Excellent Tool News

In an era of ever-smarter shipping, one key area of vessel and fleet administration appears stuck in the dark ages. Pierre Dominé explainswhy Stolt Tankers is rapidly transitioning to digital logbooks, unlocking a broad range of big data benefits.Although the switch from paper to digital logbooks is yet to be mandated, Pierre Dominé, Quality Assurance & Investigation Specialist, Stolt Tankers, sees no need to wait. “There’s so much data across a single vessel’s portfolio of record books…

It takes determined leadership to bring a culture of innovation to large and historic institutions like the U.S. Navy. Regarded as a successful leader in electromagnetic systems certification at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), Jillian Berry is passionate about her work, displaying a high level of expertise everyday on the job.The Department of Navy selected Berry as the 2022 recipient for the prestigious Civilian Service Commendation Medal (CSCM) in recognition of her exceptional work…

Port Milwaukee’s Board of Harbor Commissioners unanimously approved its new ‘StewardSHIP’ sustainability initiative for vessels that have implemented emission reduction measures and other environmental improvements. The port’s newly-approved 2022 tariff creates the program, which will benefit Milwaukee’s harbor by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, deploying clean energy solutions, and supporting climate adaptation activities at the port. The tariff goes into effect April 1, 2022…

A new 32’ x 11’ survey catamaran constructed by Washington based boat builder Armstrong Marine for an Israeli engineering firm was launched on January 19 and completed sea trials on January 25. Twin 225hp diesel inboards power the vessel, which also includes a 4.5 kW generator, autopilot and engine compartment fire suppression system. An AC unit, cuddy cabin berth, galley and head with shower are designed to keep crew comfortable. The survey package includes a computer work station for three, hydraulic A frame, aluminum davit and aft deck moon pool for equipment deployment.

Today’s organizations are facing a complex business environment. With increasing demands from stakeholders to operate sustainably, and with international standards being revised to encompass a more holistic view of the business context and related risks, organizations need to adapt and work smarter. Better utilization of own data, as well as insights derived from industry Big Data to make qualified decisions on improvements, will be critical for companies to succeed in the future. Through a recent survey conducted by DNV GL, 52% of the 1189 respondents identified Big Data analysis as a major opportunity and 70% of the large corporations. However, 3 out of 4 were not able to capitalize on their data to improve productivity.

The ShipSpace product is a next-generation Virtual Reality (VR) Design Verification Tool that allows designers, engineers and key stakeholders to validate design ideas and communicate effectively about vessel concepts and designs. The product consists of computer hardware and software on the customer’s premises and in the cloud. KNUD E. HANSEN will be showcasing ShipSpace, a new Virtual Reality (VR) tool to aid ship designers and engineers, at the SMM in Hamburg. Interested parties…

BIMCO today launched a new, multi-part guidance resource to support ship owners and operators in improving their environmental performance and the efficiency of their ships. BIMCO’s Guide to Maritime Environmental & Efficiency Management, developed in partnership with maritime efficiency specialists Fathom, and supported by ClassNK, provides a resource to facilitate compliance with environmental regulations and assist owners and operators in the development of an environmental and efficiency management system. This first-of-a-kind, comprehensive resource allows ship owners and operators to develop an all-encompassing environmental and efficiency management system.

VSTEP and PC Maritime have jointly developed a software interface which they say makes high quality, yet affordable ECDIS and radar training possible. Following its radar video interface with the Kelvin Hughes and MARIS ECDIS, VSTEP’s NAUTIS bridge simulators now also connect to PC Maritime’s Navmaster ECDIS to provide training colleges with a DNV-approved generic ECDIS training installation. The VSTEP/PC Maritime bridge simulators can be provided as software only to run on standard PCs, or with hardware consoles up to Full Mission Bridge Simulators. The range is designed for nautical colleges and company training centers in compliance with the latest STCW requirements.

