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28 Nov 2023

SAFE Boats and Vita Power to Build Zero-emission Patrol Boats

(Image: SAFE Boats International)

Bremerton, Wash. boatbuilder SAFE Boats International (SBI) announced it is teaming up with U.K.-based electric powertrains provider Vita Power to develop a 100% electric, emissions-free patrol boat.Under a new memorandum of understanding to bring electrification to the patrol boat market, the partners have adapted one of SAFE Boats’ most proven hull designs - the 23’ Center Console - to be propelled by Vita Power’s V300 electric motor and battery package. Dubbed the “223e”, this concept provides a zero-emission solution for operators who are working long hours at lower speeds…

29 Dec 2022

The More ‘Eyes On The Water’, The Better

An Ocean Aero Triton unmanned surface vessel operates alongside U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) in the Arabian Gulf, November 29, during Digital Horizon 2022. (Credit: Brandon Murphy / U.S. Army)

Manama, Bahrain -- Advancing maritime domain awareness in the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) is a challenging task. Yet keeping the sea lanes open is critical for the region, for the U.S. and the world.U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), U.S. Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) are all headquartered here in Bahrain, under the command of Vice Admiral Brad Cooper. U.S. Fifth Fleet oversees the operations for all U.S. naval forces in the Middle East.

27 Dec 2022

MATS, A New Uncrewed Platform for Offshore Wind

UTEC’s new USV. Photos from UTEC

Survey, positioning and data management firm UTEC, part of the Acteon Group, is targeting the offshore wind survey and inspection market with a new uncrewed surface vessel (USV).Torsten Marten, lead surveyor, UTEC, outlined the new design at the Marine Autonomous Technology Showcase (MATS), at the National Oceanography Center (NOC) in Southampton, UK, early November.It’s a 12m-long, “DP equivalent” catamaran design, developed to offer a stable platform for survey and inspection operations…

16 Aug 2022

RIBCRAFT Delivering On $80 Million Navy Contract

RIBCRAFT USA, a manufacturer of rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) for law enforcement, safety professionals and military agencies, announced that it recently entered the production phase on its five-year IDIQ contract with the U.S. Navy to build the standard 7- Meter RIB.Under the multi-year contract, RIBCRAFT will build up to 278 of the 7-Meter rigid inflatable boats worth approximately $80 million. This is purported to be the largest single contract based on number of boats ever awarded by the U.S.

28 Jul 2022

US Navy: Building Small Combatants to Create Force Structure and Capability

The Littoral Combat Ship has been made more lethal with the addition of the Naval Strike Mis-sile, seen here installed on USS Charleston (LCS 18).   (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign James French)

The U.S. Navy needs more ships. And that means the Navy has to build more ships than it is decommissioning.The sea service has a stated a goal of 355 ships, and as many as 500 and more when unmanned platforms are counted. There are 298 ships in the fleet today. For surface ships, this number includes a high-low mix of highly capable large surface combatants, and smaller ships such as littoral combat ships LCS).The Navy’s smallest combatants are the 330-ton, 197-foot coastal patrol boats (PCs). Up until recently, ten of them have been serving in the Middle East with the U.S.

05 Jul 2022

Navy Establishing Unmanned Surface Vessel Fleet for Persistent ISR in Middle East

A T38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel operates during a demonstration off the coast of Bahrain, April 29, 2022. (Photo: David Resnick
/ U.S. Army)

“We're not tinkering. We're building enhanced maritime domain awareness.”The U.S. Navy’s Task Force 59, based in Bahrain as part of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and U.S. Fifth Fleet, is advancing the operational employment and integration of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence in fleet operations.According to Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the fleet commander, unmanned systems and artificial intelligence are helping to accelerate innovation, especially in such a vast area of responsibility (AOR)“It's 5…

22 Nov 2021

Marine News' Top Boats of 2021

Sea Change (Photo: All America Marine)

Sea Change - America’s first hydrogen powered ferrySWITCH Maritime’s new 70-foot passenger ferry Sea Change is navigating uncharted waters as the United States’ first zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel cell-powered, electric-drive ferry.The pioneering aluminum newbuild, constructed by Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), has been completed and was launched this summer, though permitting of hydrogen fuel systems for maritime vessels is still being worked out with the U.S. Coast Guard.“Legislation and laws for passenger safety did not exist yet for this type of vessel.

21 Oct 2021

SAFE Boats Wins $90 Million Patrol Boat Contract

(Photo: SAFE Boats International)

Bremerton, Wash. boat builder SAFE Boats International has been awarded an $89,717,984 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract for design, construction, outfitting, reactivation and training for six Mk VI Patrol Boats with an option for two additional vessels.This contract will provide Mk VI Patrol Boats to Ukraine via a U.S. State Department-approved agreement utilizing Building Partner Capacity (BPC) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) funds. Work will…

05 Oct 2021

Robert Allan Ltd. Unveils Methanol-fueled CTV Design

(Image: Robert Allan Ltd.)

Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. has unveiled a methanol-fueled RAptor 2400 crew transfer vessel (CTV), bringing the offshore wind industry closer to eliminating carbon emissions from the supply chain.As a marine fuel, methanol provides emissions benefits that are similar to natural gas when it comes to reducing CO2, NOx, SOx and particulates, but without the need for cryogenic or pressurized fuel tanks. This reduces capital cost, saves space and allows more fuel to be carried.

09 Jun 2021

The Navy’s Big Fleet of Small Boats

The U.S. Navy’s Mark VI class patrol boat is designed to patrol riverine and littoral waters around the globe. (Photo: Nelson Doromal Jr / U.S. Navy)

The Navy is known for its big ships. It has a lot of smaller boats and craft, too—3,200 of them.The three primary stakeholders for these craft are the Surface Fleet, Commander Navy Installations Command and Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. Other stakeholders include Submarine Forces; Air Forces (which own the aircraft carriers); Naval Special Warfare; the Coast Guard; Naval Facilities Command and the Naval Warfare Centers.Boats and craft are procured and managed by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Program Executive Office for Ships (PEO Ships)…

23 Mar 2021

Seafarer Vaccination Conundrum a 'Legal Minefield', ICS Says

© tirachard / Adobe Stock

Seafarers' lack of access to vaccinations is placing shipping in a "legal minefield", while leaving global supply chains vulnerable, warns the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).The organization is planning to circulate a legal document to the global shipping community later this week highlighting its concerns following reports that some states may require crews to be vaccinated in order to enter their portsComplicating matters even further, it's expected developing nations will not achieve mass immunization until 2024…

12 Mar 2021

VIDEO: Diverse Marine Delivers Offshore Wind CTV to Turner Iceni

Credit: Diverse Marine

UK-based workboat constructor Diverse Marine has delivered the offshore wind crew transfer vessel ‘Iceni Valour’ to Turner Iceni."The vessel arrived successfully ahead of schedule in North Wales, to commence her 10-year charter in the Liverpool Bay area," Diverse Marine said Thursday.The Iceni Valour is a 24-meter aluminium crew transfer vessel designed by Walker Marine Design, and powered by twin MAN D2862 LE263 1400hp main engines with ZF3050 gearboxes and Hamilton Jet HM651 water jet units.According to Diverse Marine…

23 Feb 2021

CWind's Next-Gen Offshore Wind Crew Transfer Vessel Launched

Credit: CWind

CWind, offshore wind crew transfer specialist, on Tuesday announced the delivery of what it described as "the world’s first hybrid-powered Surface Effect Ship (SES)," the CWind Pioneer crew transfer vessel.CWind said that the crew transfer vessel, with 24 passenger capacity, was developed in response to an industry-wide push to develop and deploy innovative technologies that reduce CO2 emissions, while cost-effectively servicing windfarms located further offshore. "The CWind Pioneer…

15 Feb 2021

Atlantic Wind Transfers Launches Jones Act CTV Atlantic Endeavor

Atlantic Endeavor (Photo: Atlantic Wind Transfers)

U.S. offshore wind crew transfer company Atlantic Wind Transfers (AWT) said its second Jones Act crew transfer vessel (CTV) Atlantic Endeavor was launched at the end of December.Designed by U.K. firm Chartwell Marine and built by Blount Boats in Warren, R.I., the new aluminum catamaran spent three days undergoing sea trials and U.S. Coast Guard inspections prior to deliver to Dominion Energy to support its two-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm (CVOW) pilot project 27…

12 Jan 2021

UK to Use Satellites to Track Ship Emissions

© aerial-drone / Adobe Stock

An initiative aiming to help track and reduce shipping's carbon emissions is among five projects recently awarded U.K. government funding through the country's Space Agency.The University of Leicester will use satellite analytics to track the greenhouse gas and pollution emissions of shipping fleets, ushering in a new approach that could help shipping companies to face down climate change.The university will work with Redshift Associates Ltd to develop analytics to track the carbon and pollution emissions of ships…

19 Jul 2020

Video: High-speed Ferries Sprint Side-by-side

(Photo: Austal)

Two high-speed trimaran ferries built by Austal Australia recently sprinted side-by-side off the coast of Perth, Western Australia.As the 118-meter Bajamar Express was departing Australia on her delivery voyage to the Canary Islands, she was joined by the 83-meter Queen Beetle undergoing sea trials, in an historic moment capturing two Austal trimaran ferries.The two vessels are the latest designs of a proven hull form first developed for Fred. Olsen Express’ 127-meter Benchijigua Express in 2005.Austal Chief Executive Officer David Singleton said…

