Zf Marine News

Fire Island Ferries has taken delivery of its newest vessel, Fire Island Maid, designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) and built by Metal Shark in Bayou La Batre, Ala.The 70- by  23-foot multipurpose vehicle ferry features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure and is equipped with a hydraulic ramp for loading and unloading heavy equipment. The reinforced deck is capable of supporting fully loaded concrete trucks and general cargo up to 100,000 pounds. The aft pilot house accommodates two crew and up to six passengers (assumed to be in their vehicles).

There are vessels on order today—including crew transfer vessels (CTV) being built in the U.S. (American Offshore Services at Blount Boats and for WINDEA CTV at St. Johns Ship Building and Gulf Craft, for example)—that are described as “hybrid-ready”. Of course, a vessel is either hybrid or it isn’t. So what does hybrid-ready mean?When asked about the hybrid-ready CTVs that Blount Boats is building, the shipyard’s president Marcia Blount told Marine News that the vessels’ Volvo Penta IPS propulsion system “is readily upgradeable to hybrid at any time in the future.

Marine driveline specialist ZF announced it will premier its new 4600 POD Propulsion System for large vessels for the first time in North American markets during this week’s Fort Lauderdale Boat Show (FLIBS).Engineered for large recreational and commercial vessels with planing and semi-displacement hulls measuring from 80 up to 130 feet, the 4600 POD Propulsion system first set sail in the Grande 26M motor yacht by Azimut last fall, but has been unavailable outside of European markets until now.

ZF Marine announced it has hired George Lewis as its new head of product line commercial-fast craft, North/Central America and the Caribbean, reporting to Wolfgang Schmid, ZF’s Industrial Division Head for North America.“ZF Marine welcomes George aboard and looks forward to the positive impact he will have upon the company’s sales across the Americas and Caribbean,” Schmid said. “With his deep industry knowledge and technical skill as a trained naval architect and proven sales leader…

ZF Marine has appointed Walter Fienco to the position of Product Line Manager, Commercial Thrusters. In this role, Walter will lead ZF Marine’s commercial thruster product sales across the North and Central American and Caribbean markets.Fienco brings nearly 15 years of commercial thruster product experience to the position. During his tenure at ZF Marine, he managed/led the company’s engineering, technical support and aftermarket teams to successfully commission customer vessels. He was previously Senior Engineer, Customer Applications, for ZF Marine. He holds a B.S.

Metal Shark won a contract to build a new vehicle ferry for Fire Island Ferries, a vessel designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG).Construction of the new Fire Island Maid recently commenced at Metal Shark’s Bayou La Batre, Alabama shipyard, and the 70 x 23-ft.vessel features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. With its hydraulically operated bow ramp and reinforced decks designed to support fully loaded concrete trucks and general cargo, the new ferry will provide transport between Bay Shore…

From 3D laser scanning to Computational Fluid Dynamics, an efficient and successful major mid-life refit such as the one completed on the RV Roger Revelle requires intricate advance design planning, an updated technical toolbelt, as well as the personal touch. Tim Leach, Principal, Naval Architect (Glosten), walks us through the process.Tim Leach, Principal, Naval Architect, Glosten. Image courtesy GlostenWhat work was completed by Glosten on the RV Roger Revelle midlife refit?Glosten has a long history of working with Scripps (SIO) and the Revelle.

With the ZF 5200 A/V PTI, ZF Marine is introducing the brand’s first hybrid transmission that can be installed in the ship in both V (V drive) and A (down angle) positions. Thanks to the wide range of transmission ratios and space-saving design, the ZF 5200 A/V PTI is suited for many different types of marine vessels.Ship designers currently face a wide array of challenges: In the leisure yacht segment, customers want as much living space as possible, while the boom in logistics and tourism requires ferries to make ever more space available for cargo.

“In God we trust. All others must have data.”When Ed Grimm took the helm of Southern Towing Company (STC)as President and CEO, he inherited an enviable team of leaders, engineers, mentors, communicators and analysts. Today STC is a clear leader on the inland waterways, pioneering and proving the business and safety value of Z-Drives on the river towboats.How did you come to the top spot at Southern Towing Company?I started in the energy industry at 16 working at an oil storage depot in New York Harbor, working there through high school and putting myself through college.

Shipbuilder Metal Shark said it has delivered a new excursion vessel to Southwest Florida tour and charter boat operator Pure Florida.Sea Flight is a custom 40’ x 14’ welded aluminum foil-assisted catamaran designed and built to USCG Subchapter “T” standards and configured to carry up to 33 passengers.Designed by Jutson Marine Design, the vessel features a foil-assisted catamaran hull delivering unsurpassed performance, economy, and ride comfort, the builder said. Specially engineered forward and aft transverse hydrofoils elevate the hull at planing speeds to substantially reduce drag…

ZF Marine Propulsion Systems Miramar, LLC announced that Drew Orvieto has been promoted to the position of Senior Manager, Commercial Fast Craft and Engineering – North America. Orvieto, a 4+ year member of the ZF team first worked with the company as an intern in 2011.Orvieto returned to ZF in 2015 after completing a Master’s degree in engineering, followed by a period as a naval architect at a large American boat builder. Upon his return to ZF, Orvieto took a position as naval architect…

The research vessel Roger Revelle is currently going through an extensive mid-life refit. One of the upgrades to the vessel is the installation of telescoping thruster technology from ZF Marine.The R/V Roger Revelle is a globally capable oceanographic research vessel, designed as a platform to support many different facets of ocean-based scientific research. The vessel is owned by the US Navy and operated by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography under a charter agreement with the Office of Naval Research.

