Special Service News

The United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has taken delivery of ADNOC MD 01, the first in a series of two new dive support vessels.The aluminum catamaran was designed by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. and built by Grandweld Shipyards in Dubai for local diving operations in the UAE.ADNOC MD 01 and its to-be-delivered sister vessel were designed and constructed to the following notation: BUREAU VERITAS 1 ✠ HULL • MACH, SPECIAL SERVICE, FAST DIVING SUPPORT…

A barge owner’s lack of inspection and maintenance led to the capsizing and sinking of a crane barge last year in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The crane barge Ambition was being towed when it capsized and sank on June 15, 2022, releasing an estimated 1,980 gallons of oil. No injuries were reported. The Ambition, owned by Rigid Constructors, and its crane were a total loss estimated at $6.3 million.Due to the height of the crane, the Ambition was being towed offshore in the Gulf of Mexico to reach its destination.

The flag of the Republic of Malta waves on the Offshore Patrol Vessel P71 to celebrate the entry into service of the new flagship of the Armed Forces of Malta built by Cantiere Navale Vittoria.At the AFM naval base in Floriana, Valletta, the official delivery ceremony was held for the largest patrol vessel ever built by Cantiere Navale Vittoria. The 75-m unit, built in Italy, will be used in coastal surveillance operations, extended patrolling on the high seas and Search and Rescue operations.OPV P71 is the result of an order with a total value of more than 50 million euros…

OPV P71, a new 246 ft. (75m), 50-million Euro flagship of the Armed Forces of Malta -- the largest patrol vessel ever built by Cantiere Navale Vittoria -- today entered the port of La Valletta to start its missions of surveillance, coastal and offshore surveillance and SAR operations in the Central Mediterranean.Measuring 74.8 x 13m with a draft of 3.8m and a full load displacement of over 2,000 tons, OPV P71 can accommodate a crew of nearly 50 and an additional 20 staff. The platform is characterized by an elevated bridge with 360-degree vision capabilities…

Dales Marine announced the appointment of David Gray as Chief Naval Architect, bringing the business a wealth of experience in ship and yacht design.Gray's areas of specialties cover the design and development of new vessels and conversions, including ships and floating structures, large yachts, and small commercial vessels such as workboats, dredgers, fast ferries, and other special service craft. In addition, Gray's has a keen interest in electric propulsion, hydrofoils, roll stability and stabilizers…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Norfolk District accepted delivery of a new high-speed foil assisted hydrographic survey vessel, due to be commissioned on May 31, 2018.The all-aluminum catamaran, S/V Ewell, measures 61’-4” length overall with a 24’ beam. The vessel has two levels; the first has survey stations, and a pilot house is on the second level. The vessel has a galley, mess and sleeping accommodations.Designed to conduct hydrographic surveys using sophisticated multibeam and single beam sonars, the new vessel features Norbit Multibeam sonars and single frequency sonars mounted inside a retractable survey pod.Ewell is…

The first in a series of two new 27-meter crew transfer vessels (CTV) designed by BMT for Njord Offshore has completed sea trials, reaching a top speed of 27 knots. The new vessel, Njord Zenith, was built by Cheoy Lee Shipyards in China.Jago Lawless, Technical Director at BMT explains: “We have a number of 26m CTV vessels operating that have been designed and built in accordance with Lloyd’s Register’s rules for Special Service Craft and the UK code for High Speed Offshore Service Craft. This 27m vessel however, is the first CTV designed by BMT that utilizes a highly efficient Z-bow hull form.

Two new 50-meter multi-mission offshore vessels (MMOV) will soon help the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) fight illegal fishing in Philippine waters. The sister ships – DA BFAR MMOV 5001, named BRP Lapu-Lapu, and DA BFAR MMOV 5002, named BRP Francisco Dagohoy – were built by Manilla-based Josefa Slipways, and have recently completed speed and endurance trials ahead of their upcoming delivery. According to designer Incat Crowther, the new vessels will enhance law enforcement’s capability to patrol and protect territorial waters…

Oceanicasub V, the second of a pair of 43m Monohull Subsea Dive Support Vessels (SDSV), has been delivered for owner and operater Oceanica of Rio de Janeiro for charter by Petrobras. Oceanicasub V was constructed by Arpoador Shipyard in Guaruja’, Brazil. The design is the culmination of a close collaboration by the designer Incat Crowther, builder and operator. The RINA-classed vessel is equipped for a crew complement of 36 and features an array of dive support equipment including deck crane, ROV A-frame, dive bell A-frame, hyperbaric chamber, HIPAP, rescue/workboat with associated davit and all necessary dive operations related spaces and equipment.

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…

The heavy cargo roll on/roll off' coaster vessel recently delivered and commissioned by Concordia Group is not the typical RO/RO. Once a containership, the 141-meter-long and 20-meter-wide Rotra Vente was converted into a specifically designed ship to be used under charter by Siemens mainly in the North Sea area for the transportation of mast, nacelles (engine rooms) and rotor blades for wind turbines. The vessel’s specially developed bow and the extendable ramp are controlled by hydraulic systems for cargo to be more efficiently driven cargo to and from the cargo deck.

