Hans F. Muhlert, P.Eng. Awarded SNAME Fellow Status
In March 2020 the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) announced the awarding of the status of Fellow to Hans Muhlert of Robert Allan Ltd. This significant distinction is: “Accorded exclusively to individuals who have made outstanding personal contributions to naval architecture, marine or ocean engineering, or allied disciplines through significant achievements in design, research…
Crude Oil Held in Sea Storage Hits New Record
Traders are storing an estimated record 160 million barrels of oil on ships - double the level from two weeks ago as they seek to tackle a glut of stocks created by a slide in global demand from the coronavirus, shipping sources say.Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers including Russia have agreed a record cut in output from May of 9.7 million barrels per day…
Indian Fishermen, Caught Out by Virus Lockdown, Dock After Weeks at Sea
Hundreds of exhausted Indian fishermen, who said they were refused entry at two ports after a nationwide lockdown was imposed to fight the new coronavirus, docked in the western state of Maharashtra on Friday after about a month at sea.The men were out in the Arabian Sea on March 24 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown, which has now been extended to May 3.They tried to dock at Nargol in the state of Gujarat to the north…
Lack of Monitoring Contributed to 2019 Laker Fire -NTSB
A lack of operating procedures for continuous active monitoring contributed to the extent of damage caused by a 2019 fire on board a laid-up bulk carrier in Toldeo, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report.At about 8:10 p.m. local time on February 16, 2019, a fire was reported on the 770-foot-long St. Clair while the vessel was undergoing winter at the CSX TORCO Iron Ore Terminal (TORCO…
New Leadership at Exmar After Chairman Bodson Dies from COVID-19
Belgian shipping and offshore company Exmar outlined its leadership succession plan following the April 4 death of board chairman Baron Philippe Bodson due to the novel coronavirus.Nicolas Saverys, previously CEO of Exmar, will take up the position of executive chairman of the board of directors, and Francis Mottrie, deputy CEO of the Exmar Group, as been appointed as CEO.Bodson, 75, had been a member of Exmar's board of directors for 18 years, and served as chairman for 15.
Chinese, Malaysian Offshore Oil Vessels in South China Sea Standoff
A Chinese government survey ship is tagging an exploration vessel operated by Malaysia's state oil company Petronas in disputed waters in the South China Sea, three…
Scana Offshore Wins Offshore Wind Contract
Kvaerner ASA awarded Scana Offshore AS a contract for the supply of mooring equipment to Hywind Tampen, Equinor's new floating wind farm. The contract is Scana Offshore's first hardware contract in the floating wind power market.The delivery from Scana Offshore will consist of 33 hull brackets, which are used to attach anchoring lines to the hulls on the 11 offshore wind turbines that make up the Hywind Tampen wind farm.
Two Tier 4 Newbuilds Delivered to NYC Ferry
The first two low emission EPA Tier 4 compliant 29-meter passenger ferries, named H401 and Curiosity, have been delivered for the still expanding NYC Ferry by Hornblower, said naval architect Incat Crowther, whose digital ship design package allowed identical vessel to be constructed at independent shipyards; Halimar Shipyard of Morgan City, La and Breaux Brothers Enterprises of Loreauville, La.The…
Vard to Build Taiwan-bound Offshore Wind Farm Vessel
Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has said it has won a contract to design and build a Service Operation Vessel (SOV) for Ta San Shang Marine.The news comes a day after Orsted confirmed it would charter a newbuild SOV from Ta San Shang - a JV between MOL and TTM - on a 15-year deal, for work in Taiwan.The SOV is of VARD 4 19 design, developed by Vard Design. The vessel will be built at VARD’s shipyard Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam…
Behind the Scenes with Cox Powertrain
Engineers at Cox Powertrain have developed a sophisticated testing process for the company's new 300hp diesel outboard to be run through to ensure that, once the engines go to market, there are no faults or failures.With any engineering R&D project, testing is a fundamental aspect of the process. With the production of the CXO300 just around the corner, Cox Powertrain’s Test and Development team have worked tirelessly over the past few years…
Global Reef Expedition: Mission to Tonga
Assessing the health of coral reefs in the Kingdom of TongaHealthy coral reefs provide critical ecosystem services for millions of people globally, but with climate change and anthropogenic stressors, the landscape of these habitats is regularly shifting. The science and conservation community has realized the importance of baseline studies to help track how these precious reef ecosystems are changing.
