Richter News

Washington Island Ferry Line (WIFL) has been the essential link between the residents, business and visitors of Washington Island and Wisconsin's Door Peninsula for more than eight decades.Picturesque and peaceful Door County isn't named for some intrepid settlers named Door. The name has a more ominous meaning. It's derived from the treacherous passage between the peninsula and Washington Island that mariners called Porte des Mortes, or Death's Door.A unique combination of environmental…

ScaffFloat, a patented plastic float that allows pontoons, barges and workboats to be built from standard scaffold components, has just launched its first pontoon in Australia through one of its local partners, AEG Group.Perth-based Access Engineering Group is the first scaffold firm in Australia to become an approved partner of the system, and last week launched an 8m x 4m ScaffFloat pontoon with a submerged access shelf cantilevered of the end to give bespoke access to their…

Maritime Partners, LLC, through its managed funds, has acquired from J. Russell Flowers, Inc. and its affiliates, a diversified portfolio of over 1,000 marine vessels operating on bareboat charter. JRF’s fleet includes a variety of towboats, tank barges, hopper barges, and deck barges.With this acquisition, Maritime Partners’ portfolio has grown to approximately 1,600 vessels with an estimated fair market value of $1.2 billion, making the firm the largest lessor of marine equipment in the United States.J. Russell Flowers, Inc.

International Marine and Industrial Applicators, LLC (IMIA), a portfolio company of an investment affiliate of J.F. Lehman & Company (JFLCO), announced it has acquired Main Industries, Inc.Headquartered in Hampton, Va., Main Industries provides preservation, scaffolding and environmental containment services to the marine vessel new construction and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) markets. The company supports the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier new construction and MRO requirements (including refueling overhauls) in the Mid-Atlantic region…

This year, despite innumerable challenges and setbacks, a great number of new U.S.-flagged vessels made their way into service. In addition to Maid of the Mist's new electric tour boats James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla featured Wednesday, the newbuilds highlighted below are some of the most noteworthy to come out of U.S. shipyards in 2020.DredgerU.S. dredging contractors have been adding tonnage in a big way. This Spring, Callan Marine added a significant piece to the U.S. fleet with its new Jones Act cutterhead suction dredge (CSD) General MacArthur.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has delivered a new, year-round passenger/vehicle ferry, Madonna, for service to the Washington Island community across the Death’s Door Passage between the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michigan.At 124 feet in length, 40 feet in beam and 9 feet in draft, and with capacity for up to 28 vehicles and 150 passengers, the newbuild is the largest vessel in the Washington Island Ferry Fleet, allowing crews to operate a spacious second ferry with year-round capabilities.The Madonna joins four additional vessels in the Washington Island Fleet, the Arni J.

Washington Island Ferry Line signed an agreement with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding of Sturgeon Bay to construct the Madonna, a year-round boat transporting passengers and vehicles across Death’s Door Passage, the waters between the island and Northport Pier — the tip of the Door peninsula.The new ferry will be named Madonna, measuring 124 feet in length with a 40-foot beam and 10-foot, 8-inch draft. It will have capacity for as many as 28 vehicles and 150 passengers.The new ferry will be the largest in the ferry line fleet. It is scheduled for delivery in late May 2020.“We are pleased to build what is our third ferry for Washington Island…

Tropical coral reefs lose up to two thirds of their zooplankton through ocean acidification. This is the conclusion reached by a German-Australian research team that examined two reefs with so-called carbon dioxide seeps off the coast of Papua New Guinea. At these locations volcanic carbon dioxide escapes from the seabed, lowering the water’s acidity to a level, which scientists predict for the future of the oceans. The researchers believe that the decline in zooplankton is due to the loss of suitable hiding places. It results from the changes in the coral reef community due to increasing acidification. Instead of densely branched branching corals, robust mounding species of hard coral grow, offering the zooplankton little shelter.