Solas Marine in Sri Lanka was awarded a contract for 80 FICs, Fast Interception Craft, for the Indian Navy, with an option for 80 more boats. The Albert Nazarov designed FRC has been extremely well received by the Navy and the production rate is now increasing to up to three boats per month. Advanced armament and surveillance equipment, as well as gear for hostile boarding in adverse conditions, in combination with good sea keeping and speed capacity exceeding the spec, makes this a most excellent tool for anti-terrorist operations…

In any given lubricant (such as engine oil, transmission fluid or gear oil), there are three main factors that influence the “useful life” of the lubricant:  Viscosity Stability, Oxidation, and Contamination. While it is important to understand how these factors affect oil life, it is equally important to realize that none of these factors can be measured or monitored except through a thorough and ongoing oil analysis program. Viscosity - First, let’s examine the oil property known as “Viscosity.”  Viscosity is defined as resistance of an oil to flow at a given temperature.

It is difficult and expensive to do vessel-specific training well. This is probably why, unlike certification training, it is under specified, and in many cases poorly implemented - often via job shadowing. But there is a technology which is an excellent tool for vessel-specific training, and every vessel operator should be aware of it. It is called adaptive learning. This article describes adaptive learning and examines one vessel operator’s deployment of it in order to facilitate vessel-specific training across its fleet of 35 vessels.

QinetiQ GRC naval architects in combination with their Paramarine software are working with QED Naval Ltd  in the development of a marine platform (Subhub) that is being designed to transport, install, anchor and maintain wave and tidal turbines through life. This will bring major cost and time advantages to tidal turbine field installations on the sea bed. QED Naval Ltd was founded in April 2008 with the intent of developing products for the wave and tidal renewable energy industry. Subhub is the first of these products. The primary benefits of the Subhub will be to provide an easy method of retrieving wave & tidal turbines to the surface…

More public safety dive teams are adding sonar to assist in their underwater search and recovery operations. Side scan is the ideal tool for these operations because it produces detailed images of the underwater environment regardless of water clarity. In addition, the sonar is able to search large areas quickly, scanning several hundred feet of ocean, lake, or river bottom with each pass of the boat. The sonar does this by transmitting an acoustic beam from a towfish which sweeps the bottom and reflects off any objects lying there.

Like it or not, eLearning is transforming maritime training. People may argue its merits and applications, but there is no arguing that it is here to stay. As eLearning continues to expand its presence, all of us involved in maritime training are going to be faced with critical decisions about whether and how we employ it in our organizations. But do we know enough to make informed decisions? Do we truly understand eLearning, its strengths, its limitations, and how it is best applied? This is the second in a series of articles which examines eLearning in the maritime industry.

The tools law enforcement agencies use to investigate crimes and ensure public safety are critical to their success. Police departments and sheriffs offices around the country are adding underwater search equipment  to ensure their dive teams have the proper equipment to safely and effectively do their jobs. The two high tech tools  in greatest demand are the side scan sonar and ROV. Sonar is one of most effective tools for underwater  search and recovery (S&R) because it can scan large areas quickly and “see” what’s on the bottom regardless of water clarity.

While it may be an unpopular opinion, I support marine environmental regulation – so long as it is sensible, fair, well-researched, and structured so as to result in minimal unintended consequences. Knee-jerk regulation, on the other hand, is invariably counterproductive. Examples illustrate these points. The issue of whether oil tankers should be constructed with double hulls was debated within the maritime industry for years. Only a few shipowners were sufficiently intrepid to actually build such ships on an experimental basis – and they operated at a financial handicap as compared with their competitors who operated cheaper, simpler vessels.

Expanding the Suezmax fleet and greater involvement in carrying oil products are among the ambitions being pursued by theTeekay Tanker Services (TTS) business unit of Teekay. "At the same time, we're working to expand our strong Aframax position," said TTS Vice President Peder Farmen, who heads the product transport sector of TTS from the group's Norwegian office in Stavanger. Teekay's conventional shipping operations in Norway have further diversified the company's fleet, the majority of which is comprised of Aframax vessels. Since Teekay's acquisitions of Bona Shipholding in 1999, Ugland Nordic Shipping in 2001 and Navion in 2002, Teekay has established itself as a leading tanker operator in the North Sea and Atlantic, in addition to the Pacific.