Nippon Paint, Corning Unveil Antivirus Coating
A special coating from Japan's Nippon Paint and US-based technology company Corning Inc, has been developed to protect workers from picking up viruses from painted surfaces.Nippon Paint's Antivirus Kids Paint, developed specifically for frontline hospital use, incorporates Corning Guardiant Antimicrobial Particles – a nascent technology designed to safeguard against viruses from adhering to hospital surfaces.Experts estimate that viruses can remain viable on some surfaces for several days…
R/V Gilbert R. Mason Keel Laying
On March 3, 2020 a keel laying ceremony was held at the Municipal Auditorium in Houma, LA for the 3rd Regional Class Research Vessel, R/V GILBERT R. MASON. The R/V MASON will be operated by the Gulf - Caribbean Oceanographic Consortium led by the University of Southern Mississippi and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON). Many of Dr. Gilbert Mason’s family members, as well as a number of dignitaries from both Mississippi and Louisiana, attended the event.
Yanmar to Provide SHIPSWEB Free of Charge
Yanmar Engineering said it will provide its auxiliary diesel engine management service “SHIPSWEB” free of charge from April 15th, 2020 to March 31st of 2021.SHIPSWEB is a technology platform for providing customers that manage large ocean-going vessels with timely technical information.With fears growing over protracted spread of the novel coronavirus, Yanmar has decided support users by offering its SHIPSWEB online service free of charge…
Ingalls Begins Building LPD 30
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division recently started fabrication of the U.S. Navy’s newest San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock Harrisburg (LPD 30). The start of fabrication signifies that the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.“LPD 30 is the start of an exciting new era for the San Antonio class,” said Steve Sloan, Ingalls LPD program manager. “The start of fabrication for Harrisburg marks the beginning of the LPD Flight II program.
Trends and Projections for Future Fuels and Decarbonization
ABS has published the latest trends and projections on carbon-reduction strategies for shipping as the industry looks to meet decarbonization ambitions.Setting the Course to Low Carbon Shipping examines new fuels, technologies and operational measures and matches that with forecasts for the world’s key trade lanes to envision what shipping may look like in 2030 and 2050.The second of two ‘Outlook’…
Wärtsilä Launches Remote Support Center
Technology group Wärtsilä has launched of its global Smart Support Center service. This service is aimed at improving asset uptime via remote access for customers of Wärtsilä’s Voyage business, thereby substantially reducing the need for physical service attendance. Operational support is delivered via virtual service engineers. Smart Support is designed to maintain all Wärtsilä Voyage equipment, including ship handling solutions…
Vestdavit Secures Davit Contract with French Navy
Vestdavit won a tender from Chantiers de l’Atlantique to supply davit systems for four new logistic support ships due delivery to the French Navy under the FLOTLOG (Flotte Logistique) program. The double-hulled vessels will replace the Navy’s current, single-hulled LSSs and will be deployed to support France’s blue-sea combat fleet commitment to OCCAR (Organization for Joint Armament Co-operation).Vestdavit…
Interview: Dr. Dirk Jürgens, Heads of R&D, Voith Turbo Marine
Dr. Dirk Jürgens heads R&D at Voith Turbo Marine, a part of the family owned Voith conglomerate which employs more than 19,000 people in 60 countries. Voith Rudderpropellers were chosen as the propulsion system for the three new Staten Island Ferry vessels, and Dr. Jürgens discusses the evolution of the system.The ‘Voith’ name is a well-known one in the maritime industry, but to start please provide…
Marlink Supporting Crews During COVID-19 Pandemic
Satellite communication provider Marlink has launched a range of airtime packages and application solutions to support its customers in the maritime, fishing and offshore industries during the COVID-19 pandemic.The ‘StrongerTogether’ initiative includes connectivity packages such as additional data top-ups, increased bandwidth and free or discounted voice minutes for ship operators to keep the crew…