Smart sensor technology and the next level in integrated navigation system – this is what the German navigation system company Raytheon Anschütz showcases during SMM 2016 in Hall B6 at booth 304. “With Synapsis NX the Integrated Navigation System is advancing to the next level. Smart network architecture and innovative system modules not only dramatically reduce complexity, but also improve bridge system integration. This way ship owners receive their entrance ticket to Navigation 4.0.” This is how Raytheon Anschütz’ marketing manager Martin Richter describes the next generation of INS at Raytheon Anschütz. Intelligent network architecture enables access to virtually any PC and application from any workstation, without a limitation on the navigation system.

Otto Piening GmbH, a member company of the DEUTSCHE YACHTEN working group, is venturing for the first time into the development of controllable pitch propellers that can be operated using a water-based hydraulic system in place of oil. This environmentally-friendly, world-first has now been certified by classification society DNV GL and approved for the megayacht market as well as for research, naval and coastguard vessels. More than two million pitch adjustment cycles under full…

Chile's government has declared a state of emergency in the central region struck by Wednesday's earthquake, the biggest to hit the country since 2010 and the most powerful in the world this year. The 8.3-magnitude tremor struck off the coast of Coquimbo, 46km west of Illapel, at 19:54 local time (22:54 GMT) on Wednesday evening. Tsunami waves hit the coast at Coquimbo and further out from the epicentre, with waves half a metre higher than usual as far north as La Punta. Small tsunamis were also reported along the west coast of the USA and Canada, as far away as Alaska. A powerful aftershock estimated to be close to 8 on the Richter scale shook the central part of Chile yesterday afternoon (17 September). All ships were again ordered to leave port ahead of a possible tsunami.

Following the 151st Annual Meeting of Members and of the Board of Directors  ABS informs that industry leaders were elected and appointed to serve on several bodies that contribute to the operation of the classification society as it fulfills its mission of promoting the security of life and property and preserving the natural environment. “ABS is proud to announce such a strong group of marine and offshore industry leaders that will help guide the direction of one of the world’s leading classification societies,” said ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. John A. RADM James A. Saleh A. Greggory B. Mun Keun Ha, Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. Jong-Seung Lee, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. Sung-Geun Lee, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. Shaj U.

Inchcape Shipping Services, (ISS), is advising that several ports remain closed following the Chilean earthquake and tsunami alert. The ports of Arica, Patache, Iquique and Mejillones are closed for operations pending damage inspections from the Chilean Maritime Authority. Tocopilla port is closed due to the current swell conditions. All other Chilean ports are opened and working in normal condition. The tsunami alert was issued after an earthquake measuring 8.2 degrees Richter struck 53 miles (86 km) northwest of Iquique port in Chile on 01 April 2014, at 20:46hrs local time.

A Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter that was on Washington Island after the crew made an emergency landing on Sunday was recovered Monday and is being transported back to Air Station Traverse City, Mich., to undergo necessary repairs. A six-member recovery team from the air station arrived on Washington Island on Monday morning to begin the process of recovering the helicopter. At about 5 p.m. CST, the crew loaded the trailered aircraft onto the Washington Island Ferry, Arni Richter, for a 30-minute transit back to Northport Pier in Door County, Wis.

Replacing the prime engine in a seafaring vessel to meet modern emissions laws can be a major challenge. For many vessel owners, the option to retrofit existing engines is an attractive alternative to implement compliant power solutions into their operations. Recognizing the need to provide flexible, comprehensive solutions to help customers address the increasingly complex emissions regulations, Caterpillar unveiled the EPA certified Cat  3500 marine emissions kits. Bay Area tug and barge operator Harley Marine Services was eager to incorporate sustainable, efficient power solutions into their vessels and reached out to Cat Dealer Peterson to evaluate viable options for several vessels in their fleet.

