Marine. The launching of the M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. is a special event within the Bouchard Family, for the vessel is named after the father of President/CEO, Morton S. Bouchard III, who wanted his father’s name to always remain on the waterfront for which he dedicated his entire fife to. The original tug, Morton S Bouchard Jr., which was also built by Halter, was earlier renamed as The Bouchard Boys and continues to operate with Bouchard Fleet,” said Morton S. Bouchard III President and CEO, Bouchard Transportation.

“The successful launching of both vessels, the M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. today and the M/V Donna J. Bouchard in September is an indication of the commitment to the continued relationship with Bouchard Transportation. We are pleased and proud to celebrate this important milestone in the life of any vessel, and we look forward to having these superb tugboats join the Bouchard Transportation fleet,” said Jack Prendergast, CEO, VT Halter Marine

 

Aker Philly facing higher costs, delivery delays

The company, which is planning to change its name to Philly Shipyard, reported an order backlog of $1,043.2 million as of September 30, 2015, providing for shipbuilding activity with delivery dates through 2018.

In its third quarter report, the company says that it has recently completed a thorough analysis of its production schedule and budgets based on its experiences with the construction activities on the current product tanker program and the purchasing and engineering activities on the two containership’s on order by Matson project.

“As a result of this analysis,” it says, it has “prepared a revised forecast which includes higher costs of construction and later delivery dates for the vessels in AKPS’s backlog than previous forecasts. Corrective actions have been put in place to address some of these additional costs and schedule impacts.”

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Azipods ordered for two more Carnival Corp. newbuilds

ABB’s delivery will also include generators, main switchboards, a remote control system and distribution transformers.

One of the ships is for Carnival Corporation’s Holland America Line brand and will 99,500 gt, 2,650 passenger sister ship to Koningsdam, currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard. It will be delivered in fourth quarter 2018.The other is Carnival Cruise Line’s 3,954-passenger a sister ship to Carnival Vista. It is set for delivery for in first quarter 2018 and will be the line’s twenty-sixth ship

“We are pleased to continue our collaboration with Fincantieri, which is known as one of the world’s leading cruise ship builders. Longstanding customer relationships with leading shipyards such as Fincantieri are testament to our continued dedication to quality and customer value,” says Heikki Soljama, managing director for ABB’s Marine and Ports business.

The collaboration between ABB and Fincantieri spans over 25 years: ABB’s first electric propulsion delivery to Fincantieri was for a Carnival cruise ship in 1990. Since then, 14 ships built by Fincantieri have been equipped with ABB’s Azipod propulsion. Twenty-four of Carnival Corporation’s ships are equipped with Azipod propulsion.

Damen inks deals for Carrousel Rave Tugs and ASD

Additionally, Multraship has also agreed a deal with Damen for a new state-of-the-art ASD 3212 tug as part of its planned fleet expansion

Construction of the CRTs will begin immediately. The hulls of the vessels will be built by German shipbuilder Theodor Buschmann GmbH in Hamburg, with final outfitting carried out by Damen Maaskant Shipyards in Stellendam, the Netherlands. Delivery of the Bureau Veritas-classed vessels is scheduled for first-quarter 2017.

The Carrousel towing system consists of a towing point on a straightforward steel ring, freely rotating around the superstructure of the tug. According to Novatug, a towing load simply cannot capsize a Carrousel tug and the tug’s own hull profile can safely be used for generating braking and/or steering forces, based on the lateral resistance of the hull through the water and given the kinetic energy present in the moving tow and/or the current.

In the CRT, this towing system is combined with the advantages of the RAVE Tug (Robert Allan Ltd. – Voith Escort) jointly developed by naval architectural consultancy Robert Allan Ltd. and Voith Turbo Marine. The unique characteristic of the concept is the longitudinal alignment of two Voith drives, delivering very precise and improved force generation characteristics.

The CRTs have an overall length of 32 m, and a bollard pull of minimum 70 tonnes. Propulsion is via two Voith thruster units and two ABC main engines of 2,650 kW operating at 1,000 rpm. Free running speed is over 14 knots at 5,300 kW.

The CRT’s combination of low operational costs, speed of action and enhanced control over the tow can provide major advantages over conventional tugs, for example by widening or even removing tidal and/or weather windows for certain ports.

Novatug will offer the Carrousel Rave tugs on the basis of long-term bareboat charters, basically a financial or operational lease construction, an arrangement proven in other capital-intensive industries such as aviation. Its customer for the first two units is its parent, Multraship.

Leendert Muller, managing director of Multraship, says, “Safety is always our overriding objective, and that it is why we have opted wholeheartedly to produce the Novatug CRT. This new tug design, for the first time, eliminates what has always been the most significant threat to safety in towing – the risk of capsizing under a tow load. The benefits in terms of efficiency and flexibility, meanwhile, are also enormous.”

 

carr

Carrousel Rave Tug

ASD TUG

The new state-of-the-art ASD 3212 tug acquired by Multraship — the Dutch-flag, LR-registered Multratug 31 — was built at Damen Song Cam, Vietnam. A sister vessel to Multratugs 19, 29 and 30, it will operate mainly in the Western Scheldt area. It has a maximum bollard pull of 83.2 tonnes and a maximum speed of 15 knots.

The 453 gt vessel is powered by two Caterpillar 3516C engines and has two Rolls Royce Azimuth thrusters and a 2,800 mm-diameter controllable pitch propeller.The vessel’s deck layout features a hydraulically driven escort double drum winch forward and single drum aft, and a 25 mt deck crane. There are two one-man cabins, four two-man cabins, a mess room and galley.

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