Jms News

Blake Powell, president at JMS Naval Architects, discusses his career, company and latest trends in naval architecture and marine engineering.Please give a brief professional bio, including education, experience and overview of current duties as president of JMS Naval Architects.I earned my degree in Naval Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley where I attended on a Navy ROTC scholarship and was commissioned as a Diving and Salvage Officer after I graduated.

ClassNK is taking a leading role in the implementation of safe and efficient maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) through a program of research, rule-development, technology trials and certification.While the regulatory framework covering MASS remains a work in progress, it is clear that autonomous ship technologies are already having a transformative effect on shipping.By autonomously executing certain functions that would typically be performed by crew – especially tasks…

The design of a pioneering, fully autonomous ship framework has received approval in principle (AIP) from ABS.The fully autonomous ship framework, named APExS-auto (Action Planning and Execution System for full autonomous), was developed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI) and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS) as part of the fully autonomous ship program MEGURI 2040.ABS worked with MTI and JMS to review the APExS-auto framework in accordance with the ABS Requirements for Autonomous and Remote-Control Functions.

Sembcorp Marine celebrated the naming of JMS Sunshine, its first of a series of LNG hybrid tugs specially designed for domestic service in Singapore.Sembcorp Marine commissioned the design and build of the world’s first LNG hybrid tug in 2018, and the company plans to build a fleet of tugs to progressively replace the existing diesel-powered fleet operated by Jurong Marine Services (JMS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine Ltd and a licensed operator of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

An autonomous containership was recently trialed in the congested waters off Japan's east coast, marking another stepping stone on the path toward full-scale commercial adoption of autonomous vessel technologies.The 749-gross-ton vessel Suzaku, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technologies from Israel-based Orca AI, completed 40 hours of navigation with full autonomy being activated 99% of time.The test run was performed by The Nippon Foundation in partnership with the Designing the Future of Full Autonomous Ships (DFFAS) consortium…

When it came time to replace their 50-year-old station vessel New York, the Sandy Hook Pilots Association thought long and hard, weighing their options to determine the best possible solution. They traveled the country, to Houston, San Francisco and up to the Columbia River, and even to Europe—the Elbe River in Germany and Rotterdam in the Netherlands—to ride with other pilots in search of an answer.“We looked at everything from SWATH (small-waterplane-area twin hull) boats to helicopters to big boats in Europe…

Sandy Hook Pilots Association welcomed its new Pilot Station Boat New York, a converted Oil Spill Response Vessel (OSRV), which, at 208 feet long, is the largest in the Sandy Hook Pilots fleet.While welcoming the its new addition, Sandy Hook Pilots retired its predecessor, also named New York, which has been a familiar sight in the Port of New York and New Jersey harbor for nearly 50 years.On February 3, the new P/B New York sailed to its new home, the Sandy Hook Pilot base in Staten Island…

A vessel that formerly operated as an oil spill response vessel has been converted to a pilot station vessel and delivered to the United New York & New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association.The conversion work was performed by Feeney Shipyard of Kingston, N.Y., and design and engineering work for the project was led by JMS Naval Architects, of Mystic, Conn. The 208-foot vessel, previously known as Maine Responder, has been renamed New York, and it will go to work for the Sandy Hook pilots…

Palatka, Fla. based St. Johns Ship Building is constructing a self-propelled, 10,000 gallon, USCG Inspected, double-hull tankship for Intracoastal Marine Fuel (IMF) of Jupiter, Fla. Designed by JMS Naval Architects, the 53- by 18-foot tankship design is unique for its compact size and diesel outboard propulsion.The innovative design is the smallest vessel to receive U.S. Coast Guard plan approval as a Subchapter D tankship.IMF will use the vessel to deliver marine diesel to mega-yachts, commercial, and recreational vessels in the Palm Beach, Fla. area.

JMS Naval Architects informs conversion work is nearly completed of the former oil spill response vessel OSRV Maine Responder to a pilot station vessel for Sandy Hook Pilots Association of Staten Island, N.Y. The conversion work contract was competitively awarded to Feeney Shipyard of Kingston, N.Y.The Sandy Hook pilots have been piloting ships in the New York harbor for more than 300 years. They operate a pilot station boat by Ambrose Light year-round and in all weather conditions.

Biblia, Inc., Marine Towing and Transportation has ordered a new dry dock to service its fleet tugs and barges.The 500-ton lift capacity floating dry dock was designed by JMS Naval Architects and is currently being built by Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, La. The new dry dock, which will replace Biblia’s existing dry dock in Savannah, Ga., is 120’ long, 60’ wide, has a 6’ deep pontoon, and 14’ tall wing walls. It will primarily be used for hauling tug boats with a maximum length of 120 feet and draft of 10 feet.Biblia owns and operates a fleet of tugs and barges…

The court-appointed manager for Ocean Tankers Pte Ltd has applied to the Singapore court to return most of the ships the company manages to the shipowners, as cash is running low and Ocean Tankers will not be able to maintain the fleet, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.If successful, the move will allow Ocean Tankers, the chartering arm of embattled oil trader Hin Leong Pte Ltd, to resume its cash-generating business such as its oil lubricants business, for which a sales process is underway…

Several companies within Japan's NYK Group have partnered to test the remote navigation of a tugboat in Tokyo Bay.The tugboat, operated by NYK's Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha Corporation, was equipped with a manned remotely controlled system and put to the test by NYK and its group companies MTI Co. Ltd., Keihin Dock Co. Ltd., and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS).During the trials, the tug was operated remotely from an operation center in the city of Nishinomiya, approximately 400 kilometers away.