In the eyes of some, the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was the event that would signal the end of nuclear power for electrical power generation and would end any hope of the world utilizing nuclear-powered commercial vessels other than the Russian barge carrier, SEVMORPUT and numerous Russian ice breakers. Contrary to the afore mentioned opinion, I believe that not only are selected-route nuclear powered commercial vessels good for the marine industry but they…

Tognum equips subsidiary SKL Motor GmbH in Magdeburg for standardized reconditioning of MTU engines & components and renames it MTU Reman Technologies GmbH. The MTU logo is now on the frontage of the main entrance as a sign of a new era in the history of the Magdeburg mechanical engineering operation. It was recently unveiled during a works festival attended by Secretary of State for the Economy of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Michael Richter, and the Mayor of Magdeburg, Dr. Lutz Trümper. Many engines that carry the Tognum brand MTU last for longer than one engine life.

Russian ice breakers. Contrary to the afore mentioned opinion, I believe that not only are selected-route nuclear powered commercial vessels good for the marine industry but they also offer the world the most environmentally friendly and potentially the most economical and efficient way of shipping trans-ocean cargo. Although the Fukushima Daiichi disaster was a disaster of major proportions, we must not forget that it was initiated by a much more deadly and destructive disaster; a tsunami caused by a magnitude 9.0 Richter scale underwater earthquake. The nuclear disaster that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi complex was not caused by inherent problems with the reactor…

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) board of directors has elected Stephen D. Yslas, 61, corporate vice president and general counsel effective Jan. 1, 2009. Yslas succeeds W. Burks Terry who is retiring Dec. 31, 2008. In his new role, Yslas will be responsible for oversight of all of the company's legal matters. He will report to Ronald D. Sugar, the company's chairman and chief executive officer, and become a member of the company's Corporate Policy Council. The board also elected Joseph F.

The passenger vessel market is a classic mature marine market. Segments of it are doing well, while other parts have literally died. For example, the overnight segment of the market saw one substantial vessel delivered in 2003 with none on the horizon for 2004. The Empress of the North, a 360-ft. sternwheeler was put into service in September working the West Coast-Alaska route. Now that ice is a problem in Alaska, the vessel is working the Columbia River system in the Northwest U.S. The vessel was the largest vessel ever built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, Wash. and is owned by American West Steamboat Company, Portland, Ore. Developing overnight service is the most difficult part of the passenger vessel industry to get established.

Last year Germanischer Lloyd and Mühlhan sponsored a Surface Protection Symposium in October in Lübeck, dealing with the topic of value retention in the shipping industry. The outcome was a lively exchange of ideas among shipowners, coating material manufacturers and surface protection experts. Up-to-date findings from research were discussed with the same vitality as problems from workaday practice. This report provides an overview of the events involved. After Dr. Richter from Germanischer Lloyd had welcomed those attending, Mr. Harms — also from Germanischer Lloyd — described both the development and current status of international stipulations for the assessment of corrosion in water ballast tanks…

Predicting when large earthquakes might occur may be a step closer to reality, thanks to a new study of undersea earthquakes in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The study, reported in today’s Nature, is the first to suggest that small seismic shocks or foreshocks preceding a major earthquake can be used in some cases to predict the main tremors. Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the University of Southern California (USC) report that some types of large undersea earthquakes may be predictable on time scales of hours or less. Earthquakes on land are generally not preceded by systematic immediate foreshocks and hence cannot be predicted as easily with the same methods.

Passengers told of an impact like an earthquake Aug. 24 when their cruise liner and a cargo ship collided in the dead of night in the English Channel. "I'm from Los Angeles and I can only compare it to a 7.5 Richter scale earthquake. It was that violent," said Edna Mae Glikmann. Only three passengers on the Bahamas-registered liner Norwegian Dream, owned and operated by Norwegian Cruise Line, were injured in the collision, which left the containership adrift and ablaze in the Channel, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Shares in NCL fell sharply on the Oslo bourse after the collision, even though the company said that insurance would cover the damage to the Bahamas-registered vessel and any loss of revenues.