Kongsberg Maritime Ship Systems (KMSS) has received type approval for its advanced VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) the ‘Maritime Black Box’ (MBB). The first orders have already been taken for Viking Lines passenger vessels, who have been eagerly awaiting type approval of the superior VDR from KMSS. Borje Jansson, Viking Lines commented ‘the MBB from KMSS was well worth the wait, I knew that they would develop the best solution. The Replay and Evaluation Unit, which is used to replay events, can also be used as an excellent tool for training purposes, such as entry to port. Other functions that can be included in the MBB include the recording of data for reports and training, such as voyage reports, engine logs, analysis of parameters.

Thrane & Thrane is extending its size through acquisition in an effort to be positioned as the world’s leading manufacturer of equipment for mobile satellite communication. The company acquired EuroCom Industries (Denmark), a company whose products are sold under the Sailor and Skanti brands. “The acquisition of EuroCom Industries strengthens Thrane & Thrane’s position as the world’s leading manufacturer of maritime communication equipment,” said Henrik Lunde, CEO, Thrane & Thrane. “Our customers and distribution partners will now be offered a true “one-stop-shopping” experience that can meet virtually all communication needs from the professional maritime community.

TDI-Halter, the Offshore Division of Halter Marine Group, Inc., recently completed the new construction of the first LeTourneau Super 116-C design jackup drilling rig for Perforadora Central, S.A. de C.V. The jackup was christened Tonala by Gabriela Alvarez-Morphy, wife of Patricio Alvarez-Morphy, president and CEO. Halter utilized its rig and marine shipyards for the construction of Tonala. The three 46 ft. diameter spudcans, built at the South Yard, and three 477 ft. long legs, fabricated at the Orange Yard, were built in Texas and transported by barge to the Pascagoula facility. The wingtank modules and accommodation block were built in Mississippi at Halter's Gulfport facility. The cantilever beams were fabricated by Superior Fabricators in Louisiana, and installed in Pascagoula.

Harbor security requires various techniques and equipment . The first element of harbor security is of course the usual guard personnel manning the watch. Although this is an effective start, better use of the guards on watch can be achieved by developing a guard force more adept at recognizing potential surveillance. Many organized pirating syndicates often develop their targets from within the harbor. This is often done through surveillance during loading of the ship. Training the guard force to understand piracy operations as they pertain to harbor intelligence gathering can greatly enhance the opportunity to deter potential maritime attacks. Another effective way pirates gain access to cargo information is through the workers on the docks or the staff working with the manifest.

Kongsberg Maritime Ship Systems (KMSS) has received type approval for its advanced VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) the ¡¥Maritime Black Box¡¦ (MBB). The first orders have already been taken for Viking Lines passenger vessels, who have been eagerly awaiting type approval of the superior VDR from KMSS. companies have been selling VDR systems for a while now, but we felt that they did not meet the full potential attainable. Borje Jansson, Viking Lines commented ¡¥the MBB from KMSS was well worth the wait, I knew that they would develop the best solution. The Replay and Evaluation Unit, which is used to replay events, can also be used as an excellent tool for training purposes, such as entry to port. analysis of parameters.

General Robotics Limited (GRL) is launching DeepView 2.0 its subsea visualisation software, and DeepLive a real-time data capture module. DeepView 2.0 is an advanced visualisation and animation tool for creating subsea scenarios that allow multiple concurrent views of an operation with full data recording and replay in 3D. DeepView 2.0 is equipped with an easy-to-use operator interface that simplifies the creation of complex underwater representations. The new interface enables the easy generation of scenarios by using ‘drag and drop’ to add components in the subsea model, and as an object oriented system the specific properties of different objects can be immediately viewed. DeepView includes a library of standard structures and components.