Based in Miramar, FL, ABB Vice President Ed Schwarz is today responsible for developing and leading the newly created new sales team for ABB in North America.He is the firm’s leading advocate for new build opportunities in US and Canada and more importantly, developing the business strategy necessary for bringing hybrid and electric solutions to North America market. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management in 2000.

At the 15th Maritime Industry Exhibition in early May in Gorinchem, the Netherlands, ZF Marine Krimpen will debut its Condition Monitoring System. ZF's system is designed to help shipyards, shipping companies and fleet operators maintain the safety and efficiency of their ships. It is equipped with various sensors and an intelligent electronic evaluation unit. The system measures vibrations which indicate the condition of the bearings and gears in the thruster's upper and lower gearbox.

The new facility has dedicated transmission and thruster repair facilities, and larger warehouse and training areas. ZF Marine has a long standing presence in Louisiana, opening their first location in the city of St. Rose in 1996. The ever increasing customer base combined with the addition of the commercial thruster product line in 2009 resulted in the need to create a larger physical presence in the region. A comprehensive search of the region resulted in ZF finding a new home at 677 Time Saver Avenue in Elmwood, Louisiana. ZF Marine’s new facility is three times the size of its previous location. The new facility not only houses dedicated transmission and thruster repair facilities, but also a significantly larger warehouse area.

Metal Shark Building Four 350-Passenger Vessels and an Additional 150-Passenger Vessel for NYC Ferry. Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark is once again building multiple high-speed aluminum catamaran passenger vessels for the NYC Ferry Service Operated by Hornblower. In early August, Metal Shark received orders from Hornblower for four 97’ x 28’, 350-passenger USCG Subchapter K vessels, which are a new and larger platform than the fleet of 150-passenger vessels NYC Ferry currently operates. An additional 85’, 150-passenger USCG Subchapter T vessel has also been ordered. All of the new vessels are currently in production at Metal Shark’s Franklin, Louisiana waterfront shipyard, with accelerated delivery timelines calling for all five vessels to complete and deliver in 2018.

American Commercial Barge Line’s leadership and early adoption of ZF Marine’s z-drive propulsion technology underscores a growing trend on the inland waterways. American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) has been around a long time – since 1915, to be exact – and along the way has developed into one of the dominant players in the inland marine transportation industry. With a passion for safety and a green footprint, ACBL has always embraced technology and innovation. That point was obvious when it made the decision to outfit at least 15 of its towboats with ZF Marine’s Z-drive systems. The Z-Drive installations are but a small part of a $500 million fleet and equipment investment that ACBL has undertaken over the course of the last five years.

Seattle-based marine consultancy Glosten has unveiled the HT-67: a new 67' ASD (Z-Drive) harbor tug designed for versatility of service on inland and near coastal waters. Outfitted with a tow winch and pin box/stern roller assembly, this tug can tow astern as efficiently as a conventionally shafted tug of equal horsepower, and handle barges unassisted on arrival and departure. The Glosten HT-67 was developed with input from experienced towboat operators, noted Capt. Peter Soles, a Marine Consultant at Glosten.

ZF Marine Krimpen is applying Subsea Industries’ Ecoshield hard coating to the nozzles and underwater components of its azimuth thruster units supplied to vessels operating in inland waterways. The Netherlands-based company, a division of Germany’s ZF Group, is using Ecoshield on thrusters supplied to a number of U.S.-based customers to reduce operational wear and tear in brown waters such as the Mississippi River. The solution was found in Antwerp, in 2015, when ZF approached…

In December, Marquette Transportation Co. took delivery of a new 2,000-hp Z-drive towboat from Master Marine, Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala. The 78'x 34’x11' St. Matthias was designed by Entech Designs, La. for Marquette’s river division, based in Paducah, Ky. The vessel features increased crew capacity of nine personnel in five staterooms with 3.5 bathrooms. The steel-hulled St. Matthias is powered by a pair of Thompson Power Systems Caterpillar C32 Tier 3 1,000-hp engines at 1,800 rpm connected to ZF Marine ZF AT 5111WM-FP Z-drives with 1,650 mm (65") four-bladed propellers in nozzles.

ZF Marine, the marine business unit of the global ZF Group, said it has secured a new location for its Gulf of Mexico/Inland Waterway sales and service operations. The company opened its wholly owned location in the greater New Orleans area in late 1996, the first satellite location outside of ZF’s North American marine headquarters. The location was established to provide close support for the commercial vessel industry in the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty years later, ZF Marine’s growing presence in the Inland Waterway…

Marquette Transportation Co. has taken delivery of a new 2,000-hp Z-drive towboat from Master Marine, Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala. The 78'x 34’x11' St. Simon was designed by Entech Designs, La. for Marquette’s river division, based in Paducah, Ky. Master Marine is continuing to build Z-drive towboats, with one more underway for Marquette with an increased crew capacity of nine in five staterooms with 3.5 bathrooms. The steel-hulled St. Simon is powered by a pair of Thompson Power Systems Caterpillar C32 Tier 3 1…

ZF Marine supplies propulsion system components for yachts, defense craft, high-speed ferries, workboats and commercial vessels, in a power range from 10 to 14,000 kW. The product portfolio includes a comprehensive range of transmissions (reversing, non-reversing and hybrid), propellers POD-drive systems, steering systems and CANbus-compatible, electronic control systems, azimuth thrusters, tunnel thrusters, bow thrusters and sail drives. ZF Marine is a global leader in marine propulsion technology.