The technology group Wärtsilä, in collaboration with PSA Marine, has achieved a breakthrough in its IntelliTug project.Following the successful installation of a first-of-its-kind Dynamic Positioning (DP) system onboard the harbor tug ‘PSA Polaris’, trials are now being carried out in the Port of Singapore under real-world conditions. This phase of the project implementation, which has been approved by Lloyd’s Register, moves the bar higher on safety standards for vessel automation and autonomy.

Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS), an NYK Group company, welcomed about 20 students from the U.K., Canada, Hong Kong, and the U.S. taking part in the Japan Sea Cadet Corp international cultural exchange sponsored by the Japan Sea Cadet Federation.JMS offered a lecture about ships and used its ship-handling simulator to give the students the opportunity to try their hand at navigating a cruise ship from Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama through the narrow Kanmon Straits, a busy waterway known for its strong tidal flow.A cadet commented: “Unlike cars, I found that the ship continued to bend even when I returned the steering wheel” and “I felt reality…

Three 'influencers' in the international maritime sector have joined One Sea,  the industry alliance that brings together leading exponents of autonomous ship technology.Global satellite group Inmarsat and NYK Group research subsidiary MTI (Monohakobi Technology Institute) have joined One Sea as full members, while the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to become a One Sea associate member.One Sea members ABB, Kongsberg Maritime and Wärtsilä ran separate autonomous ship trials off the Finnish and Norwegian coasts at the end of 2018.

Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and NYK Group companies MTI Co. Ltd. and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS) have developed a system (patent pending) to assist with vessel berthing.The system assesses a vessel’s controllability and visualizes the risk in the berthing operation to reduce the burden on the operator and eliminate accidents caused by human factors, it said.When a ship is berthing, a guideline indicates the exact reduction in ship speed as the distance to the wharf nears. Following this guideline, the ship takes wind and tidal information into consideration while the operator provides instructions…

A new research vessel for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has completed sea trials and is transiting to its home port in Virginia.The new vessel, the R/V Virginia, will support the institution’s fisheries research projects and greatly expand VIMS’ capability to perform general oceanographic research in the Chesapeake Bay as well as mid-Atlantic coastal waters. Interest in the new research vessel is already growing rapidly as next season is almost fully booked with science cruises.The 93-foot vessel was built by Meridien Maritime Reparation.

Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and NYK Group companies MTI Co. Ltd., Keihin Dock Co. Ltd., and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS) have been selected by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT) to participate in a demonstration project utilizing ship maneuvering support functions and remote control.By 2025, Japan is seeking to begin demonstrations for the practical implementation of autonomous ships.With the aim to pursue efficient, safe operations and reduce officer workload, NYK and NYK Group companies MTI and JMS have been using advanced technology to develop an automated ship, including a study on collision risk judgement and the autonomous operation of vessels…

The almost 100-year old firm has many specialties, including the ability to construct innovative, complicated tonnage for its own purposes. The slowdown in barge construction in some sectors hasn’t dampened the need for specialty barges in other areas. In many cases, these mission requirements can involve the repurposing of existing tonnage using sometimes innovative and unusual design parameters. Such was the case when Cranford, NJ-based Weeks Marine (WMI) completed the conversion of an existing ABS deck barge into a loadline compliant, semi-submersible, all self-contained unit. Its first assignment involved transit to Canada for the launching of concrete caissons in Halifax, Nova Scotia for a new pier.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science of Gloucester Point, Va. awarded a contract to Meridien Maritime Reparation of Matane, Quebec to construct a 93-foot research vessel. JMS Naval Architects of Mystic, Conn. designed the research vessel to replace VIMS’s current vessel, the R/V Bay Eagle. The primary mission of the Institute’s fleet is to provide inshore and offshore work platforms for the support of fisheries related oceanographic research projects. The new vessel will be capable of conducting fisheries assessments of greater capacity…

JMS Naval Architects will complete the Contract Design Package next month of a 93-foot research vessel for Virginia Institute of Marine Science to replace its current research vessel, R/V Bay Eagle. A solicitation will be issued to shipyards by the end of the year. The primary mission of the Institute’s fleet is to provide inshore and offshore work platforms for the support of fisheries related oceanographic research projects. The new vessel will be capable of conducting fisheries assessments of greater capacity in deeper waters and with a larger science complement than the Bay Eagle.

Justin Manley has joined Juliet Marine Systems (JMS) as Vice President of Business Development and Marketing, the company announced today. Manley brings over 20 years of experience in the marine technology sector including roles at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He has also led growth of sales and development of new products at both startup companies and public corporations. At JMS, Manley will lead all aspects of sales, marketing and business development. In addition to his new role at JMS, Manley is involved in the marine technology profession through a variety of leadership roles.