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Falcon News

31 Jul 2023

Shipshape: Simplifying Boat Control and Improving Maneuverability

(Image: Emerson)

Any competition requires skill — but when the stakes are high and seas are rough, the right technology can set contenders apart. On the popular National Geographic reality series "Wicked Tuna" and its spinoff, "Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks," commercial fishing crews compete to reel in elusive bluefin tuna. To brave North Atlantic waters off the coast of Gloucester, where the series is set, and bring in fish that are several hundred pounds, it's critical that captains outfit their…

28 Apr 2023

DSC Dredge Taps Dugan to Succeed Dolan as VP and CFO

(Photo: DSC Dredge)

Reserve, La. based DSC Dredge announced it has appointed Doy Dugan to succeed Kevin Dolan as vice president and chief financial officer.Dugan is a CPA with an MBA and brings to the role more than 30 years of global financial and operational experience working for both public and private companies. Most recently he served as CFO at Diversified Well Logging and prior to that, he held the CFO position at Advanced Drilling Solutions and Spartan Offshore. Dugan began his career at Falcon Drilling Company…

23 Feb 2023

VIDEO: Inmarsat's Latest Satellite Takes Flight from Cape Canaveral


Launch of Inmarsat's latest I-6 F2 spacecraft from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ©Inmarsat

Inmarsat has launched its latest I-6 F2 spacecraft from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.According to the mobile satellite communications specialist, which offers communications services in the air, at sea, and on land, the satellite launch saw I-6 F2 lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, reaching a top speed of almost 40,000km/h as it left Earth above central Africa. The satellite will now spend several months traveling to its geostationary orbit, 36,000km above the Equator, using its onboard electric propulsion system.

30 Dec 2022

Tech File: A Robotic Reach in Offshore Wind

STL’s Autonomous Synchronised Stabilised Platform being put through its paces at the University of Plymouth’s COAST Laboratory. Photo courtesy STL

With a background in subsea and offshore, coming up with new ideas is the norm’ for UK-based engineering consultancy STL (Submarine Technology Limited), writes Elaine Maslin.The last few years have been no different. The company has been focusing on ship-based robotics, including robotic arms. These aren’t just any robotic arms – they’re motion compensated systems for deploying/recovering people and robots to and from fixed or moving objects. That could be wind technicians to…

30 Nov 2022

A Robotic Reach in Offshore Wind

STL’s Autonomous Synchronised Stabilised Platform being put through its paces at the University of Plymouth’s COAST Laboratory. Photo from STL

With a background in subsea and offshore, coming up with new ideas is the norm for UK-based engineering consultancy STL (Submarine Technology Limited), writes Elaine Maslin.The last few years have been no different. The company has been focusing on ship-based robotics, including robotic arms. These aren’t just any robotic arms – they’re motion-compensated systems for deploying/recovering people and robots to and from fixed or moving objects.That could be wind technicians to an…

08 Apr 2022

Fishing Vessel Fire Sparked by Repair Plan Error -NTSB

(Photo: Tacoma Fire Department)

Inadequate planning for hot work led to a fire aboard a commercial fish processor while docked at a shipyard in Tacoma, Wash., the National Transportation Safety Board said in its marine investigation report released Thursday.On Feb. 17, 2021, a fire was reported on the commercial fish processor Aleutian Falcon while the vessel was docked for repairs at a shipyard in Tacoma, Washington. The Tacoma Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire four days later. No one was on board the vessel at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries reported.

03 Feb 2022

Solstad Offshore Offloads Anchor Handling Trio, Nabs UK Work for PSV Duo

©Solstad Offshore

Offshore vessel owner Solstad Offshore said Thursday it had sold three anchor handling vessels to undisclosed buyers, and also secured work for two platform supply vessels in the UK North Sea.Haugesund, Norway-based company said Thursday it had sold the Nor Captain  - owned by its subsidiary Solstad Offshore Singapore - and Far Sword and Far Stream, owned by its subsidiary Farstad Supply."Delivery of the vessels to the new owner took place today, February 3rd, 2022. The sale of the vessels will result in an immaterial accounting effect…

14 Jan 2022

Kepler Confirms Launch, Deployment of Four New GEN1 Satellites

Photo courtesy Kepler Communications

Kepler Communications confirmed the successful launch and deployment of four new satellites into its constellation yesterday, expanding the active its constellation to 19 satellites in total. "Every satellite we add to our constellation increases our capacity and transfer frequency of remote and maritime connectivity, increasing the quality of our service and ensuring that our customer's data ends up where they want in a timely manner," a Kepler spokesperson told MarineLink after the launch.These four satellites…

