Marine Link
Friday, April 19, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Google News

09 Apr 2024

KR Rolls Out New Digital Service Platforms

(Image: Korean Register)

KR has released two digital platforms, KR-DAON (Digital Application Online Network) and Nexawave, alongside the launch of its enhanced fleet management system, KR e-Fleet V3.The KR e-Fleet V3, an upgraded version of the existing fleet management system, focuses on enhancing operational efficiency through increased speed and simplification. It features an integrated vessel status display with survey and audit information, a new Thickness Measurement (TM) menu for tracking hull corrosion, and PSC Guidance with VR technology (KR-Real360) to assist in customer responses.

15 Jan 2024

Xeneta Appoints Luykx as Chief Revenue Officer

Tonia Luykx (Photo: Xeneta)

Ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and intelligence platform Xeneta has appointed Tonia Luykx to spearhead its journey to drive revenues through an industry data revolution.Luykx, who has a track record for building and scaling SaaS and tech businesses including Sift, Google, Dropbox and Amazon, has now set her sights on global logistics in the position of Chief Revenue Officer at Oslo-based Xeneta.She said, “I have always worked in organizations that challenge the status quo…

05 Dec 2023

Sails and Satellite Navigation Could Cut Shipping Industry’s Emissions By Up to a Third

A cargo vessel with Flettner rotors – a modern equivalent to sails. Flettner rotors are smooth cylinders with discs that spin as wind passes at right angles across it. (Photo: Norsepower)

In the vast expanse of the world’s oceans, a transformation is underway.The international shipping sector, made up of thousands of massive cargo ships laden with many of the goods we buy, emits carbon dioxide (CO₂) roughly equivalent to the entire country of Germany.Our research emphasises the need for immediate action. Reducing shipping emissions by 34% by 2030 is necessary to stay on course with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. But with low-carbon fuel pipelines unlikely to be available at the necessary scale until at least the 2030s…

05 Sep 2023

US Army Mariners Rescue Man Overboard

The crew of LCU 2032 Palo Alto display the plaque they received from the Sailors assigned to the Indonesian Navy ship KRI Panah-626 for rescuing an overboard fisherman after his boat capsized boat 10 miles off the western coast of Obi Island, Indonesia Sept. 1, 2023. (Courtesy asset)

U.S. Army Mariners assigned to 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) aboard the LCU 2032 Palo Alto rescued an overboard fisherman 10 miles off the western coast of Obi Island, Indonesia Sept. 1, 2023.Sgt. Seth Leonard, a watercraft engineer, was on the bridge of the ship when he observed the typical calm waters in the path of the ship were more active than usual.“I noticed what looked like someone waving their arms, which is the signal for distress in water,” said Leonard.

21 Aug 2023

The Internet is Not As Useful As We May Think

Image courtesy Martin & Ottaway

I was discussing torsional stiffness in ship’s hulls with one of our intern engineers and pointed out a torsional stiffness problem with a certain hull design section since it could not inscribe a decent sized circle.I expected it to be a comment that would be confusing to a young engineer and proceeded to explain that torsional stiffness is related to gyradius which is powerfully related to radius and radius is related to circles. Inherently the stiffest shape in torsion is a…

10 Jul 2023

Deep-sea Mining: A New Gold Rush or Environmental Disaster?

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration

In the depths of the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and Hawaii, trillions of potato-shaped rocks are scattered across the seabed - containing minerals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese vital for new green technologies in the global energy transition.In this ocean region - the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) - an abundance of the rocks, known as polymetallic nodules, is increasingly fuelling debate about the mining of metals needed to produce technology such as batteries for electric…

07 Jul 2023

Inside the Subsea Cable Firm Secretly Helping America Take on China

On Feb. 10 last year, the cable ship CS Dependable appeared off the coast of the island of Diego Garcia, an Indian Ocean atoll that’s home to a discreet U.S. naval base.Over the next month, the ship’s crew covertly laid an underwater fiber-optic cable to the military base, an operation code-named “Big Wave,” according to four people with direct knowledge of the mission, as well as a Reuters analysis of satellite imagery and ship tracking data.The new super-fast internet link to Diego Garcia, which has not previously been reported, will boost U.S. military readiness in the Indian Ocean, a region where China has expanded its naval influence over the last decade.The CS Dependable is owned by SubCom…

23 May 2023

Remote Survey is the New End-Game

ScoutDI has performed initial tests of its drone’s SLAM capabilities in the cargo tank of the Altera shuttle tanker Beothuk Spirit.
Source: ScoutDI

More than remote witnessing, more than remote data analysis, remote survey techniques are now going to aid the shift to full vessel autonomy.The technology that enables a robot to safely navigate an environment it has no prior knowledge of is called Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). “It is the key to autonomy for any aspiring can-do inspection robot.” That’s according to ScoutDI, a participant in the REDHUS project led by DNV which is developing a prototype inspection drone.SLAM is not a specific, copyrighted piece of technology.

