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Surfaces News

04 Mar 2024

BRIX Marine Launches Survey Boat Lugudi Barana

(Photo: BRIX Marine)

Port Angeles, Wash. boatbuilder BRIX Marine announced the launch of its latest survey boat, the 3011-CTC, named Lugudi Barana.The hull features 5086 alloy aluminum hull skins, 5052 alloy aluminum interior transverse frames, and longitudinal T-bars, ensuring reliability even in challenging conditions, the builder said. The vessel's self-bailing aluminum decks, watertight bulkheads and anodes for cathodic protection further enhance its safety and longevity.The Lugudi Barana is equipped with a comprehensive array of accessories for efficient survey operations…

18 Jan 2024

Not All Underwater Reefs are Made of Coral

The South Carolina Army National Guard and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources turns unused armored carrier vehicles into an artificial reef off the coast of Beaufort, S.C. in 2014. (Courtesy photo by Phillip Jones/South Carolina Army National Guard)

When people hear about underwater reefs, they usually picture colorful gardens created from coral. But some reefs are anchored to much more unusual foundations.For more than a century, people have placed a wide assortment of objects on the seafloor off the U.S. coast to provide habitat for marine life and recreational opportunities for fishing and diving. Artificial reefs have been created from decommissioned ships, chicken transport cages, concrete pipes, rail cars and more.We study how ocean-dwelling fish use artificial reefs in the U.S. and beyond.

15 Jan 2024

Exploring 'Future Fuels' - Methanol’s Superstorage Solution

Image courtesy SRC

Technical inquiries to SRC Group ramped up after it received Approval in Principle (AIP) for a concept which ‘reinvented methanol fuel storage’ on board ships. Delivering the answers has seen technical talk converting into project discussions        ‘Green’ methanol has the ability to one day run vessels almost emission-free, and commercial shipping increasingly investigates. Derived today principally from natural gas, methanol is nonetheless available, relatively easy to handle and predictable.

09 Jan 2024

Viking Strengthens Marine Evacuation Portfolio with Undertun Acquisition

(Credit: Viking Life-Saving Equipment)

Danish maritime safety solutions company Viking Life-Saving Equipment has acquired rights to manufacture and supply Undertun marine evacuation systems (MES).The Viking acquisition has been agreed with Sverre Undertun, whose Norway-based company offers solutions which include its well-known Undertun ship gangways.The solution is suitable for the small ferry market due to its easy installation and use.Catering for up to 150 persons, Undertun MES are especially convenient when installation heights and crew numbers are low…

26 Dec 2023

Shipwrecks Teem with Underwater Life, from Microbes to Sharks

© Erik / Adobe Stock

Humans have sailed the world’s oceans for thousands of years, but they haven’t all reached port. Researchers estimate that there are some three million shipwrecks worldwide, resting in shallow rivers and bays, coastal waters and the deep ocean. Many sank during catastrophes – some during storms or after running aground, others in battle or collisions with other vessels.Shipwrecks like the RMS Titanic, RMS Lusitania and USS Monitor conjure tales of human courage and sacrifice, sunken treasure and unsolved mysteries.

30 Nov 2023

Maintenance Error Led to Chemical Tanker Engine Room Fire

Tank vessel Endo Breeze underway after the fire. (Source: Martine Klingsick, Shipspotting.com - via NTSB)

A maintenance error caused an engine room fire aboard the Endo Breeze last year, resulting in $1.2 million in damages, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) analysis has shown.On April 29, 2022, the Endo Breeze was transiting outbound through the Raritan Bay West Reach channel near Staten Island, New York, when oil spray from a fuel injector pump on the starboard main engine ignited off nearby hot surfaces, causing a fire. The crew of the Endo Breeze contained the spread of the fire by removing fuel and oxygen sources…

05 Sep 2023

Clean Technology Lasers: A New Tool to Remove Corrosion and Scale

(Photo: Laser Photonics)

Laser systems quickly remove corrosion and scale from metal surfaces with less preparation and mess than traditional techniques.In the maritime industry, corrosion and scale (where rust penetrates a metal surface) can quickly become an issue in an outdoor, salt sea spray laden environment. When sea spray evaporates, it leaves salt behind, leading to saltwater staining and accelerated corrosion.So, most shipbuilders as well as those responsible for maintenance and repair understand the value of treating metal surfaces to remove corrosion…

11 Jul 2023

Petrobras Makes History, Sells First FPSO for Green Recycling in Brazil

FPSO P-32 - Credit: Petrobras

In a first, Brazilian oil company Petrobras last week reportedly sold the P-32 FPSO for sustainable recycling in Brazil, paving the way for the development of the local ship recycling industry.The sale of the floating unit P-32 reportedly took place on July 7, 2023. In a collaboration supervised by Petrobras, the steel company Gerdau S.A. and shipyard Ecovix have been entrusted with the responsible and environmentally sound recycling of the FPSO."This decision marks the first time a commercial vessel at the end of its lifecycle will be dismantled in Brazil.

