Excellent Product News

Danish shipping company NORDEN said it has purchased a 2009-built medium range (MR) product tanker with a cargo capacity of 50,000 metric tons. The South Korean-built vessel is expected to be delivered in July 2017 and will be renamed Nord Pearl. Taking advantage of the decline in asset prices on the back of weakening tanker markets, the purchase marks NORDEN’s first tanker acquisition since the company sold three Handysize product tankers last year. In addition to the purchase of Nord Pearl…

Manufacturer and marketer of electromechanical power transmission and motion control products Altra Industrial Motion Corp. said it has closed its acquisition of the Stromag business from GKN plc. “Stromag provides Altra with complementary products, increased presence in key geographic regions and penetration into new growth end markets,” said Carl Christenson, Chairman and CEO of Altra. Stromag generated approximately 131 million euros in revenue in 2015, and the acquisition is anticipated to be accretive to Altra’s earnings in 2017, excluding any one-time or acquisition-related costs. The acquisition cost comprised the assumption of…

The influx of ships and rigs sailing into and out of Brazilian ports since the discovery of large pre-salt plays off Brazil in 2007, and the opening of new ports and shipyards during the past decade has led to a sharp increase in towing operations in Brazil. MR spoke to Sergio Guedes, Director of Operations at Wilson Sons Towage, about the towage and salvage markets in Brazil. Wilson Sons Group is one of the largest integrated operators in port and maritime logistics in Brazil. The company has more than a century of experience and is also present in shipbuilding and offshore support services. Its towage fleet is present in ports all along Brazil’s lengthy coast.

On a warm summer morning last July, boat owners and passersby were drawn to a craft not often seen in the sleepy harbor of Wickford, Rhode Island. Tied up at the dock was the new, 37-foot, Multi-Mission Interceptor (MMI) recently produced by SAFE Boats International, where it was making a stop along its promotional run down the east coast. The craft features a sleek, state of the art design and is fully equipped with best-of-breed technology and products from a variety leading marine companies, including Mercury Verado outboard engines, Raymarine navigation system, SHOXS Shock Mitigating Seating and FLIR gyro-stabilized multi-sensor imaging systems, to name just a few. For critical communications, SAFE Boats partnered with David Clark Company of Worcester, Massachusetts.

Lubricants supplier Total Lubmarine has launched Talusia Optima, a new cylinder lube oil compatible with high sulphur heavy fuel oils and ultra-low sulphur distillate fuels. According to the manufacturer, the new lube has been developed to simplify the management of vessels trading globally in and out of Emission Control Areas (ECAs), and offers the potential to reduce lube consumption and help extend engine life. Talusia Optima is suitable for use with fuels ranging in sulphur content of between 0 and 3.5 percent. Talusia Optima has received a no objection letter from major OEM Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) for the use of the product across its two-stroke engine ranges.

MSC Cruises has moved to increase its order of megaships from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to two ships, with an option for third. At a cost of AUD $3.2 billion, this investment signifies a confidence that the cruise holiday industry will only continue to strengthen. The Italian-Swiss shipping company currently operates 12 cruise liners, running numerous different sea routes simultaneously. The two new ships, currently nicknamed Project Seaside I and Project Seaside II, from Fincantieri are larger in terms of gross tonnage than any of the company's current liners.

Power providers are excellent bellwethers of the market at large, and according to Mikael Lindner, President, Scania USA, there are positive signs on the marine industry horizon. Scania USA today finds itself in an interesting position in the United States. While the parent company is a global powerhouse, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide and an enviable base of technological prowess and business success across many industries, in the U.S. workboat market Scania USA is in some regards still are relatively new but up and coming brand.” According to Mikael Lindner…

Manufacturer to Service Deck Fitting Product Line. Patterson Manufacturing, the marine equipment manufacturer based in Pittsburgh, today announced that it has acquired Blackburn Marine, a deck fitting manufacturer based in Canyon Lake, Texas. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. "We're pleased to be able to service Blackburn's excellent product lines," said David Grapes, CEO of Patterson. "Blackburn has been producing high-quality deck equipment for years, and their products are a fitting complement to our own. Patterson Manufacturing has been manufacturing winches, ratchet turnbuckles, tensors, and other marine equipment for more than 150 years.

Thales UK’s highly successful submarine distress beacon has been accepted into service with the Royal Navy (RN). Following a trial period, more than 100 SEEPIRB (submarine-ejected emergency positioning indicating radio beacon) buoys have been accepted into service with all classes of RN submarines, including the new Astute class. The SEEPIRB has been developed for submarines to provide distress alerting and position information via radio transmissions on a satellite-aided tracking frequency.

When heavy ships are maneuvered in rough waters with a small crew, or oil tankers are escorted through narrow confined channels, the strength and reliability of a tug boat's towline is paramount to safety and efficiency. Tugboats require ship-assist ropes that are extraordinarily strong, yet light enough for a crew of only a few to handle. Tugboat operators around the world have found a solution: Plasma ropes manufactured from Honeywell's Spectra fiber. Made by the Puget Sound Rope Corp. with a unique, patented 12 x 12 braided construction, these are some of the world's strongest synthetic ropes for their weight and are so light, they float. "Puget Sound's 12 x 12 construction method has proved to be a remarkable innovation," said Joel Altus, Foss Maritime's supervisor of vessel rigging.