Rodriquez News

Industry veteran Marco Santoro has taken the helm as chief executive officer at Miami yacht repair yard RMK Merrill-Stevens.A naval architect and marine engineer, Santoro began his career in yachting as part of the technical department at Italy's Rodriquez Yachts. In 2003, he joined Italian yacht builder the Ferretti Group as an intern in the after sales and service department, and over the course of 20 years worked his way up through a number of leadership roles, culminating as the company's vice president of refit and retail works. “My journey in this company was amazing.

A  1,600-horsepower towboat delivered to Harvey, La.-based operator L&L Marine Transportation in June is now operational with a full range of Thordon oil-free and grease-free bearings.Designed by Entech, the 65-foot twin-screw towboat Amelia Ray is purpose-built by Rodriquez Shipbuilding in Coden, Ala. for the transportation of petrochemicals along all inland and coastal waters in the southern states of the U.S.In addition to newest towboat addition, L&L Marine operates the 2,000-horsepower Melissa Lee and three 1,200-horsepower vessels Angela Rae, Myrna Ann and Madeleine Michelle.

With much of North America still reeling from the pandemic, HGG Profiling Equipment continues to grow, responding to immediate and anticipated customer demand for profile-cutting machinery. Since opening its new 6,500-square-foot facility in Houston in this spring 2020, HGG has added an area manager to its sales and support team, three new customer service and support specialists, and two new service technicians.HGG recently expanded its North American sales coverage by adding Todd Wellens as Area Manager for eastern and midwestern US and Canada…

Wärtsilä will design and deliver a fully integrated main propulsion system for a new 8,200 dwt multipurpose cargo vessel being built for Mauritius Shipping Corporation Ltd (MSCL) at the Huanghai Shipyard in China.The newbuild is expected to commence commercial operations in 2022, replacing an existing vessel transporting goods and passengers between the Republic of Mauritius and the islands of Reunion, Agalega and Rodriquez.The order with Wärtsilä was placed in April 2020, and the equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard in spring 2021.

She was right. Yesterday, Vard Holdings Limited announced that it has secured contracts for the design and construction of two luxury expedition cruise vessels for French cruise company PONANT. VARD’s close working relationship with PONANT dates back to the contracts for the construction of a series of four luxury expedition cruise vessels confirmed in 2016. The vessels were designed for voyages to tropical destinations and remote ports only accessible to small capacity ships. The two new vessels will be identical to their four sister vessels. The ice-class expedition cruise vessels are approximately 10,000 gross tons, about 131 metres long and 18 metres wide. Each vessel can accommodate 180 passengers in 92 staterooms and suites, with a spacious balcony each.

Edie Rodriguez, the Americas Brand Chairman for PONANT Yacht Cruises and Expeditions, has spent a life and built a career centered on travel, cruise and branding in a most luxurious manner. She was a natural to discuss the booming luxury expedition sector, the next big frontier in the global cruise industry. It is natural, in the U.S., to pronounce PONANT as “po nant,” but the French have a different style and the company name is pronounced “po non,” dropping the ‘t.’ But Edie Rodriquez, charged with spreading the PONANT name in North America, does not get hung up on diction in this case.

Earlier this year I was part of a safety meeting with several marine towing companies and the topic turned to leadership on our towing vessels. Companies are coming to the realization that many of their captains are not masters of the vessels. For years, the industry has taken control of the vessels from the captains and kept it in the office. I used to hear this lament from captains that I worked with in the nineties, “They don’t pay us to think.” And although the words have changed, the same old lament is there.

Genting Hong Kong appointed travel industry veteran Tom Wolber as President and CEO of Crystal Cruises, effective September 15. Wolber brings to the role over three decades of experience in general management, operations, newbuild construction and business development. He joins Crystal most recently from the Walt Disney Company where he served in various executive roles for 28 years, 10 of which were with Disney Cruise Line where he served as Senior Vice President of Operations. Wolber helped transform Disney Cruise Line into a global cruise line.

