Alewijnse Advances Autonomous Vessel Tech

While the advent of full autonomy in the maritime space is still a generation or more in the future, companies like Alewijnse are determined to take step changes toward increased automation, and in fact claim that "autonomous sailing is coming soon."

Alewijnse is a key player in the Fieldlab Autonomous Sailing Technology (F.A.S.T.) project, an initiative designed to revolutionize ship automation. The project centers around the Damen Stan Patrol 900, a 1990-built patrol boat currently being transformed into a remotely operated test vessel in the Port of Vlissingen.

Originally powered by diesel engines, the patrol boat is being upgraded with electric motors and state-of-the-art technology, including cameras, sensors, radar, Lidar, GPS, and wind and speed measurement instruments. These tools will effectively replace the traditional role of a helmsman, paving the way for fully autonomous operations.

“It’s best to use an existing vessel as a test model,” says Eef Uittenbogaard, project manager at Alewijnse. “You can experiment with this prototype ship and discover which applications for autonomous sailing work best in practice.”

The F.A.S.T. project is a collaborative effort involving Damen Naval, the Province of Zeeland, the Municipality of Vlissingen, HZ University of Applied Sciences, TU Delft, and other partners. Beyond autonomous sailing, Alewijnse is also advancing technologies like electric and hybrid propulsion for superyachts and naval ships, as well as exploring alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, and LNG to support sustainability goals.

With autonomous sailing poised to reshape the maritime landscape, Alewijnse's innovative efforts signal a significant step toward a more efficient, sustainable, and safer future at sea.