28 Jun 2023

MR4WELD Debuts: Mobile, Robotic Welding for Shipbuilding

Image courtesy Fincantieri

Italian companies Comau and Fincantieri presented today  the first result of their joint collaboration with Automatica: MR4Weld (Mobile Robot for Weld), a mobile robot, an innovative outdoor automation solution, designed to improve the quality, performance and well-being of operators during labor-intensive welding activities.The MR4Weld mobile robot is being tested and will be used in the Fincantieri shipyards to autonomously weld steel structures, with the possibility of increasing operations up to to 3 times compared to a manual process…

21 Jun 2023

Missing Titanic Submersible Update: Searchers Detect Subsea Sounds

Copyright chocolatefather/AdobeStock

Search teams detected underwater sounds while scanning the North Atlantic for a tourist submersible that vanished with five people aboard during a deep-sea voyage to the century-old wreck of the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said early on Wednesday.The detection of the sounds by Canadian aircraft on Tuesday, day three of the search, was reported by the Coast Guard as the clock ticked down to the last 24 hours of the missing craft's presumed oxygen supply.Robotic undersea search operations were diverted to the area where the sounds seemed to originate…

20 May 2023

Photo of the Day: Submarine Surfacing

Photo By: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Emily Weiss/Courtesy U.S. DoD

The ballistic missile submarine USS Maine surfaces to receive a vertical replenishment from Marines assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force in the Philippine Sea, May 9, 2023. Vertical replenishments enable Navy vessels to quickly receive critical resources without disrupting maritime security operations.

24 Apr 2023

Self-Driving Ferry Launched in Stockholm

Source: Torghatten AS

The world's first self-driving commercial passenger ferry entirely powered by electricity has been launched in Sweden.The Norwegian shipping company Torghatten AS will operate the passenger ferry between the Stockholm islands of Kungsholmen and Södermalm. The aim is to create more sustainable urban mobility.The idea of autonomous urban ferries started at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. Based on the researchers' results, the company Zeabuz was founded…

27 Jan 2023

OneLearn Partners with UK P&I Club for Seafarer Training

Abhinava Narayana, OneLearn Global's Managing Director of Operations and Product Development (Photo: OneLearn Global)

OneLearn Global (OLG), the Cyprus-based full services learning technology, content and services provider, has enhanced and expanded its catalogue of seafarer training material, under a collaboration agreement signed with global insurer the UK P&I Club.Under the terms of the agreement, OLG will host 50 video and webinar courses developed by the UK P&I Club, on its Learning Management System (LMS), including a series of short (5-minute max) animations on such topics as vessel collisions…

07 Nov 2022

Navy: Swedish Combat Boat 90, Both a Warrior and a Workhorse

A riverine command boat operates alongside the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zane Ecklund)

The Swedish-built Combat Boat 90 (CB 90) has established itself with military forces around the world as both a warrior and a workhorse. The 52-foot boats first entered service in 1991 as troop carriers with the Swedish Marines, which is still procuring them. There are more than 250 operating worldwide today.These rugged boats are optimized for high-speed / shallow-draft operations in and around Sweden’s many coastal islands, but they have also proven to be ideal for a variety of other applications and operating environments.The CB 90 is 52 feet long, with a draft of just 2 feet 7 inches.

30 Sep 2022

Portable Laser Shock Peening System Demonstrated for the US Navy

Hepburn and Sons LLC LSP Technologies Procudo Laser Shock Peening Demonstration onboard USS Cape St. George (CG-71). Photo Courtesy: Hepburn and Sons LLC

For the first time, a portable laser shock peening system has been developed for and demonstrated in a shipyard environment and on board a U.S. Navy warship to combat aluminum cracking.On June 24, 2022, through a 2020 National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) Research Announcement Project, Hepburn and Sons LLC, teamed with LSP Technologies, Vigor Industries and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) was able to demonstrate for the first time ever the use of a portable Procudo LSP system both in a shipyard facility and onboard USS Cape St. George (CG-71).