26 Feb 2023

Towboat Pilot Failed to Report Bridge Strike -NTSB

Miss Mollye D moored following the casualty. (Source: US Coast Guard)

A Louisiana towboat struck and damaged a bridge in 2021, but the vessel’s pilot never reported it to authorities, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.In the early morning hours of Dec. 23, 2021, the 86-foot-long Miss Mollye D, then operated by Deloach Marine Services (DMS), was pushing six hopper barges on the Intracoastal Waterway to New Orleans, when the pilot lost control of the tow. While navigating the channel, the 676 foot long tow, began to swing to port. When the pilot realized the tow was not positioned well, he put the engines in reverse.

24 Feb 2023

Marine Power - CEO in Focus: Chris-Marine’s Jens Groth

Jens Groth, CEO, Chris-Marine. Photo courtesy Chris-Marine

Malmö, Sweden-based Chris-Marine is long-tenured in the business of keeping engines running smoothly, efficiently. Led by its energetic young CEO Jens Groth, this 60-year-old- company finds itself in transition: firmly rooted in its traditional business of creating the tools and technique to keep commercial ship engines running smoothly, but at the same time transitioning its revenue to include services, particularly as ships at sea increasingly run with fewer, less experienced crew.

04 Jan 2023

KR Unveils Port State Control Mobile App

(Image: Korean Register)

Classification society Korean Register (KR) has launched the 'KR PSC ADVISER' mobile app to help customers prepare for Port State Control (PSC) inspections. The new service is designed to reduce the risk of PSC detentions by providing the latest PSC information in real-time and allowing seafarers to easily keep abreast of PSC checklists with a single app.Available for both iOS and Android devices and downloadable from Google Play and the App Store, the newly released KR PSC ADVISER is designed to maximize user convenience by displaying the world map as the main screen…

27 Dec 2022

Training Gen Z in the Marine Industry

(Photo: Pat Folan)

Gen Z is looking for a place to fit in the workplace. They are looking for a way to enhance their story while they are making a difference in the world. And you are looking for someone to fill a position. How does your need dovetail with their needs?Before we get into the training aspect, it is worth understanding who you are going to be training. What are your company’s core values? Are the people that you are hiring in line with them?What are core values? They are the beliefs and principles that drive your business.

23 Sep 2022

Electrical Failure Led to Collision-causing Steering Loss -NTSB

Jalma Topic downriver of the office barge with its port anchor out following contact. Inset shows a close-up of the damage to the vessel’s bulbous bow. (Credit: NTSB, Background source: J. Claverie)​

A vessel’s loss of steering led to an estimated $6 million in damages when it contacted a barge near New Orleans, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On July 12, 2021, the bulk carrier Jalma Topic was transiting upriver on the Lower Mississippi River when it lost steering and struck a stationary barge that was being used for office space. No injuries were reported.During the voyage, the rudder became stuck at port 10 degrees. According to the report,…

21 Sep 2022

Grace Hopper Subsea Cable ups Capacity

Lumen establishes a new subsea fiber route between New York and Bude, Cornwall in the U.K.

One year after Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) established a new subsea fiber route between the U.S. and France, the company is increasing network capacity and diversity, investing in a fiber pair on Grace Hopper, a subsea cable system spearheaded by Google, between New York and Bude, Cornwall in the U.K. The Grace Hopper system will use Lumen landing station and infrastructure services at both locations."Data flow and capacity demands don't know boundaries. The bandwidth explosion across continents is real and we're meeting it head on by investing in new subsea cables…

13 Sep 2022

Back to the Drawing Board: Pondering Truths in Design

“The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is that his works are out in the open where all can see them. His acts, step by step, are in hard substance. He cannot bury his mistakes in the grave like the doctors. He cannot argue them into thin air or blame the judge like the lawyers. He cannot, like the architects, cover his failures with trees and vines. He cannot, like the politicians, screen his shortcomings by blaming his opponents and hope that the people will f

In producing a column for the Marine Design issue, I considered a number of subjects, but in starting to write about them, somehow my mind connected to “Beam is Cheap.” I have a faint memory of being made aware of this during a discussion of a ship design by a design luminary very early in my career, but I don’t remember who it was.When first putting pencil to paper on some design, I always think about that when I make my first rough sketch. It is a very powerful truism, and over…

02 Aug 2022

Singapore and Rotterdam Port Authorities to Establish Green and Digital Corridor

Allard Castelein (CEO Port of Rotterdam Authority), Ahmed Aboutaleb (Mayor of Rotterdam), S. Iswaran (Minister of Transport and Trade Relations Singapore) and Quah Ley Hoon (CEO Maritime and Port Authority Singapore).