IMC’s latest fisheries research and survey vessel design was built in Malaysia for the Bangladesh Department of Fisheries. RV Meen Shandhani arrived in Bangladesh in June after completing extensive sea and fishing trials and its delivery voyage. The Australian consultancy’s naval architects and engineers drew on a wealth of relevant experience, data and expertise when developing the research vessel’s design. Formed in 1994, IMC and its principals have a long interest in, and association with, the fisheries sector.

The Sumber Samudra Sdn. Bhd. of Perak, Malaysia recently delivered a 37.8-meter fisheries research and survey vessel. Built for the Bangladesh Department of Fisheries, the R/V Meen Shandhani completed official sea trials in June 2015. Additional trials for the fishing gear were carried out in late 2015. With all trials complete, the vessel crews will receive training as a part of the build package. After making her delivery trip to her homeport of Chittagong, Bangladesh she will undertake fisheries research in the Bay of Bengal.

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.

The United Arab Emirates and the European Union have signed a reciprocal bilateral short-stay visa waiver agreement. UAE citizens who hold diplomatic, special, service and ordinary passports will be able to travel without a visa to EU countries which make up the Schengen area for stays of up to 90 days (within any 180-day period of one year). Any citizen of a Schengen country can visit UAE maximum 90 days during a 180 days period. This will mainly affect frequent visitors to UAE, typically Superintendent frequently attending Drydockings or projects, but not residents and seafarers. For information about operations in the UAE, contact GAC at [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]

While much of the focus on coverage of the Chinese shipbuilding industry is on big shipbuilding, Maritime Reporter switches gears this month to explore activities in select boatbuilding sectors. The Damen boatbuilding name is ubiquitous around the world, and China is certainly no exeception. The Damen Yichang Shipyard in China started ops in 1999 as a JV between Damen Shipyards Group and Sinotrans CSC, focused on building cargo vessels from the Dutch company’s portfolio. Recently Damen said it intends to broaden the market audience courtesy of an increased portfolio of vessels from the yard…

From the four-story office tower, housing 100 technical engineers and administration staff, to the 65,000-square-meter yard with extensive fabrication and machine shops and a huge dry dock, the Xin Yue Feng Shipyard has been building every more sophisticated vessels. Although the majority of the yards work is in steel, they maintain a set of skilled aluminum workers as well. In mid-March this group was building a small aluminum service vessel for a Singapore customer. Over in the yards assembly and launch dock…

Offshore energy, whether oil, gas or wind, faces a tightening regime of restrictions. In Germany, for example, the German Federal Bureau of Maritime Traffic and Hydrography (BSH) recently updated its standards for offshore wind energy units, offshore converter and inverter stations, and subsea high-power transfer cables. But regardless of the unclear political environment, the offshore industry continues to expand, a fact reflected in the order books of shipyards. Some recent achievements include: The Norwegian Fjellstrand shipyard in Oma completed the construction of "Siem Moxie", a so-called "Infield Support Vessel". Maersk ordered a new cable-laying vessel from the Dutch Damen shipbuilding group. The ship will be a "Damen Offshore Carrier DOC 8500" type.

Robert Allan Ltd. has designed a new generation of more capable High Endurance Self-righting Search & Rescue Lifeboats for the Canadian Coast Guard. This new design was developed from the successful similar vessels known as the “Severn” Class operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) of the United Kingdom. The new Canadian design is larger with a greater range than the RNLI vessel and has been specifically designed to handle the worst weather encountered year around in the waters off Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

Cavotec wins order from ABB for twenty compact Marine Propulsion Slip ring (MPS) units to be fitted to advanced Azipod marine propulsion systems. Under the terms of this project, Cavotec is scheduled to complete deliveries of the MPS units to ABB by the beginning of Q2 2013. Cavotec MPS units, fitted to Azipod systems, enable vessel propellers to rotate through 360 degrees in its vertical axis thus providing steering. The units ensure the safe transmission of electrical power for the main motors…

The CCGS Vladykov is the first of three new Near-Shore Fisheries Research Vessels to be delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard. Commissioned in August 2012, the vessel was constructed at Meridien Maritime Inc. in Matane, Quebec to a design developed by Robert Allan Ltd of Vancouver, B.C. The CCGS Vladykov and its sister vessels will conduct scientific research in the Newfoundland and Labrador region. Secondary missions include search and rescue, environmental response and the support of marine programs for other government agencies.

The recently constructed royal row barge led the UK’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations this weekend, heading a flotilla of ships along the River Thames. The barge was built in London and supervised by Lloyd’s Register’s Southampton-based UKI Marine Operations Team. Keith Vernon, LR’s Principal Specialist, said: “While the vessel will not be classed it will be certificated as an MCA Class V Passenger Vessel. “It has been a very interesting project because of the unique character of the project. Our initial concerns centred around LR’s limited experience of wood boat-building construction.

International classification society RINA has been recognized by Sweden’s Clean Shipping Project as being able to verify ships and shipping companies in accordance with verification guidelines developed for ranking in the Clean Shipping Index. The Clean Shipping Index is backed by a number of Swedish bodies, many of Sweden’s largest cargo shippers, and the EU. It is an index taking a holistic perspective on the environmental issues of shipping. It takes into account the environmental effects connected to shipping, such as emissions to air and water, and the use of chemicals and anti-fouling, and ranks vessels or shipping companies according to their performance under each criteria. It is aimed at giving charterers a clearer view of the environmental performance of shipping providers.