28 Apr 2022

In Offshore Energy, the Winds of Robotic Change are Blowing

BladeBUG during trials at the 7 MW Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine. Photos from ORE Catapult.

Whether we realize it or not, robotics and robotics systems are starting to impact our daily lives. From warehouse picking systems through to high-end medical devices through to your mowbot lawnmower. Each tends to be specialized to its own task and a similar trend is now starting to play out in the offshore wind space, where it’s hoped that robots can make operations safer and more efficient.According to a report, The Economic Opportunity for Robotics in Offshore Wind and Key Energy Markets by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult)…

22 Apr 2022

First in Middle East: Aramco’s Survey Vessel Gets ABS' Infectious Disease Mitigation Notation

Image courtesy of Aramco

Aramco’s hydrographic survey vessel, KARAN 8, has become the first in the Middle East region and second worldwide to be awarded an ABS Infectious Disease Mitigation (IDM) notation.ABS' IDM-A notation is offered to vessels that meet the arrangement requirements addressing the configuration of spaces that can be used for the isolation and segregation of crew, passengers, and onshore visitors, as well as the ventilation onboard and the interior surfaces of certain accommodation or…

18 Apr 2022

New Neoteric Hovercraft Powered by Briggs & Stratton

(Image: Briggs & Stratton)

The newest hovercraft from Neoteric Hovercraft Inc. (Neoteric), the Hovertrek II, will be exclusively powered by Briggs & Stratton's Vanguard BIG BLOCK 40.0 Gross HP EFI - Marine engine.Designed for volunteer rescue departments and recreational hovercraft use, the two-passenger Hovertrek II includes side-by-side seating, increased thrust and low weight. The enhanced controllability, storage capacity and low weight of the two-passenger vessel make it an ideal training vehicle for…

22 Mar 2022

Eye on Maritime Design: Can Wind Propulsion Work by Keeping it Simple?

Copyright evannovostro/AdobeStock

While it is starting to look like some clever wind/power sail technologies are starting to appear, too often I have looked at the cargo cranes of geared bulkers and wondered if it makes sense to rig some sort of sail on them.I think the fancier approaches fight the “build a little, test a little, learn a lot” engineering maxim in new technology development, and maybe doing more simple stuff may be a better way to achieve lasting results quicker.A recent conversation with a sustainable propulsion advocate compelled me to run a few numbers.I found a bulker with a GA for a 2010 era 25…

08 Mar 2022

Uninsulated Exhaust Header Likely Ignited Towboat Fire -NTSB

(Photo courtesy of Western Rivers Boat Management Inc.​ / NTSB)

An engine room fire aboard a towing vessel was the result of spraying diesel fuel hitting an uninsulated section of the engine's exhaust system, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a marine investigation report released Tuesday.On March 17, 2021, the towing vessel Miss Dorothy was pushing 14 barges upbound on the Lower Mississippi River, north of Baton Rouge, La., when a fire broke out in the engine room. The eight crewmembers aboard briefly attempted to fight the fire but were unsuccessful and evacuated to the barges. No pollution or injuries were reported.

15 Dec 2021

IMO Biofouling Project Aims to Reduce Invasive Species and Emissions

(Photo: IMO)

A newly signed initiative is set to provide pilot projects to demonstrate technical solutions for biofouling management in developing countries, address the transfer of invasive aquatic species and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.The TEST (Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies) Biofouling Project will run for four years (2022-2025), following an agreement signed on December 8 by International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

14 Dec 2021

Propspeed Reports 'Unprecedented Growth' in 2021

(Photo: Propspeed)

Underwater foul-release coatings company Propspeed announced Tuesday that its big investment in global expansion at the beginning of this year is paying off in a big way.The New Zealand-based company said it achieved "unprecedented growth" in 2021, including an expanded focus on the commercial maritime industry, despite the lockdowns and supply chain issues that have plagued recent history.“After navigating 2020 and the paradigm shift that occurred in how the industry as a whole does business…

28 Oct 2021

Marine Biofouling in Ports: Wet Docks Acting as ‘Hot Spot’ Biofouling Transfer Stations

Figure 3.  Ships Sea Water Cooling System Components. Source: The Author

The GEF-UNDP-IMO Glofouling partnership (2017) is a global initiative to counter the environmental issue of invasive aquatic species (IAS) and the resulting harmful ecological and financial damage that can occur when such invasion events are introduced through the medium of biofouling on ships hulls and other marine structures such as those found in the oil and gas industries.One of the key objectives of the Glofouling project is to develop a Global Knowledge Hub and also identify…