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the world’s longest Green and Digital Corridor to enable low and zero carbon shipping.Signed by Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of MPA, and Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on the sidelines of the biennial World Cities Summit, the MoU will bring together stakeholders across the supply chain to realize the first sustainable vessels sailing on the route by 2027.

09 Jun 2022

The Port Logistics Challenges of Offshore Wind

Photo: Elaine Maslin

Some equations just don’t add up. For example, storing 500 offshore wind turbine blades at a site with only space for 400 (and that’s only if you don’t store the other key elements required to build a full turbine). Elaine Maslin visited Siemens Gamesa’s blade manufacturing facility in Hull, UK, to find out more.Storage space is becoming a major challenge that’s looming for ports involved in the fast-evolving offshore wind industry. It’s already becoming a challenge for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy at its blade manufacturing facility in Hull, on England’s east coast.

31 Mar 2022

Strong Outdraft and Wind Contributed to Tow Striking Guide Wall

Kevin Michael under way at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam after the casualty. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The contact between a tow and a section of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam in Alton, Ill., was caused by the pilot of the towing vessel not effectively compensating for a strong outdraft and wind, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On March 19, 2021, the 177-foot-long towing vessel Kevin Michael was pushing 15 barges down the Mississippi River when the tow struck the bull nose of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam upstream main lock chamber guide wall, resulting in the tow breaking apart and damaging the dam gates. No injuries or pollution were reported.

06 Dec 2021

Eye on Design: Where Are the Transportation Macro Designers?

Figure 1: Design Spiral, Evans, J. Harvey (1959), “Basic Design Concepts,” Naval Engineers Journal, Vol. 21, Nov.

As naval architects and marine engineers we are familiar with the design spiral. While design is not truly a spiral, we use the concept to remind ourselves that all pieces of a ship design interact. The design spiral is not a standard figure and can be simplistic or overcomplicated.A Google search image summary provides dozens of interpretations, all investigating different variables, with the only commonality that all spirals start with the “mission” variable.Figure 1 is an old…

03 Aug 2021

Subsea Mining: All Eyes on Marine Minerals Offshore Norway

In July, Allseas’ ‘Hidden Gem’ heads to Tenerife for drydock modifications ahead of a collector “wet-test” in the Atlantic at the end of 2021 and the official start of pilot mining tests in the Pacific, 1200 nautical miles west of Mexico, in 2022. Photo from Allseas.

Marine minerals are coming under sharp focus offshore Norway. Analysts suggest it could be a $20 billion annual revenue industry by 2050, which is why many are taking an interest and developing the technology to make it happen. Marine mineral mining has been something of a slow burner in the wider marine world. It has some clear challenges, not least location and depth of these potential resources, but also concerns around its environmental impact.Yet it now appears to be coming into a distinctly sharp focus…

10 May 2021

Dredging: Important Developments Will Impact Business

(Photo: Georgia Ports Authority)

For dredging company officials, the first quarter of 2021 was a pretty good start to a new year. In a tough business, challenges and pitfalls are always expected. But from a bigger picture perspective—markets, regulations and policies—company officials couldn’t be faulted if a bit of optimism infused their worldview.There are a number of reasons for this. Many are well known and don’t need to be detailed here. Just quickly, though, WRDA 2020 would be at the top of the list. WRDA…

27 Jul 2021

Man in Hamster-like Floating Wheel Washes Ashore in Florida after Failed Attempt to Reach New York

Credit:  Flagler Sheriff/Twitter

A  man in a hamster wheel-like vessel washed ashore near the Old Salt Park beach approach in Flagler County, Florida. He said he was on the way to New York. "[The vessel's] sole occupant was with the vessel and advised that he came to shore because he was missing some of his equipment," Flagler Sheriff's report from July 24 reads. In a tweet on Saturday, Flagler Sheriff said the occupant of the vessel was safe with no injuries. "The occupant advised he left the St. Augustine area [the day before] to head to [New York]…

28 Oct 2021

UN Deep-sea Mining Rules Unlikely to be Completed by 2023 Deadline, Latam Countries Say

(Photo: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research)

Regulations governing deep-sea mining will take longer to finalize due to the global pandemic, a group of Latin American countries said, creating uncertainty for companies looking to mine the sea bed for metals, including cobalt and nickel.The delayed negotiations also pose a potential difficulty for companies seeking financing from investors to mine the sea floor.The U.N.’s International Seabed Authority (ISA) is working on global rules covering sea bed mining, which is not allowed…