Joe Woods News

ABS Nautical Systems, one of the leading providers of integrated fleet management software for the maritime industry, announced another year of record growth in 2010. ABS Nautical Systems signed 83 new clients with a combined total of 1053 vessels overall. In the month of December, 18 new customers were signed – a number that roughly equates to a new contract signed daily. New clients signed across the globe include Chevron, Reederei Offen, Hapag-Lloyd, Donnelly Tankers Management, Nereus Shipping, Fleet Management Ltd., NAVSEA and Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company. ABS Nautical Systems opened new offices in Vancouver and Shanghai in 2010 to better serve each region, and will be announcing three additional openings in the spring of 2011.

Stricter environmental regulations and soaring fuel prices have vessel owners and operators looking for innovative means to drive their vessels more efficiently and cost-effectively. Shipowners and operators faced with mounting fuel costs and tightening environmental regulations are looking at a big hit to the bottom line, and savvy owners are searching for solutions that show promise to reduce operating costs and emissions. While everything is on the table — from modernized machinery to more efficient coatings — the recent improvement in communications alternatives between ship and shore (ie.

Seabulk Offshore Ltd., has selected ABS Nautical Systems SafeNet fleet management system for 14 supply, crew and utility boats operating in the US Gulf of Mexico. "The strength of the SafeNet system is the complete integration that exists between the various management modules," said ABS Nautical Systems' senior business development manager Joe Woods. Seabulk Offshore has contracted for the Maintenance & Repair, Purchasing & Inventory and Financial Reporting modules. "Data need only be entered once to be available within each of these modules, vastly simplifying the control of the fleet and eliminating the possibility of incorrect duplicate entry," said Woods.

Alliance Marine Services (AMS) has contracted with ABS Nautical Systems for an additional four modules from their suite of advanced SafeNet fleet management system software. AMS has contracted for the Maintenance & Repair, Purchasing & Inventory, Financial Reporting and Replication Manager modules of ABS NS SafeNet. This brings AMS participation in the suite of fully integrated software to six modules all utilized on their FPSO units and other vessels. The organization currently uses the Crew Management and Crew Payroll modules. AMS has been compliant with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code Standards since 1998. The company is providing marine support services to several Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in W. Africa as well as China.

New York based E-Ships, Inc., which operates four container carriers, has contracted with ABS Nautical Systems for five modules from the company's suite of advanced SafeNet fleet management system software. E-Ships, Inc. has contracted for the Maintenance & Repair, Inventory Control, Crew Management, ISM/STCW Compliance and Replication Manager modules of ABS NS SafeNet. According to ABS NS Senior Business Developer Joe Woods, this contract from E-Ships, Inc. is part of a growing trend by operators looking to replace in-house developed systems with a more powerful and fully integrated suite of IT products.

Three Vericor Power Systems' TF50 marine aeroderivative gas turbines have been selected to power the 118 Wallypower high-speed yacht being built by Intermarine Shipyard, Sarzana, Italy for Wally Yacht. This is Wally Yacht's first foray into high-speed power yachts, and the company's initial application of gas turbines. Wally Yacht, based in Monte Carlo, Monaco, is a world-renowned designer of high-speed sailing and power yachts. The 118-ft. yacht will feature three TF50 gas turbines in a Combined Diesel Or Gas (CODOG) turbine configuration. Two TF50s will be used as side or "wing" engines, with one small auxiliary diesel engine connected to each wing engine. The diesels will provide for very slow maneuvering only.

ABS Nautical Systems has installed its entire suite of leading fleet management software at the Maine Maritime Academy. The software will be installed aboard the training ship "T/V State of Maine" as well as used by the Academy to manage its various other waterfront assets. The powerful suite of integrated modules includes: Maintenance and Repair, Purchasing and Inventory Control, Financial Reporting, Crew Management, Crew Payroll, ISM/STCW Compliance, Document Management, Vessel Drawings and Hull Maintenance. According to ABS Nautical Systems America's Regional Business Development Manager Joe Woods, the software will enable students to familiarize themselves with the latest IT tools installed with various operators around the world.