Gladding-Hearn delivers new generation pilot launch

The 28 knot vessel is the association’s second Chesapeake Class launch and the first in a new generation of the popular, mid-size pilot boats.

The Somerset, MA, shipyard introduced the Chesapeake Class pilot boat in 2003.Since then, 15 have been delivered to pilot associations throughout the U.S.

The latest improvements incorporate the performance benefits of Volvo Penta’s IPS2 inboard propulsion system.

“The IPS2 system was created to improve the performance and the arrangement of planning hulls like our pilot boats,” said Peter Duclos, the shipyard’s president. “This new generation of Chesapeake launches, named Chesapeake Class MKII, is equipped with the IPS2 pods, which provide what pilots have been asking for: higher speeds, lower fuel consumption, and more comfort.”

With a deep-V hull designed by C. Raymond Hunt & Associates, the all-aluminum pilot boat measures 52.7 ft overall, with a 16.8-ft beam and a 4.5-ft draft.

It is powered by twin Volvo Penta D11, six cylinder, EPA Tier 3 diesel engines, each producing 503 bhp at 2,250 rpm. Each engine is connected to a Volvo Penta IPS propulsion pod, which is fitted with dual forward-facing, counter-rotating propellers and integrated exhaust system, and Volvo Penta’s integrated EPS electronic steering and control system.

The EPS control system and three-axis joystick increases the boat’s overall maneuverability alongside a ship and when docking, says Mr. Duclos.

The financial incentive for the Tampa Bay pilots to optimize fuel economy, vessel handling and comfort led the shipyard to install a Humphree Interceptor automatic trim- optimization system.

“The combination of the Volvo Penta IPS system and the Humphree interceptors gives the pilots higher speeds and improved comfort, while burning 25 percent less fuel than similar Chesapeake Class launches,” says Mr. Duclos.

Electrical requirements are met by a 9 kW Northern Lights generator.

Key design changes to the Chesapeake Class MKII include positioning the wheelhouse aft of amidships to improve comfort and provide for a larger foredeck.

With the pods close-coupled to the engines, the engine room is located well aft of the wheelhouse with easy access to machinery through a deck hatch.

This new generation of pilot boats is also designed to accept a gyro-stabilization system, designed to reduce vessel roll.

The wheelhouse, with forward-leaning windows, is outfitted with five Stidd seats and a settee and cooled by two 16,000 Btu air-conditioning units.

The forecastle, with a 12,000 Btu AC unit, has one berth and an enclosed head.Outside of the wheelhouse are wide side-decks and boarding platforms, port and starboard, on the foredeck.

At the transom is a winch-operated, rotating davit over a recessed platform for pilot rescues operations.

Alaska may try to sell 52 year old state ferry

The Juneau Empire reports that General Manager of the Ferry System Captain John Falvey and Michael Neussi, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation, have discussed what’s next for the Taku and “everything from selling it to trying to run it again” is on the table.

During a presentation last month, Mr. Neussl said he believed the ferry system would sustain itself by reducing the size of the fleet.

“I think the numbers are speaking that we can’t afford to operate an 11-ship fleet with the frequency of service that we’ve kind of become accustomed to,” he said on Sept. 15.

The Juneau Empire says the Taku would be on the block before others because it’s the smallest of the system’s main line ferries.

As the state’s budget forces the system to cut service and take ferries out of service, the ferries that are operating will run closer to capacity.

Built in 1963 by the Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock Company in Seattle,WA, the 352 ft Taku can carry 370 passengers and 69 vehicles.

It is one of three AMHS ferries that is SOLAS certified.

It is currently in lay up, serving as a “hotel ship” for other AMHS ships being overhauled at the Kechikan shipyard.

Read the Juneau Empire report HERE

Alaska may try to sell 52 year old state ferry

 

The Juneau Empire reports that General Manager of the Ferry System Captain John Falvey and Michael Neussi, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation, have discussed what’s next for the Taku and “everything from selling it to trying to run it again” is on the table.

During a presentation last month, Mr. Neussl said he believed the ferry system would sustain itself by reducing the size of the fleet.

“I think the numbers are speaking that we can’t afford to operate an 11-ship fleet with the frequency of service that we’ve kind of become accustomed to,” he said on Sept. 15.

The Juneau Empire says the Taku would be on the block before others because it’s the smallest of the system’s main line ferries.

As the state’s budget forces the system to cut service and take ferries out of service, the ferries that are operating will run closer to capacity.

Built in 1963 by the Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock Company in Seattle,WA, the 352 ft Taku can carry 370 passengers and 69 vehicles.

It is one of three AMHS ferries that is SOLAS certified.

It is currently in lay up, serving as a “hotel ship” for other AMHS ships being overhauled at the Kechikan shipyard.

Read the Juneau Empire report HERE

Alaska may try to sell 52 year old state ferry

 

The Juneau Empire reports that General Manager of the Ferry System Captain John Falvey and Michael Neussi, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation, have discussed what’s next for the Taku and “everything from selling it to trying to run it again” is on the table.

During a presentation last month, Mr. Neussl said he believed the ferry system would sustain itself by reducing the size of the fleet.

“I think the numbers are speaking that we can’t afford to operate an 11-ship fleet with the frequency of service that we’ve kind of become accustomed to,” he said on Sept. 15.

