Chris Norman News

UK ship repairer and marine engineering services provider SMS has completed three refits this month. This has included the refit of the maintenance vessel ‘London Titan’ which returned to the port of Lowestoft for the second time.Southampton-based SMS, has an enviable reputation as specialists in ship repair, marine engineering and major fabrication projects in the commercial marine, defense and Superyachts sectors.It has completed the three major refits across its national and international network.Chris Norman, the Managing Director of SMS, said: “This marks a major milestone for the business as we’ve completed the last of three major ‘live’ refits that have been going on across the recently expanded ship repair group.“In recent months our business has gone from strength-to-strength.

SMS, a ship repair and marine engineering service company based in Southampton, has completed its first major high speed craft (HSC) refit in France. Last week, SMS docked the HSC Condor Rapide on the Port Normands Associe’s (PNA) ship lift at the Port of Cherbourg in France.The Rolls-Royce syncrolift is 90m x 32m and offers a 3000T lift capacity. Located just 75 miles from Southampton on the UK's south coast, it is a more effective solution for Solent centric operators than the ship repair yards in the North East and South West of England.Chris Norman…

Southampton headquartered ship repairer and marine engineering services provider SMS has completed a major refit within the U.K. Port of Southampton at Williams Shipping’s specialist repair berth for the Isle of Wight operator Red Funnel.SMS has completed the build and installation of a two new 17-metric-ton aluminum passenger lounges on board the Red Eagle ferry in partnership with its sister co. the Wight Shipyard Company.Chris Norman, the Managing Director of SMS, said, “This project is a great example of our in-house capability.“Seventeen [metric ton] of aluminium…

Marine engineering services firm SMS is midway through a contract for Woods’ Silver Fleet to build three huge pontoons for the Thames. The works amount to circa 750 metric tons of fully fabricated steel pontoons and over 5,000 man hours of specialized, local, labor in Southampton, Hampshire, U.K.Chris Norman, the managing director of Southampton Marine Services (SMS), said, “This project is of significance not only to SMS but also the local shipbuilding community. “It’s the first time in 13 years…

Southampton Marine Services said it has launched its latest vessel, a new aquaculture service vessel for Leco Marine, at its Ocean Quay shipyard in Southampton. Designed by Argyll Maritime Design Services, the 23-meter vessel, Alyssa, is an aquaculture service vessel built for Scottish commercial diving and marine services company Leco Marine to perform general fish farm work. It is equipped with a net-cleaning and inspection system for the maintenance of fish-farm nets. Leco Marine’s largest vessel…

Austal's company director, Chris Norman, was awarded the A.G.M. Michell Award recognizing his outstanding service in the mechanical engineering profession. A graduate of the University of South Wales, Norman became one of the founding directors of Austal in 1987. As technical director he was responsible for the development of a new range of high speed passenger and vehicle-passenger ferries and closely involved in leading the company in its development of its renowned ride control system.

The 101 m "Euroferrys Pacifica" has the distinction of not only being the largest of Austal's flagship Auto Express car ferries yet to be built, but is also the largest high speed catamaran in the world with diesel propulsion. Austal's Sales Director, Chris Norman, said "Austal's ability to fully customize, and without a doubt, the efficient vehicle handling of the Auto Express design, were principal reasons why Euroferrys chose Austal to develop this very exciting project, in particular, the bow door permits full utilization of the vessel's 340 freight lane meter (at 3.5-m width). The vessel has a sizeable 750 ton dwt and a new Austal design innovation in the garage - a hoistable vehicle ramp to facilitate a mix of vehicle and commercial/freight carriage.

On February 14, the world's largest high-speed ferry catamaran Stena Discovery took off from Belfast, after a planned drydocking, and about one hour out at sea on the captain's command the waterjet control was switched over to steering by a retrofitted Humphree Interceptor Steering System. While the interceptors engaged and provided the means for directional control of the vessel, the steering buckets of the four Kamewa 160 SII waterjets, in total absorbing a power of 68.5 MW, automatically returned to their neutral, or boost position, allowing all waterjet thrust to be vectored forward for maximum thrust, and eliminating the waterjet bucket drag.

A "boutique" luxury cruise catamaran - set to meander the islands of the French Caribbean - has been delivered by Australian ship and boat builder Austal Ships. The vessel, built for discerning French owner Rivages Crossieres, is dubbed Rivage St. Martin and embodies many of the advanced technical and aesthetic design features, which define the latest advances in passenger vessel construction and outfitting. Measuring 197 x 49 x 6.9 ft. (60 x 15 x 2.1 m), Rivage St. Martin is powered by a pair of MTU 12V 2000 M70 engines, which drive two fixed pitch propellers through ZF BW 256 gearboxes to a speed of 14.5 knots. While the vessel features a host of advanced design and equipment features…

The first of Austal's Auto Express 101 ferries is scheduled to debut this month for Spanish operator, Euroferrys, across the Strait of Gibraltar. The 331 ft. (101 m) Euroferrys Pacifica is the largest of Austal's flagship Auto Express car ferries ever built, and is also reported to be the largest high speed catamaran in the world with diesel propulsion. With the capacity for 951 passengers and 251 cars, the new aluminum ferry will operate on the 16 nm route between Algeciras on the southern coast of Spain and Ceuta in Spanish Morocco, completing six return crossings per day. Euroferrys currently operates a 256 ft. (78 m) fast ferry and two conventional ferries on two separate routes.