Stainless Steel Propeller News

Bronze has been the preferred material for open water and low ice class ship propellers for decades, said Finnish engineering company Aker Arctic that operates an ice model test basin in Helsinki."Few years ago, Aker Arctic began investigating the possibility of using it also in high ice class vessels. In November 2018, the first bronze propellers based on the new strength dimensioning criteria were installed on the Finnish ice class 1A ASD tug Calypso," said a statement from the designer of icebreakers.While bronze is not as strong as stainless steel, it has a number of benefits in marine applications such as good resistance against corrosion and cavitation damage. The material is also easy to work with both during manufacturing as well as when carrying out maintenance and repairs.

Over the years, Rodriguez triple-screw shallow-draft towboats have won a following in the shallow waters of the Mississippi River estuary. Many of these boats are the distinctive aft-cabin Lugger-type of vessel. Recently Mid-River Terminals of Osceola, Ark. has taken delivery of a new design towboat from Rodriguez. With a conventional forward-house pusher configuration, the new 70- by 30-foot MV Dianna Lynn utilizes the same propulsion as the Lugger tugs. This is composed of three in-line six-cylinder Cummins QSK19 engines, each delivering 660 HP.

Thrustmaster has been building brown water propulsion equipment for more than 30 years. Now the company’s American-made Z-Drive thrusters for inland waterway towboats are the first thruster in the industry to include a built-in mechanical fuse or quick release coupling. The incorporation of a quick release coupling at the input shaft of the Z-drive gives operators the added protection from the inevitable debris that can line the riverbed. The quick release coupling acts as a mechanical fuse whenever the drive line is blocked…

Van Voorden Castings BV from Zaltbommel, the Netherlands, has just completed a large order for four 25-tonne stainless steel propellers for a Canadian ice class ferry to be built by Italian yard Fincantieri for their client Société des traversiers du Québec. These propellers, of diameters 2900 mm and 3500 mm, have a combined weight of over 25 tonnes of high quality stainless steel and will be used for two contra-rotating podded drives. Van Voorden informs that because of the tough…

The contract for a new double-ended ferry that will operate on the Upper Arrow Lake in British Columbia, Canada, has been awarded to Waterbridge Steel Inc. As of 2014, the new vessel is to replace two ferries built in the 1960's which are equipped with Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP). The vessels' Voith Schneider propulsion systems have proven their worth under the specific application conditions and were therefore again chosen as propulsion system for the new ferry. Since 1968…

Randive, a commercial diving company based in New Jersey, is employing underwater metal detectors in their search and salvage operations. The company was founded in 1959 by Randor Erlandson, and in the early days focused primarily on the needs of the maritime industry around the ports of New York and New Jersey. In the decades since, the company has greatly expanded its operations increasing its staff to 16, and adding as its clients some of the largest shipping companies in the world.

Confounding the skeptics who said the 70,300-gt Queen Elizabeth 2 would be the last transatlantic liner ever built, the 150,000-gt Queen Mary 2 is set to make her service debut in January 2004, signifying a $780-million investment in a luxury passenger ship structurally engineered for the North Atlantic. Destined to uphold and revitalize the Cunard liner tradition, the 30-knot QM2 will break new ground in passenger ship technology, while incorporating lessons learned with the 1969-commissioned QE2. The challenge of fulfilling an extremely tough schedule in a notoriously harsh environment, and of meeting rising customer expectations as to service quality, comfort and reliability in all conditions, permeates every aspect of the technical design.

Kvichak Marine Industries recently delivered two all-aluminum 32 ft. oil service vessels to Foss Environmental Vessel Services, of Seattle. With one boat stationed in Seattle and one in San Diego, the Foss vessels are available for hire to perform environmentally safe vessel-to-vessel lube and cleaning, directly at the moorage site of the customer. The main customer focus is privately owned yachts and light commercial vessels. Each vessel is equipped to vacuum waste oil, pump new oil and to provide fuel polishing and bilge cleaning. The vessels also feature a 12.5 ft. beam, 3.3 ft. draft and a fuel capacity of 300 gallons. Power is provided by a single 370 hp Lugger L6108A2 diesel engine with a Twin Disc 5062V marine gear coupled to a 24 in. diameter, 4-blade, stainless steel propeller.

Kvichak Marine Industries is readying its 54 ft. all-aluminum catamaran, Ocean Explorer, for a December delivery to Pacific Whale Foundation of Kihei, Hawaii. The 54 x 14 ft. vessel, which will operate year-round for the Foundation's Eco-Adventure Cruises, holds the designs of both Kvichak and Morrelli & Melvin of San Diego, Calif. Ocean Explorer's venue includes snorkeling, dolphin watching and whale watching tours of Maui's Lahaina Harbor. Propulsion power will be provided by twin Cummins 6CTA diesels, each rated for 430-bhp at 2,600-rpm driving 28-in. diameter four-blade, stainless steel propeller through a ZF down-angle marine transmission. Cruising at a speed of 23 knots, passengers will be seated in Ocean Outdoor model all-weather seats constructed by Beurteaux of Australia.