01 Jun 2020

New Vessel Enters Service at Formosa 1 Wind Farm

A new 36-meter service accommodation transfer vessel (SATV) completed its sea trials program for owner Ventus Marine and charterer Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and has commenced operations and maintenance activities on the Formosa 1 offshore wind farm project in Taiwan.The first-of-its-kind vessel was designed by BMT and built by Penguin Shipyard International. It is engineered to provide long-term offshore accommodation for 10 crew onboard for the 12 day offshore endurance, while still being able to push up against the turbine to transfer technicians.

19 Dec 2019

USN’s Next-Gen Patrol Boat Near End of OT&E

Photo: Metal Shark

Shipbuilder Metal Shark and the US Navy are nearing the end of the operational test and evaluation (OT&E) trial period for the Navy’s incoming standardized “40 PB” patrol boat platform.Developed as the replacement for up to 160 patrol vessels deployed worldwide with Navy Expeditionary Combat Command’s Coastal Riverine Forces (CRF), Metal Shark’s 40 Defiant design was selected in late 2017 from a field of seven competing shipbuilders.Metal Shark produced two of the 40-foot, welded-aluminum monohull pilothouse patrol boats for test and evaluation purposes…

24 Jun 2018

Closest-Ever Volvo Ocean Race Starts Final Leg

After nine months of gruelling competition, the Volvo Ocean Race boats have started the final leg of the closest-ever contest in the round-the-world event’s 45-year history. As the seven competing Volvo 65s passed the Inmarsat-branded start line in Gothenburg, Sweden today, three teams were in a virtual tie for the ultimate crown, with everything to be decided in the 700nm sprint to The Hague. Two teams – MAPFRE and Team Brunel – now sit tied at the top of the overall leaderboard on 65 points with Dongfeng Race Team currently just one point behind them on 64. However, if Dongfeng beats the other two in Leg 11, it means they will also be positioned to receive the bonus point for the shortest elapsed time around the world.

03 Dec 2019

Njord A Lifeboats Feature Electric Propulsion

Photo: VIKING

VIKING has secured a contract from Kværner AS to deliver three VIKING Norsafe E-GES 52 electric free-fall lifeboats and compatible davits, in a significant advance for electric propulsion. The contract, part of the upgrade of Equinor’s Njord A platform in the Norwegian Sea, initially called for diesel-powered lifeboats but has been amended to specify VIKING Norsafe E-GES 52 units based on performance, assured availability and lower maintenance requirements.The electric lifeboat is powered by 3x25kWh batteries contained in robust…

21 Nov 2019

CWind Orders Hybrid Crew Transfer Vessel

Isle of Wight shipbuilder Wight Shipyard Co (WSC) has been contracted by CWind to build the world’s first hybrid surface effect crew transfer vessel, to  service the Borssele 1 and 2 offshore windfarms located 23 kilometers off the Dutch coast.CWind’s long-term charter contract agreement with Ørsted, which operates the Borssele 1 and 2 offshore windfarms, will start in mid-2020. The agreement will cover an initial three-year firm charter with options available for a further two years.WSC said it will manage the build project from its development stage right through to delivery. The vessel will be able to handle 2m significant wave height during technician transfer in heavy seas.

26 Jun 2018

HCAC to Aquire NRC, Sprint Energy from JFLCO

Glen Shore, Director of NRC Group and a Managing Director at JFLCO (Photo:JFLCO)

J.F. Lehman & Company (JFLCO), a middle-market private equity firm said that its investment affiliate JFL-NRC-SES Partners, LLC  signed an agreement to sell its membership interests in NRC Group Holdings, LLC (NRC Group), formed earlier this year with the combination of JFLCO companies National Response Corporation (NRC) and Sprint Energy Services (Sprint) , to Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. III (HCAC). After the transaction is completed, NRC Group will be a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of HCAC, who will change its name to NRC Group Holdings Corp. NRC Group Holdings Corp.

11 Jul 2018

Njord Offshore Orders Crew Transfer Duo

(Image: BMT)

BMT said it has secured a contract to provide Njord Offshore with two 23m crew transfer vessels (CTV).The contract, which follows the recent launch of 27m CTVs Njord Zenith and Njord Zephyr designed by BMT and built by Cheoy Lee Shipyards in China, marks the first mid-range CTV BMT has designed.Jago Lawless, Technical Director at BMT, said, “We have refined the hull design based on real data we have taken from our existing 26m and 21m vessels that are currently operating throughout Europe.