The Juneau Empire says the Taku would be on the block before others because it’s the smallest of the system’s main line ferries.

As the state’s budget forces the system to cut service and take ferries out of service, the ferries that are operating will run closer to capacity.

Built in 1963 by the Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock Company in Seattle,WA, the 352 ft Taku can carry 370 passengers and 69 vehicles.

It is one of three AMHS ferries that is SOLAS certified.

It is currently in lay up, serving as a “hotel ship” for other AMHS ships being overhauled at the Kechikan shipyard.

Read the Juneau Empire report HERE

Finance: Attractive Terms

October 13, 2015 — Hapag-Lloyd secures banking facility for boxship series at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (Extended coverage from Marine Log’s October 2015 issue). German container shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd signed a $

Underwriters sue expert witness for alleged negligence

OCTOBER 12, 2015 — In a case that shows the need for those acting as expert witnesses to have professional indemnity insurance, International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) reports that hull & machinery

Deltamarin and Brevik launch gas carrier design

 

A new multigas carrier design uses the successful B. Delta bulk carrier hull from Finland’s Deltamarin to carry gas in new-generation cylindrical gas tanks developed by Vard affiliate Brevik Technology AS.

The design can be utilized for LNG, LPG, LEG and ethane carriers.

“Up to now gas carriers have been complex and expensive to design and construct. This is not the case anymore as Brevik Technology has developed cylindrical steel tanks, which are separate from the vessel hull,” says Brevik Technology’s Managing Director Øystein Kristoffersen Sæther.

Brevik Technology’s independent gas carrying method challenges the traditional and expensive way of building the vessel and the tanks as one entity. The patented containment design has already been approved by classification societies.

BrevikThe cylindrical tank design allows the tanks to expand in all directions without putting stress on the vessel hull. The independent containment system, which can be built into a vessel as is, results in better possibilities to utilize the existing well-proven ship design.

“This is where the shipowner can get significant benefits by choosing a readily available and highly efficient B.Delta hull design already proven in operation”, says Deltamarin’s Managing Director Mika Laurilehto.

The design based on the B.Delta is actually a bulk carrier design equipped with cylindrical tanks for the gas cargo.
“As a bulk carrier, the vessel is easier and cheaper to build compared to a traditional gas carrier, and there may be many new potential shipyards capable of constructing such a vessel,” says Mr. Laurilehto.

The new design is now available for the market for smaller-scale gas carriers of 31,000 cu.m, with similar designs for medium- and larger-scale vessels to follow.

The design will also be available for retrofit vessels, such as the conversion of a bulk carrier to gas carrier.

 

Aker Philly cuts steel for two more Kinder Morgan tankers

Construction on the two Jones Act vessels officially began in the shipyard’s fabrication shop when guest of honor Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack pushed the button on the shipyard’s plasma cutting machine. The first steel plates that were cut will later become part of the engine room.

At the ceremony, the shipbuilder’s President and CEOI, Steinar Nerbovik, said: “With construction underway on these two product tankers, we celebrate the capstone of an exciting eight tanker series that is part of Philadelphia’s contribution to the energy landscape of this country. The 1,100 men and women working at the shipyard will be busy for years to come completing these tankers and the other vessels we have under contract.”

“We are very pleased to be working with the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard on the construction of four, LNG-conversion-ready tankers, and the start of construction of these two vessels marks a milestone for our expanding fleet,” said Robert Kurz, Vice President of Kinder Morgan Terminals and President of APT. “There continues to be a strong demand for domestic marine transportation of petroleum products and crude oil, and these tankers will provide Kinder Morgan with additional new tonnage to better service our customers.”
The next generation 50,000 dwt product tanker is based on a proven Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) design that incorporates numerous fuel efficiency features, flexible cargo capability, and the latest regulatory requirements. When completed, each of the 600-foot tankers will have a carrying capacity of 14.5 million gallons to transport crude oil or refined products.

Also under construction at the shipyard are three 50,000 dwt product tankers for Crowley with planned deliveries through 2016, the first two 50,000 dwt tankers for APT with planned deliveries in 2016 and 2017, and two containerships for Matson Navigation Company, Inc. with planned deliveries in 2018.

NNS switches its steam plant from HFO to gas

 The plant generates low-pressure steam to heat many of the shipyard’s facilities, to provide process heat and to support hotel services—including hot water, food preparation and galley services—to the ships undergoing construction and overhaul.

“We started researching and evaluating alternative options about four years ago with the goal of implementation by 2016,” said Bill Cash-Robertson, a Newport News Shipbuilding environmental engineer. “Not only does the conversion to natural gas make good business sense, it’s more efficient, it’s cleaner, and it’s safer to operate.”

The old system, which included three 70-year-old boilers, burned about 6 million gallons of heavy fuel oil last year, costing the shipyard about $15 million.

Plant Engineering Supervisor Ken Allmon, a member of the shipyard’s energy management team, said the new system will reduce greenhouse gases by 30 percent and save the shipyard several million dollars per year in lower utility costs.”The team is proud of our work to overcome technical challenges and implement a solution that is a win for everybody,” he said.

Will Koeck, the project’s construction engineer, said one challenge was to safely remove and install large boilers in a plant that had to continue operating during the conversion. “We met the challenge with careful coordination and planning, and we had the first new boiler in place making steam in December 2014,” he said.

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.”

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