Hull Form News

Silverback Marine has completed seatrials and commissioning of the OX series, twin Z-Drive equipped truckable tug earlier this month.The concept was designed to fulfill the vision of a truly tow-capable, tractor tug style vessel to the non subchapter M market. Traditional truckable tugs, driven by prop and rudder, are suited strictly for pushing, with limited maneuverability. The OX tug however, introduces a 25 x16 hull form with true tractor-tug lines, enabling the Schottel Z Drive propulsion package to deliver a whopping 14…

Spanish shipyard Armon has delivered the Fast Ferry Bindy II to Morlenn Express (Sogestran Group), a passenger catamaran of under 30 meters with a beam of 10.7 meters, designed by MAURIC. Capable of carrying 400 passengers at 20 knots and fitted with IMO Tier III-compliant engines, the vessel marks a milestone in the fleet renewal program of the Brittany-based operator.Appointed by Morlenn Express in 2023 as part of their fleet renewal strategy, MAURIC initially carried out a…

All American Marine (AAM) is currently constructing a sister ship to the Chugach Express for Phillips Cruises & Tours.Building on the proven performance of the Chugach Express, the new high-speed, long-range eco-tour vessel will operate daily in Prince William Sound and be homeported in Whittier, Alaska. Developed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design, this 84.5’ x 30.7’ aluminum passenger vessel features a semi-displacement catamaran hull.Equipped with a propulsion package comprised of four MJP 350X Waterjets…

Long-distance ferry routes form a key part of Japan’s national transport infrastructure, connecting the archipelago’s four major islands and littoral centers of population, commerce and industry.RoRo passenger (RoPax) ferry fleet renewal and development has been a constant process over the past two decades in particular, driven largely by freight demand in combination with the pursuit of cost efficiencies and in response to new legislative edicts and rising customer expectations.

Singaporean shipbuilder Strategic Marine has delivered a 27-meter crew transfer vessel (CTV) to a Taiwanese company for offshore wind operations in Taiwan.The vessel is based on Strategic Marine’s StratCat 27 design, which was developed in collaboration with BMT, and is intended to support offshore wind farm construction, operations and maintenance activities.According to Strategic Marine, the CTV features a hull form designed to enhance seakeeping, maneuverability and operational performance in Taiwan’s offshore conditions.

The newest addition to the Manson Construction Co. (Manson) fleet—the hopper dredge Frederick Paup—departed the Seatrium AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, TX, on Tuesday afternoon, setting sail for Mobile, AL.Representing Manson’s single biggest investment since its founding in 1905, the Frederick Paup—designed in collaboration with Hockema Whalen Myers Associates, Inc. of Seattle, WA and built by Seatrium AmFELS in Brownsville, TX—is the largest self-propelled hopper dredge in the United States.The 15…

Stena RoRo has ordered a new generation of Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) vessels, placing firm orders for two C-Flexer RoRo ships with options for an additional four, as the company moves to expand its offering of flexible and future-proofed tonnage for the global market.The vessels have been developed by Stena RoRo in cooperation with Italian design firm NAOS Ship and Boat Design and form part of the company’s long-term strategy to provide adaptable RoRo vessels capable of meeting evolving operational and regulatory requirements.“With Stena RoRo’s extensive experience and market knowledge…

Seatrium delivered FREDERICK PAUP to Manson Construction Co. Built at Seatrium’s Brownsville Texas yard, the Jones Act-compliant vessel is the largest self-propelled hopper dredger in US history.Key highlights:Largest in the U.S. – 420’ length x 81’ beam, with a 15,000+ cubic yard hopper capacityPowerful and Agile – Self-propelled with 25,000 horsepower, triple azimuthing stern drives, and twin bow thrustersSustainable – Tier 4 Wabtec Diesel-Electric Engines and an advanced hull…

Hydromover 2.0, an all-electric light cargo transfer vessel designed by Incat Crowther for Singapore’s marinEV, a business of Yinson GreenTech, has officially entered service in Singapore.Building on the success of the prototype Hydromover 1.0, Singapore’s first fully electric cargo vessel launched in 2023, the next-generation Hydromover 2.0 is now transporting light cargo to vessels anchored in the Singapore Strait waiting to dock at the Port of Singapore. The launch of Hydromover…

Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Japan Suiso Energy have signed a contract to build the world’s largest liquefied hydrogen carrier, marking a step toward the commercialization of an international hydrogen supply chain.The vessel will have a cargo capacity of about 40,000 cubic meters and will be built at Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Sakaide Works in Kagawa Prefecture. Japan Suiso Energy is the project operator for Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Green Innovation Fund Project…

ABS has granted approval in principle (AiP) to Seagate Space for their unmanned semi-submersible launch platform – the first offshore asset to receive AiP under the newly published ABS Requirements for Offshore Spaceports.The platform, designed specifically for remote offshore launch operations and referred to as the Gateway-S, introduces a new category of modular offshore spaceport infrastructure. Gateway-S can be configured for both launch and recovery as well as disassembled into container-sized modules for transportation by sea, truck or rail, allowing for multi-site deployments.