Logistics hubs and Fast Supply Vessels will be key assets in the complex offshore transport solution Petrobras has devised for moving workers and goods, to and from Brazil’s remote pre-salt plays. Here is a look at a modern local shipyards building the heavy-duty aluminum vessels, with overall lengths ranging from over 30 meters to around 50 meters. Claudio Paschoa, Maritime Reporter’s correspondent in Brazil spoke to Flavio Santarelli, Arpoador Shipyard’s Director of Operations. The logistics involved in transporting supplies and people to the production FPSOs located as far as 300km offshore has been daunting. Offshore logistics hubs…

A pair of 43m Monohull Dive Support Vessels has been designed by Incat Crowther, with input from the builder and operator, to meet RINA class requirements for special service, diving and dynamic positioning. The vessels are currently under construction at Arpoadar Engenharia, in Guaruja, Brazil and will be delivered to Oceanica Offshore for service in Brazil with Petrobras. The aft main deck features a large working deck to house the Hyperbaric Chamber, Dive Bell Crane, Portside Deck Crane and ROV Crane.

Incat Crowther announced the launch and delivery of BS Maresias. Built by Arpoador Engenharia Ltda, BS Maresias is the first of three 45m Monohull Crewboats meeting the specifications of the Petrobras P3-type crewboat for service in the Brazilian offshore oil fields. The vessel’s design features a large aft main cargo deck optimized for cargo and crew transfers. The 78m2 cargo space has a cargo capacity of 150t. The main cabin features seating for 60 passengers, two toilets, a beverage counter and large luggage racks.

For inland operators, Compliance, Safety & Technology make for heavy river traffic as software providers descend on a rapidly approaching, potentially lucrative niche market. Is there a panacea for subchapter M? Pending USCG Subchapter “M” (SubM) regulations will eventually require towing operators to implement safety standards and use safety management systems, or alternatively, allow for an annual Coast Guard inspection regime. The new rules are expected to allow towing vessel organizations to customize their approach to meeting the requirements, while providing oversight using audits, inspections, and reviews of safety data. As many as 5,000 vessels and their operators will eventually feel the impact of the so-called subchapter M rules.

Fowler Rodriquez Valdes-Fauli announced that former Assistant United States Attorney Peter Thomson has joined the firm as a partner and will lead the firm’s maritime criminal defense division. Mr. Thomson brings an outstanding set of credentials and an impeccable record spanning twenty-three years of service with the U.S. Department of Justice. In this era of heightened criminal enforcement and government scrutiny, corporate leaders and businesses need a counselor of Mr. Thomson’s…

Vietnam's fledgling shipbuilding industry has raised its international profile by entering into a seminal agreement with the UK's Graig Group for the construction of a series of double-hulled bulk carriers. Cardiff-based Graig's bold move, potentially entailing 15 vessels of the Diamond 53 handymax type, draws on its experience in assigning a similarly extensive program, for 14 examples of the 53,000-dwt design, to Chinese yards. For the industrially-ambitious Vietnamese, who have already made substantial investments in modern shipbuilding equipment and practises, the Graig deal has particular appeal not only for its promise of serial production of one of the most well-considered, future-oriented bulker designs, but also for the broader package which the firm brings to the project.

The all-aluminum TMV 115 monohull fast ferry Federico Garcia Lorca built at Rodriquez Cantieri Navali’s Pietra Ligure shipyard in Italy was delivered to Balearia Eurolineas Maritimas on June 22, 2001. The vessel immediately entered service on June 25 and operates between Dania on the Spanish mainland to the Balearic Islands of Majorca and Ibiza. Having completed her first season of operation, Rodriquez reports the performance of the largest Aquastrada class of fast monohull built to date. Federico Garcia Lorca entered service on June 25, only three days after the official handover from the yard. From then up until November 6, it did…

Italian prowess in the field of passenger vessel design, outfitting and technology is near legendary status in the international marine community. Even as the grip on these high-value, niche vessels loosens — largely due to cost-cutting competition from the Far East — a quick peak a the world orderbook and recent deliveries of cruise ships quickly tells who currently reigns supreme in the cruise shipping market. Evidence of Italian influence in the passenger vessel segment is undeniable, and over the years the country's shipbuilders have catered to some of the world's most discerning and quality demanding customers, such as U.S.-based Disney Cruise Line.