12 Jan 2022

Kepler Launches Four New GEN1 Satellites

(Photo: Kepler Communications)

Canada-based satellite telecommunications provider Kepler Communications welcomed four new satellites into its constellation today, further expanding the active constellation to 19 satellites in total. These four satellites; KEPLER-16, KEPLER-17, KEPLER-18, and KEPLER-19 were launched via a Falcon 9 out of Cape Canaveral as part of the Transporter-3 mission at approximately 10:25 AM EDT. Once fully operational within the constellation these will add additional capacity to Kepler’s Global Data Service (GDS) offering while also performing as a test bed for bringing the internet to space…

24 Jun 2021

Solstad Offshore Bags UK North Sea PSV Charter

Credit: Solstad Offshore

Norway-based Solstad Offshore has secured an 18-month charter for its platform supply vessel Sea Falcon.The offshore vessel owner said the contract, with an unnamed client, included a one-year extension option.Solstad did say that the client was a UK operator and that the platform supplier would support the operator's assets in the UK North Sea.The charter will begin during the third quarter of 2021."Sea Falcon will join sister vessel Sea Forth and work for the same UK operator," Solstad said.Solstad said in January that it had obtained a one-year charter for the Sea Forth PSV in the UK North

27 Apr 2021

Six Rescued, Dozen Missing After Lift Boat Capsizes in Gulf of Mexico

A Coast Guard Station Grand Isle 45-foot Respone Boat-Medium boatcrew heads toward a capsized 175-foot commerical lift boat April 13, 2021 searching for people in the water 8 miles south of Grand Isle, Louisiana. The Coast Guard and multiple good Samaritan vessels responded to the capsized vessel and searched for multiple missing people in the water. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Cutter Glenn Harris)

Six people were rescued near the coast of Louisiana after a commercial [lift boat] capsized about eight miles off Port Fourchon on the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said late Tuesday.About a dozen people are still missing after the 234-foot commercial lift vessel [reportedly Seacor Power] capsized in a storm, according to local media reports citing authorities. There was no immediate response from the coast guard to a Reuters request for comment on the number of missing people and potential casualties."We're still searching for more people…

29 Mar 2021

OHT Sees Uptick in Demand to Transport Offshore Wind Equipment to China

MV Falcon transporting jack-up barge JB 118 from Abu Dhabi, UAE to Guangzhou

Oslo-listed Offshore Heavy Transport has said it has recently experienced an uptick in demand for the transportation of offshore wind equipment to China."OHT’s fleet of semi-submersible heavy transportation vessels have been busy transporting offshore wind equipment to China, supporting the huge surge in development of offshore wind farms in the fast-growing market. This followed OHT’s largest transportation project to date, which saw three of OHT’s transport vessels engaged in offshore wind foundation transportation from the UAE to Scotland for the majority of 2020…

16 Mar 2021

Charity Golf Event to Benefit Mercy Ships

© somchai / Adobe Stock

Core Group Resources is hosting a charity golf event in support of Mercy Ships' volunteer crew fund, on March 29, in Katy, Texas, west of the Houston Energy Corridor.The hosts are currently seeking additional teams, sponsors and donations to support the golf outing at the Falcon Point Golf Club, which will also include a barbecue, auction and raffles for golfers and non-golfers alike.Mercy Ships is an international charity operating the world's largest nongovernmental hospital…

12 Mar 2021

Two Die, Ten Rescued as Russian Cargo Ship Sinks in Black Sea, Off Romania

Two people died and ten were rescued after the Russian cargo ship Volgo Balt 179 sank in the Black Sea off Romania early morning on Thursday, according to reports from Romania.Romanian offshore services company GSP Offshore said that its GSP Falcon offshore vessel had received a distress call from the cargo ship at 4:40 in the morning.GSP said that the rescue operation started in extremely difficult weather conditions with strong wind and high waves."The last message sent by "Volgo Balt 179" was the abandonment of the ship. So far, 10 sailors have been rescued. They are safely on board the GSP Falcon. Two people died. At the same time…

10 Mar 2021

Solstad Offshore Bags North Sea Charters for PSV Quartet

Credit: Solstad Offshore

Norwegian offshore vessel operator Solstad Offshore has secured contracts for four of its platform supply vessels in the North Sea, with Total, Equinor, and Serica, respectively.Total UK has awarded Solstad a term contract for Normand Springer. The vessel will be used by Total UK to support their UK North Sea assets for a charter period lasting one year firm, plus a one-year option. The contract is expected to begin during the second half of March 2021.Also, Equinor UK has awarded Solstad two contracts for PSVs for an upcoming drilling campaign in the UK North Sea.