Strategic Marine has delivered two 42-metre next-generation fast crew boats to NMDC LTS, marking the company’s first vessel delivery to the Middle East offshore services provider.The Generation 4 aluminium vessels were developed in partnership with Prima Marine of Thailand and designed with Southerly Designs to support offshore operations across the region. Strategic Marine said the delivery strengthens its growing footprint in the Middle East market.The fast crew boats feature a high-efficiency hull form, hybrid-ready systems and a reinforced cargo deck.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding delivered the large car ferry KEYAKI, built for Shin Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. and Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT), at the Enoura Plant of MHI's Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the November 11, 2025. The new ferry will serve on a shipping route between the cities of Otaru in Hokkaido and Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture.KEYAKI is the first ferry in Japan to adopt the latest energy-saving hull form, including a Katana Bow and buttock-flow stern hull with ducktail.

Carpentaria Marine Services, a marine services provider in northern Australia, is expanding its fleet after commissioning Incat Crowther to design a new multi-purpose offshore support vessel.Construction of the vessel, which will be deployed across northern and eastern Australia including Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria, is now underway at Richardson Devine Marine’s shipyard in Hobart, Australia.The new vessel will be utilized by Carpentaria Marine for a range of services including marine construction, dive operations, underwater surveying and remotely operated vehicle operations.

China’s share of the tanker orderbook rose from 32.4% in 2022, to 62.6% in 2023 and then 71.2% in 2024. Its share of the container ship orderbook has shown a similar growth trajectory. The nation has ranked first in the world for new orders since 2012. Labor costs are about half of what they are in Korea and Japan, and China is the world’s cheapest steel manufacturer.Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO, says that during the past five years Chinese shipyards have built 50% of the ship capacity delivered, and Chinese shipyards now hold 66% of the ship capacity in the orderbook.

The Dominican Navy has received its second 85’ x 19.5’ welded aluminum Near Coastal Patrol Vessel (NCPV), built by Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark.Christened ARCTURUS CG-114 in keeping with the Dominican tradition of naming military vessels after constellations and celestial bodies, the new patrol craft was built at Metal Shark’s Franklin, Louisiana shipyard and officially incorporated into the Dominican Navy during a ceremony at the Port of Sans Soucí on August 31st.

Robert Allan Ltd. has been awarded a contract to design an AmpRA 3600 tug for Tianjin Port in Northern China.The AmpRA 3600 series tug will be constructed at Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd.The order builds on a successful conventional propulsion design for the same owner and shipyard, with two vessels of similar hull form in service.The AmpRA 3600 will have all powering from batteries, with no generator sets onboard, making it a fully battery electric and diesel free ship handling tug.It will be the first Robert Allan Ltd.

The Ras Alhekma terminal support/escort tug has been delivered to the Egyptian Navy in Alexandria, Egypt.The name, Ras Alhekma is a coastal region located on a cape along Egypt’s Mediterranean shoreline.The RAstar 3200-W series tug was recently completed at Alexandria Shipyard and is the first of series of five that are being built in the yard.The RAstar escort series tug features unique sponsoned hull form developed exclusively by Robert Allan Ltd., which has been proven to provide significantly enhanced escort towing and seakeeping performance.

Singaporean shipbuilder Strategic Marine has delivered next-generation Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) to new client Yeosu Ocean for offshore wind farm operations in South Korea.The 27-meter-long CTV is based on the StratCat 27 design, developed in close collaboration with BMT, and is engineered to perform in the various conditions of offshore wind farm operations internationally.It features a distinctive hull form for improved seakeeping, as well as FPP propulsion to enhance fuel efficiency…

NR Marine Services has commissioned Chartwell Marine to design a new crew transfer vessel (CTV) in response to client requests for a new class of vessel capable of supporting older generation assets, now referred to as legacy turbines.Chartwell Marine has developed the Defiant Class vessel, a 20-meter CTV designed to Workboat Code Edition 3 with IMO Tier 3 compliance featuring a step free flush forward deck, superstructure and modern furnishings and materials used in larger CTVs.The…

Sanmar has delivered two new azimuth tractor tugs to global operator Svitzer. Both will operate in Bahrain.Known as DELIÇAY XVI and DELIÇAY XVII while under construction in Türkiye, the tugs have been renamed SVITZER MANAMA and SVITZER AWAL by their new owner.Both tugs are based on the TRAktor-Z 2500SX design from Canadian naval architect Robert Allan Ltd and have an overall length of 25.3m, molded beam of 12m, least molded depth of 4.45m, and extreme draft of approximately 6.55m.Each tug is capable of achieving a minimum of 80 tons of bollard pull and has a free-running speed of 12.5 knots.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) for its next-generation 210,000 DWT Newcastlemax bulk carrier design.The innovative design features flexibility for multiple fuel types, including conventional fuels, LNG, ammonia, and methanol, enabling shipowners to adapt to current and emerging environmental regulations and future fuel availability.The vessel design incorporates advanced smart navigation systems…

SANMAR delivered a new escort tug to Greek operator NEMECA to join its fleet of tugboat proving services in the ports of Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Corfu and Kavala.Named GAIA by its new owners, the tug is based on the exclusive-to-SANMAR RAstar 2900SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd and is the first tug that SANMAR has built for a Greek client.NEMECA provides harbour towage, open sea towage and salvage services and can also provide vessels for anchor handling…