English Malaysia News

Recently, Mainport, a firm based in Cork Ireland with a range of subsidiaries in diverse marine fields and diverse locations from South Africa to the Caspian and at home in Ireland, extended business to Malaysia where the company is having two new seismic support vessels built at the Shin Yang Shipyard in Miri, Sarawak. The firm sponsored teams to a futsal tournament composed of the shipyard crews building the Mainport Cedar and Mainport Pine. In this manner the firm brought the workers into the global community that is represented by the innovative firm.

Sarawak Slipways have recently launched an aluminum crew boat. Built to a design by Singapore-based Naval Consult Pte. Ltd., the 38 by 7.85-meter vessel has a molded draught of 1.75 meters. With seating for 50 personnel and accommodation for a crew of eight, the vessel is powered by three Cummins engines turning fixed-pitch propellers. The port and starboard engines are Cummins KTA38M2 models delivering 1350 HP at 1900 RPM to five-blade propellers with 1050-centimeter diameters. The center engine is a Cummins KTA50M2 model delivering 1800 HP at 1900 RPM to an 1150 cm diameter prop.

Long noted for the quality of their steel vessels, the Sarawak Slipways have recently launched an aluminum crew boat. Built to a design by Singapore-based Naval Consult Pte. Ltd., the 38 by 7.85-meter vessel has a molded draught of 1.75 meters. With seating for 50 personnel and accommodation for a crew of eight, the vessel is powered by three Cummins engines turning fixed-pitch propellers. The port and starboard engines are Cummins KTA38M2 models delivering 1350 HP at 1900 RPM to five-blade propellers with 1050-centimeter diameters.

The town of Sibu developed its vibrant fast ferry building tradition in the decades after World War II. But it is only more recently that the vessels' fame and their designs have grown to the point that the little town on Sarawak's Rejan River is supplying fast ferries for much of southeast Asia. Most of the ferries that ply the rivers of the area are single engined. Many of those that have been supplied to China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia are larger twin engine versions of the same trim "banana" boat style. Notable for their exaggerated rake and strong bow flare, the narrow craft are equally adept at handling the narrow confines of river travel and the long swells of the South China sea.

The town of Sibu developed its vibrant fast ferry building tradition in the decades after World War II. But it is only more recently that the vessels' fame and their designs have grown to the point that the little town on Sarawak's Rejan River is supplying fast ferries for much of southeast Asia. Most of the ferries that ply the rivers of the area are single engined. Many of those that have been supplied to China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia are larger twin engine versions of the same trim "banana" boat style. Notable for their exaggerated rake and strong bow flare, the narrow craft are equally adept at handling the narrow confines of river travel and the long swells of the South China sea.

In 2002 Managing Director Yong Choo Kui gained ISO9001 Quality Management Certification at the same time as the Yong Choo Kui (YCK) Shipyard celebrated its 25th anniversary. As the first shipyard in Sibu, Sarawak to gain this certification there is a great sense of pride in the continued in-house quality control as well as in meeting the demands of a wide range of international classification societies. In August the (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai) NK-classed tug Kim Heng 9 is being delivered to her Singaporean owners, Kim Heng Marine Pte. Ltd. Well equipped for harbor work, the 23.5 meter vessel is powered by a pair of six-cylinder Cummins KTA19M1 main engines each delivering 500 hp to open 62-in. propellers through Reintjes WAF264 marine gears.

"We fit ten 11.3-meter patrol boats in three 40-foot containers," says Chee Chong Sow, Managing Director of Malaysia’’s Sumber Samudra shipyard. Smiling, he goes on to explain that the boats were designed by International Maritime Consultants of Fremantle Australia and their aluminum was cut in Australia so that their total weight of 50 to 60 tons fit handily into the three containers. The ten boats were fabricated at the versatile Sumber Samudra yard in the state of Perak at Teluk Intan that also works in fiberglass and steel.

In 2003, Shin Yang Shipyard Sdn Bhd obtained the ISO 9002 certification in shipbuilding and maintenance and related metal fabrication activities. By 2004 the yard had delivered 178 vessels of which 86 were tugboats. In August 2007 the yard delivered their Hull #249, the tug Danum 61. Although the yard regularly builds for export, this 101 x 31-ft. tug was delivered to a Malaysian customer and is registered in Kuching Sarawak. Suitable for work in the offshore oil industry the sturdy vessel includes such features as a marked rescue zone on both port and starboard sides with bulwark doors. On deck a 30-ton towing winch, from Singapore’s ME Winch, carries 2,624 ft. of 44-m/m-diameter tow wire.

Forward Shipbuilding Enterprise Sdn Bhd. is a tug builder from Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. On a recent visit the yard was typically full of tugs under construction including two boats in the water and a third ready for the water. Being readied for the launch the 31 x 8.6-meter tug SS 3200 shows a fair hull with a fine bow merging with a double-chine that sweeps aft in a manner that will bring good water flow to the 2300m/m diameter props in nozzles. A pair of rolling chocks will contribute to crew comfort at sea. Driving thishull is a pair of Cummins KTA50 M2 main engines each generating 1600 hp at 1800 RPM. The engines turn into Reintjes WAF665 marine gears with 5.95:1 gears. Electrical generators are powered by two Cummins 6BTS5.9D(M). Scott & English (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

Sarawak Slipways’ Executive Director for Production, Edward P. K. Chew, has 28 years in design and construction of new vessels since qualifying as a naval architect in the U.K. A good example of the sort of new vessel that meets that need for up-to-date technology is the ABS-classed 58-meter Offshore Utility Vessel on which the yard is beginning construction for Miri-based Bumi Armada Navigation Sdn. Bhd. With a 13.8-m beam and a 5.5-m molded depth, the vessel will have tankage for 500 cu. m. of ship’s fuel oil, an additional 800 cu. m. of cargo fuel oil as well as 300 cu. m. of fresh water. Accommodation for 40 men includes two single cabins for the captain and chief engineer and, five two-berth cabins, seven four berth cabins. Twelve of these berths are intended for the charterer’s use.

AHT Built at Sapor Shipyard Powered by two KTA50M2. The anchor handling tug Omni Akira has now been delivered by Sapor Shipyard of Sibu, Sarawak, East Malaysia. Cummins engines for the Omni Akira are as follows: Main Engine : 2 X KTA50M2 rated 1600BHP @ 1800RPM Main Genset: 2 X QSM11DM rated 250 kwe F/Fighting: 1 X KTA38M2 rated 1200BHP Photos courtesy of Scott and English (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. and Sapor Ship Sdn. Bhd.