02 Feb 2021

Ireland’s New Research Vessel to Be Named Tom Crean

(Image: Skipsteknisk)

Ireland's new marine research vessel due to enter service in 2022 will be named the RV Tom Crean, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue announced. "I am delighted to announce the name of Ireland's new marine research vessel is the RV Tom Crean, acknowledging the contribution of a legendary Irish Explorer," McConalogue said.Tom Crean was a renowned seaman and explorer who undertook three major groundbreaking expeditions to the Antarctic in the early years of the 20th Century which sought to increase scientific knowledge and to explore unreached areas of the world…

11 Jan 2021

Australia Issues Its Most Severe Vessel Ban to Date

(Photo: AMSA)

A "poorly maintained" livestock carrier seen operating with a list and a hole in its hull has been banned from Australian ports for a period of 24 months, the country's "most severe banning to date", authorities said Friday.The Marshall-Islands-flagged Barkly Pearl was initially spotted on November 3, 2020 traveling through Australia’s northern waters with a large hole in its hull, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) issued an intervention direction instructing…

07 Sep 2020

Yinson Orders TMC Compressors for Anna Nery FPSO

Credit: Yinson

Malaysian FPSO provider Yinson has ordered a large marine compressed air system from TMC for the FPSO Anna Nery, which currently under construction in China, and destined for Petrobras' Marlim revitalization project in Brazil.TMC's compressed air system will consist of four large capacity service and instrument air compressors with associated air dryers and filters. TMC has not revealed the value of the contract.Hans Petter Tanum, TMC’s director of sales and business development:"When you operate far from shore, you need powerful and reliable air supply onboard.

19 Aug 2020

Ocean Influencer: Graham Hawkes, HAWX Open Ocean

Graham Hawkes, pioneering marine engineer, owner of HAWX Open Ocean, LLC, inventor of SeaRocket. © Julie Silverman

The July/August edition of Marine Technology Reporter, the 15th Annual "MTR100", recognizes Graham Hawkes a subsea innovator, explorer, inventor and pusher of boundaries. A pioneer in the realm of ocean engineering, he’s designed and built more than 60 manned submersibles—everything from atmospheric dive suits to flying subs. As a test pilot, he’s maintained the deepest solo dive record for more than 20 years. He’s also the founder of HAWX Open Ocean LLC, created to design and…

08 Oct 2020

Yinson's First FPSO for Brazil Arrives at Second Shipyard

Credit: Yinson

Malaysia's Yinson said its floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO) Anna Nery sailed away from the Cosco Qidong shipyard in Jiangsu, China and has entered drydock at the Cosco Changxing shipyard in Shanghai, marking the next phase of the FPSO construction.FPSO Anna Nery, which is being built from a converted tanker Falcon, is Yinson’s first asset planned for deployment in Brazil and the largest project to date. The FPSO will be deployed at Petrobras' Marlim field in the Campos Basin…

03 Aug 2020

Ship Believed to Have Spilled Oil off Venezuela

© Alexey Zakirov / Adobe Stock

An oil slick washed up over the weekend on the coastline of Venezuela's western Falcon state, known for pristine beaches and nature preserves, two opposition lawmakers said on Monday, though there was no official comment on the spill's provenance.Maria Hernandez, who chairs the opposition-held National Assembly's environmental committee, said she was concerned about the effect of pollution on marine life as well as water supplies onshore.A satellite image posted on Twitter by…

21 Dec 2020

Out-casting and Outlasting the Competition

At the main helm of the FV Pinwheel, the Marex OS III Type 244 control head provides single-lever operation that combines both gear direction and engine speed. (Photo: Emerson)

A captain claims victory at the end of a popular high-stakes fishing competition thanks to help from a new electronic boat control system.When the Summer to Fall bluefin tuna season ends in Gloucester, Mass., it’s only just beginning in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It’s in these rough waters that commercial fishermen compete on the TV show, “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks.” A spin-off of the original “Wicked Tuna,” this series has run on National Geographic since 2014 and recently completed its seventh season on air in September 2020.Fishing for bluefin tuna comes with unique challenges.

06 Jul 2020

ABB Solutions for Yinson's Marlim 2 FPSO

Image Credit: ABB

Swiss-based technology giant ABB will provide electrical, control, and telecommunication solutions for Malaysia-based Yinson's new FPSO - Anna Nery. Once delivered, the FPSO will be deployed at Petrobras' Marlim 2 oil field offshore Brazil."Leveraging its ABB Ability System 800xA control system with Select Input/Output (IO), ABB will take responsibility for integration engineering in the project, integrating all the production modules onboard the vessel into a combined Integrated Safety and Control System (ICSS)…