Rodriquez Cantieri Navali SpA and GE Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary of the General Electric Group (GE), have entered into a partnership. Following several months of negotiations GE Capital underwrote an increase in the share capital of Rodriquez. GE Capital's shareholding in the Shipyard is in the range of 26 to 40 percent. The agreement was announced by Gianni Morace, managing director of Rodriquez, during the shareholder's meeting in Messina, Italy - whose objective is to form an IPO in the near future. In addition to GE Capital, the other principal shareholders in Rodriquez are M.R.S. Sviluppo Srl, Ustica Lines SpA and Comecam Srl - all of who participated in a management buyout of the yard in 1997.

Developments in shipbuilding have been driven by needs to simplify the engineering and manufacturing. The cause is not just to become more competitive but also to avoid problems in controlling engineering and manufacturing costs. Two recent examples carried out with ShipConstructor include a small 7.5-m aluminum police boat and a 120-m car/truck/pax mono-hull fast ferry. Both vessels have been 3-D modeled using the same ShipConstructor software, which can be scaled to be a price efficient solution for small and large vessels at the same time. The software maintains the same functionality. The reduced cost version is only limited in the maximum number of parts in the project.

On December 4, Rodriquez Cantieri Navali Spa delivered a new 131.2 x 34.4 ft. (40 x 10.5 m) catamaran to Lauro Shipping Company. The ceremony took place in the port of Fiumicino, Italy, the departure point for Lauro’s new high speed route to the Ponza island with its new catamaran, Maria Celeste Lauro. The vessel will be followed next year with two more catamarans that are under construction at Rodriquez. Maria Celeste Lauro is CityCat 40 catamaran, yard number 341. The 320-passenger high speed vessel achieved 35 knots during sea trials, powered by a pair of Caterpillar 3516B diesel engines.

Rodriquez Cantieri Navali SpA of Italy and Arab Bridge Maritime Company of Jordan have signed a contract for a TMV 84 high-speed monohull to operate on their route from Aqaba, Jordan to Nuweiba, Egypt. The ship is scheduled to be delivered in less than a year from now. This route is currently served by a series of older passenger ferries as well as a 1992 built 131-ft. Flying Cat. For Arab Bridge Maritime Company, this will be the first new building in the history of the company and will also be the first new passenger ferry ever in Jordan with a Jordanian flag. For Rodriquez, this contract continues the diversification efforts of the company as it is the first contract with a Middle Eastern company in their history and further solidifies Rodriquez as a leading fast ferry builder.

Currently under construction at Rodriquez Cantieri Navali SpA's Pietra Ligure shipyard is a TMV 115 high-speed passenger and vehicle ferry for the Spanish ferry operator Balearia Eurolines Maritimes. The contract for this vessel was signed in January 2000 and delivery is expected in May 2001. Though very similar in size and capacity to the previous TMV 114 delivered to Spanish operator Armas Ocean Jet in April of this year, there are notable differences. The reasons for these differences between the two vessels are due to owner preferences, including the choice of hull material. The additional truck lane meters of the TMV 115 have been obtained by using hoistable central and outboard car decks to allow for these taller vehicles.

Rodriquez Cantieri Navali do Brasil SpA, the Brazilian yard of the Rodriquez Group, on June 13 launched the first of seven double ended catamarans under construction for Barcas SA in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. This catamaran will operate on the Rio de Janeiro – Niteroi route. The vessel is completely made in aluminum and has a maximum capacity of 1,200 passengers, with 900 seated and 300 standing. The catamaran is equipped with twin pod type propulsors with two variable pitch propellers with 360° rotation to maximize maneuverability and at the same time reach a speed of 18 knots, suitable for the three mile route. The catamaran is scheduled for delivery in July.

On June 18 at the Intermarine yard in La Spezia, Italy, the fourth example of the CONAM 75 Wide Body was – dubbed Andrea 1921 – was delivered. The CONAM 75 WB is entirely built and fitted out in Rodriquez Cantieri Navali’s Intermarine yard in Sarzana. The fifth 75 WB is being fitted out and her delivery is planned within a month, whilst numbers 6 and 7 are also under construction. Rodriquez took over the activities of CONAM in the beginning of 2002 and immediately started with the development and designing of new models. This led to the first CONAM 75 Wide Body being introduced in 2003 at the Genoa Boat Show. The Conam series are characterised by the “wide body” or “full beam” concept which maximizes the space on board, without compromising performance.