Peace Boat’s Ecoship project is organising a special event at this year’s SMM exhibition to call for suppliers and to announce the latest developments in the project.
On September 7 from 10am, Peace Boat will lead a three-hour event at the IWSA Innovation Forum, located in the new A5 Hall, which is specialising in sustainable and alternative propulsion solutions.
Scruffie Marine, based in Queensland, Australia, is close to completing its second solar powered launch with its latest Secret 33 model due to be launched within weeks. It will then be shipped to Perth where it will operate as a tourist launch on the Swan River.
The first prototype of the Secret 33 has been operating in Perth since March.
Derek Ellard at Scruffie Marine said the key to the new boat’s performance is its racing yacht pedigree with the proven hull being perfectly suited for electric propulsion.
Continue reading “Scruffie Marine to deliver its second solar powered launch”
A ship under construction at Cemre shipyard for UK operator Wightlink will be the first ferry to employ Wärtsilä’s technology that uses batteries to manage engine load fluctuations.
The use of batteries in conjunction with four six-cylinder Wärtsilä 20 generating sets – controlled by a 690v main switchboard, an integrated automation system and a power management system also supplied by the Finnish company – is expected to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions while lowering noise levels.
Continue reading “Wärtsilä’s battery technology to be used on Wightlink flagship ferry”
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS), nine awards categories were created to represent excellence in marine surveying in various disciplines called the Silver Jubilee Awards.
The deadline for nominations was 30 June. Following a meeting of the judging panel on 12 July, the nominations have been whittled down to a list of finalists.
The IIMS Silver Jubilee Award winners will be announced and their awards presented at the special 25th Anniversary Conference on 31 August at Regent’s University by Sir Alan Massey, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Continue reading “IIMS announces the finalists for its Silver Jubilee Awards for Excellence in Marine Surveying”
Blohm+Voss has announced that it has won the tender for the set-up of a new maintenance and refit facility for megayachts in La Ciotat, in the South of France. The company will partner with La Ciotat Shipyards (managed by SEMIDEP-Ciotat), the local company in charge of the site development which is providing a large dry-dock and neighboring workshop premises embedded within the existing shipyard. Blohm+Voss will utilize this new facility in the heart of the Mediterranean to maintain and service megayachts over 80 meters in length. Operation is planned to start in November 2016.
Blohm+Voss Chief Executive Officer, Fred van Beers commented: “Setting up a maintenance facility for megayachts in La Ciotat is an important step in our current growth strategy. With our new office in Monaco and this central location in the Mediterranean we are moving our core business closer to our customers; we are now offering more flexibility and tailored life-cycle.services. The dock in La Ciotat is 200 meters long and 60 meters wide. Our customers now have the choice of utilizing our extensive shipyard facilities in Hamburg or our new base in La Ciotat for large yacht maintenance, refits or conversions. Whatever our customers require: we will provide our renowned, exceptionally high Blohm+Voss quality standards and on-time services at both sites.”
Continue reading “Blohm+Voss to open refit facility for megayachts in the Mediterranean”
In one of its regular safety bulletins, the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has issued new information on an incident involving parts falling from a crane – in this instance a steel sign. IMCA says that this is not the first time this has happened and individuals may wish to review this in light of other similar reported signage dropping incidents.
A piece of metal fell from a crane boom. The incident occurred on a vessel whilst alongside during the testing of the luffing motors’ braking system on the main crane. During this testing the crane boom made an uncontrolled descent into its crutch, resulting in a 60 kg steel sign falling 15m down to the deck. Investigation revealed that the sign was fixed by 4 x stitch welds, of which three were completely rusted away.
Continue reading “Beware signage dropping from a crane boom warns IMCA”
The new addition to the UK’s Red Funnel ferry fleet, Red Jet 6, has completed its initial sea trials and is scheduled to enter service between Southampton and West Cowes.
Shemara Refit has built the new Red Jet 6 passenger ferry at its facilities on the Isle of Wight. The ferry entered the water for the first time in May.
The new 41.12m long ferry has is capable of accommodating 275 passengers.
Continue reading “Red Jet 6 Isle of Wight Catamaran ferry completes sea trials”
Volvo Penta has launched its latest battery management system, suitable for 12 and 24-volt installations. The device is a remote control and gives users a ‘car like experience’ offering theft protection, battery control and monitoring.
“It gives total control of the system, both status and health,” explained Petter Andolf, product management, Volvo Penta.
“When leaving a boat, people can just switch off and the system will power down and switch off. It’s built to be very simple and robust.”
Continue reading “Volvo Penta cuts down on components with new battery management system”
At 1328:21 on 11 May 2015, the Bahamas registered Hamburg cruise ship grounded on charted rocks near the New Rocks buoy in the Sound of Mull, Scotland. The accident caused considerable raking damage to the hull and rendered the port propeller, shaft and rudder unserviceable.
There were no injuries and the vessel continued on its passage to Tobermory.
The investigation found that, having been unable to enter Tobermory Bay on arrival, the passage plan was not re-evaluated or amended. Combined with poor bridge team management and navigational practices, this resulted in the vessel running into danger and grounding. Despite the loud noise and vibration resulting from the grounding, the bridge team did not initiate the post-grounding checklist, no musters were held and neither the managers of the Hamburg cruise ship, nor any shore authorities were notified of the accident.
Continue reading “MAIB releases its report on the grounding of the Hamburg cruise ship”
Cheetah Marine has built a hydrogen-fuel catamaran which demonstrates the potential of zero CO2 technology in the marine industry. It is believed to be the first hydrogen powered craft.
The 9.95m catamaran, designed and built at Cheetah Marine’s workshops on the Isle of Wight in the UK, features a Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (HICE). The Honda outboard works in the same way as traditional petrol engine, except it burns hydrogen and produces harmless water vapour as the only emission.
Continue reading “Cheetah Marine builds the world’s first hydrogen powered boat”
The International Institute of Marine Surveying had a strong presence at the Seawork Exhibition, being held at Mayflower Park in Southampton for the first time. The show attracted over 7,000 visitors and continues to be one of the foremost commercial workboat shows and the largest such event in Europe.
It was an opportunity to meet many members from the UK and further afield as they popped by the stand, which was managed by John Kilhams with assistance from other members of the IIMS head office team.
The MAIB has now released its report into the incident in which skipper, Jamie Kerr, died on the Carol Anne when the crane fitted to the vessel collapsed leaving the reader in little doubt that this was an avoidable accident. The installation of a crane to a workboat adds significant challenges for the marine surveyor when assessing the structure as this report highlights.
On 30 April 2015, an Atlas lorry loader crane fitted on the workboat Carol Anne collapsed while being used to offload a net at a fish farm at Balure on Loch Spelve, Scotland. The crane fell directly onto the workboat’s skipper, who was declared dead at the scene. The crane had been in operation since its installation just six and a half weeks earlier. It was not overloaded when it failed.
Continue reading “Death of workboat Carol Anne skipper could have been avoided says MAIB Report”
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