Surface Vessels

Recovery of Remaining Oil from Solar Days to Take Several Days

The Italian sub-sea construction service provider will begin offloading oil from the sunken tanker Solar 1 on March 14. Although Sonsub International expects the offloading to be an easy job, they assured that they have contingency plans in the event of another oil spill. Officials expect the offloading operations to last for about 25 days, but not shorter than 20 days, subject however to the amount of bunker fuel remaining in the ten cargo holds of Solar 1. It is estimated that by April 14, they will already be demobilizing their equipment. It's not that we want to stay any longer, we just want to ensure that each tank is empty of oil, he added. Sonsub will be bringing in Allied Shield for the operation, which will be conducted round the clock. Equipment, such as hull valve assemblies, which will be used in offloading the oil, have been fabricated to suit Solar 1's specifications. As part of their contingency plan, Galleti said that there will be at least two tugboats on the scene at all times. Marine experts, including the Philippine Coast Guard, have acknowledged the possibility of oil leaking out into the surface during the offloading operations. The tugboats will be equipped with skimmers and oil spill booms, and capable of spraying oil dispersants. They will also have storage capabilities, aside from another vessel dedicated solely to storing oil.

This Day in U.S. Coast Guard History – November 22

1906-At the second International Radio Telegraphic Convention, which was held in Berlin, the attendees agreed to adopt the wireless signal "SOS" as the internationally recognized signal for distress at sea.  Their thinking was that three dots, three dashes and three dots could not be misinterpreted. 1953-A great boon to ocean navigation for aircraft surface vessels was the completion of four new LORAN stations in the Far East

New "Robot Boat" Family Debuts in Abu Dhabi

Today Al Seer Marine and 5G International announced the introduction of a new family of unmanned surface vessels, a family ranging from the 3m Sea Serpent to the 11m monohull Eclipse. The USV family is designed to rapidly penetrate a vibrant Middle East defense market and to offer affordable, dependable USV options for commercial operations. Set to debut at this month’s International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi

Navy to Host USV Technology Workshop

The Navy will host a three-day workshop for industry on the development of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) and related technologies for Anti-Submarine Warfare Oct. 18-20 in Washington, DC. The workshop will be a forum for government-industry discussions on control systems, sensors, unmanned operations and the adaptations of small craft design for support of Littoral Combat Ships missions. The workshop falls under the auspices of the July 11broad agency announcement

This Day in Coast Guard History – Oct. 14

1801-Secretary of the Treasury Gallatin announced the decision to reduce "Revenue Cutter Establishment" as near as circumstances will permit within its original limits. 1943-CGC E.M. Dow grounded and was abandoned near Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. All hands were saved. 1944-CGCs Eastwind and Southwind captured the Nazi weather and supply vessel Externsteine off the coast of Greenland after a brief fire-fight.  There were no casualties

Boston Whaler Unveils First Marine Robotic Platform

A Remotely Piloted Surface Vessel (RPSV) will be unveiled at the Navy League Air Sea and Space Exhibition Washington DC 26-28 March 2002 by Boston Whaler Commercial and Government Products Inc, a Brunswick Corporation boatbuilding division. Developed jointly by Boston Whaler, Global Atlantic Inc. and Smart boat Inc., the 15 foot fiberglass hull of the RPSV is propelled by a 2.5 litre V6 cylinder 175hp Mercury SportJet water jet giving a speed capability in excess of 40 knots

AVEVA Releases AVEVA Space Management

Simplify complex ship designs through the managed subdivision of ship spaces and automatic layout drawings   AVEVA (LSE:AVV) released AVEVA Space Management 12.1, which is part of the AVEVA Marine portfolio. AVEVA Space Management automatically creates and manages layout drawings that document the subdivision of the ship into spaces with their  functional design properties. It reduces risk in the design of more complex ships such as cruise ships, naval surface vessels, submarines

A USV Franchise Grows Strong in Abu Dhabi

As the evolution and integration of robotics in maritime vehicles continues to reshape missions and capabilities inland, near-shore and at sea, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News last month was on hand in Abu Dhabi for the unveiling of a new Unmanned Surface Vessel family. If it delivers as designed, it will revolutionize marine robotic vehicle applications for both military and commercial purposes.   Robert J

New Surface Cleaning Process Saves Navy On Maintenance

The paint department at Pascagoula, Miss.-based Ingalls Shipbuilding has developed an innovative method of accomplishing business in surface preparation and painting process — saving the U.S. Navy on ship upkeep and maintenance. The main premise here is reaching a goal of improving the life cycle of all Ingalls-constructed destroyers. "We have started a new process of cleaning and painting the assemblies before we stack them on top of one another," said paint foreman Tommy Vick

HHI Launches Korean Destroyer

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has constructed the first 4000-ton class Korean destroyer ordered by the Republic of Korea Navy. The launching ceremony for the warship was held on April 11, 2004 at HHI’s Special and Naval Shipbuilding Yard in Ulsan. . During the launching ceremony, First Lady Kwon Yang-sook named the warship Munmudaewang-ham. The warship takes its name after "Munmudaewang (The Great King Munmu)", the king of the Silla Dynasty who unified the Korean peninsular and strived to