Supplementary Equipment News

Dredge projects are tendered around the globe on a daily basis. Consequently, dredging contractors have to make new calculations, involving various production parameters, when preparing project quotations. Damen has introduced an online dredge job calculator to unburden contractors of this time-consuming, and therefore costly, tasks. For every dredging job, whether it is a maintenance dredging, sand dredging or capital dredging project, the local government concerned will present a public tender.

Shipments of gyros increased 46% over 2013 as more boat manufacturers added Seakeeper as standard and optional equipment on new builds. A sizable portion of its sales also came from refits. Additional sales personnel, third party partners and industry acceptance helped to increase this segment. The company expanded its markets in 2014 with its portfolio of five new models, scaled to fit a wider range of boats from 30'–220'. The updated units are more compact than earlier versions and cost less due to the company's investment in manufacturing efficiency.

SAM Electronics of Hamburg, an L-3 company, has been awarded a major contract for supply and installation of a comprehensive IT network and associated equipment aboard Pieter Schelte, the €1.3 billion dynamically-positioned platform installation-decommissioning and pipelay vessel being built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea on behalf of Swiss-based Allseas Group SA. Expected to begin worldwide service in 2014, and with a length of 382m and width of 117m, Pieter Schelte will be the world’s largest vessel of its type. It will have a topside lift capacity of 48,000 tons, a jack lift capability of 25,000 tons and a pipelay tension proficiency of 2,000 tons, effectively doubling the capability of the world’s current largest pipelay vessel, Allseas’ Solitaire.

At the recent IMO sub-committee meeting in London discussion focused especially on the work of revising and modernising the GMDSS system which stipulates regulations and standards for maritime distress and safety communication. The GMDSS system has been operative for about 20 years, and technological developments have indicated a need for revision. Consequently, a work plan for a revision and modernization of the GMDSS system was agreed upon, and this work is planned to be finalized in 2017. It was recognised important for maritime safety that a private satellite provider is technically and operationally robust, although it is complicated to make an assessment of an applicant…