Canadian Coast Guard Opts for Thordon Bearings
CCGS Terry Fox, one the largest icebreakers in the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) fleet, has returned to service with new Thordon propeller shaft bearings after concluding that fitting laminate phenolic bearings would extend drydock time and costs.The 88-meter-long vessel, built in the 1980s, had been operating Thordon’s water lubricated elastomeric polymer bearings on both shafts for 24 years. Then in…
Seafarer Vaccination Conundrum a 'Legal Minefield', ICS Says
Seafarers' lack of access to vaccinations is placing shipping in a "legal minefield", while leaving global supply chains vulnerable, warns the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).The organization is planning to circulate a legal document to the global shipping community later this week highlighting its concerns following reports that some states may require crews to be vaccinated in order to enter their portsComplicating matters even further…
Cruise Ships to Run on Shore Power in Port of Valletta
Cruise ships moored in the Maltese port of Valletta will soon be able to plug into the island's energy grid, drawing the power they require to be fully operative without having to keep their diesel engines running. Nidec ASI, head of the Nidec Industrial Solutions platform belonging to the Nidec Group, said it has secured a €12 million contract with the Maltese company Excel Sis for the creation of a “shore-to-ship” project at the port.
Marine Greases Address Surface Oxidation & Corrosion
While many current marine greases generally do a good job lubricating and protecting mechanical devices and equipment, they often do not address a common issue that affects all metals: existing oxidation/corrosion on the surfaces.U.S.-based CAIG Laboratories said its DeoxIT L27 Marine Mechanical and Electrical Greases are engineered for the lubrication and protecting metal surfaces, and they also contain…
VIDEO: MarTID Survey Looks at Pandemic’s Impact on Seafarer Training
2020 presented a monumental challenge for many industries and workers, particularly seafarers, as COVID-19 effectively left hundreds of thousands of seafarers stranded at sea, unable to disembark and partake in crew changes due to onerous restrictions by the majority of port states. The challenges continue into 2021, and while eventually the situation will pass, COVID-19 will leave an indelible mark on the way in which seafarers are trained.For the fourth year…
US Navy Recovers Downed Helicopter from Record Ocean Depth
The U.S. Navy last week retrieved one of its crashed helicopters from 19,075 feet below the surface of the North Pacific, setting a record for the deepest aircraft recovery at sea.The helicopter, a twin engine Sikorsky Seahawk, crashed off the coast of Okinawa, Japan last year while operating from the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19). The air crew was able to escape the MH-60S before it sank and no lives were lost in the accident.Responding to a U.S.
Norway, Germany to Buy Six Submarines from Thyssenkrupp
Norway has agreed to order four submarines from Germany's Thyssenkrupp for 45 billion crowns ($5.3 billion), with Germany agreeing to order another two, the Norwegian defense ministry said on Tuesday.Norway and Germany, both NATO members, are jointly procuring identical submarines from Thyssenkrupp's shipbuilding division.The Norwegian defense ministry said Germany had agreed to order two submarines from Thyssenkrupp…
New On-demand Content Service for Seafarers
A new on-demand service for movies, news and information has been built and launched for mariners working on board the typical deep-sea merchant vessels.While crew welfare in the form of modern IPTV entertainment is now part of the expected in some maritime segments, this is not the case in a typical tanker, bulk and container vessels, where the technology is often perceived as being too complicated and costly…
Congestion at Brazil's Largest Port Leaves Traders Scrambling
Soy and sugar traders are fighting for room in Latin America’s largest port, rushing to secure loading slots as the slowest Brazilian soy harvest in 10 years pushes the grains export window into the sugar season.Congestion was hitting Brazil’s Santos port just as consumers worldwide have been turning to top exporter Brazil for sugar and soybean supplies. The glut of shipments waiting to leave is boosting…
New Havyard Ship Technology Changes Its Name Back to Havyard Leirvik
New Havyard Ship Technology AS is changing its name to Havyard Leirvik AS following the recent restructuring of the yard’s activities and changes to company strategy.Part of the Havyard Group, Havyard Leirvik installs marine emissions reduction technology as well as other repair and modification services.CEO Karsten Sævik explains that the yard, which in 2018 celebrated its 100th anniversary, was formerly also named Havyard Leirvik.
Anchor Handling 'World Record' for Island Offshore's Vessel
Norwegian offshore vessel operator Island Offshore has recently set what it says is a world record with its deep-water installation vessel Island Victory during pre-laying of anchors at Lundin Energy's Solveig field in the North Sea, off Norway."The anchors are fastened by pulling them with such great force that they embed themselves into the seabed. In cases where a significant degree of force is needed this is done "in tandem" by two vessels.
More than 1,600 Cattle on Spanish Livestock Carrier to Be Killed
Spain on Monday ordered the slaughter of 1,610 cattle which have been stuck aboard the Elbeik livestock ship since December, just weeks after hundreds of cattle on another vessel met a similar fate.Th
Norway Blocks Rolls-Royce's Plan to Sell Bergen Engines to Russian Firm
Norway will block Rolls-Royce from selling a Norwegian maritime engine maker to a Russian company on national security grounds, its justice minister told parliament on Tuesday.Based on Norway’s west coast, and owned by Britain’s Rolls-Royce for more than 20 years, Bergen Engines supplies NATO member Norway’s navy as well as the global shipping industry.The blocking of the sale is a blow for Rolls-Royce…
DNV Awards AIP for DSME's Rotor Sail System
South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) received an approval in principle (AiP) from classification society DNV for the DSME Rotor Sail System for large oil tankers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.Desigend to provide eco-friendly auxiliary propulsion for ships, a rotor sail system incorporates the installation of cylindrical columns (rotors) on the vessel’s…
GC Rieber Delivers Polar Queen to Schmidt Ocean Institute
Norwegian offshore vessel owner GC Rieber Shipping has delivered the Polar Queen vessel to new owners Schmidt Ocean Institute. The company announced the sale of the IMR vessel in February."The vessel has today been delivered to the new owner," GC Rieber Shipping said in a brief statement on Tuesday, without disclosing the name of the buyer. U.S.-based Schmidt Ocean Institute has said it acquired the…
Van Oord Inks Service Agreement with ABB Turbocharging
Dutch dredging company Van Oord signed a three-year agreement with ABB Turbocharging to provide fleetwide maintenance and optimization services. The agreement comes as two Van Oord vessels receive the first turbocharger upgrades of their kind in the dredger sector, an upgrade at saving fuel and carbon emissions over the next decade.The service agreement, which marks more than 30 years of cooperation between Van Oord and ABB Turbocharging…
Opus Marine Buys Two Crew Transfer Vessels from Penguin
German offshore vessel operator Opus Marine has acquired two WINDFLEX-27 Crew Transfer Vessels built by Penguin Shipyard, a unit of Singapore-based Penguin International Limited. Incat Crowther, the vessel designer, said that the two vessels, to be named Valkyrie and Wotan, would be delivered to Opus Marine and will start working with Orsted in Taiwan shortly."Built as stock vessels, the WINDFLEX-27 is yet another successful co-operation between Incat Crowther and Penguin.
Aqueos Buys MPSV Sea Scout. Eyes Renewables Work
Offshore energy industry services provider Aqueos has acquired the Sea Scout, a U.S.-built multi-purpose service vessel, targeting renewable industry prospects in the U.S."The vessel is a specialty built, high speed, shallow draft catamaran with comfortable berthing for 26 persons ideally suited to support multi-mission offshore wind farm projects," Aqueos said.The vessel design includes a unique quad…