Propeller Systems News

It’s no surprise that waterjets are great for shallow-draft, highly maneuverable craft, but vessel designers are busting out of the old stereotypes.Vessel designer Aircat Vessels has developed a surface effect ship (SES) crew transport catamaran, AIRCAT 35 Crewliner, that can sail at over 50 knots and manage offshore transfers in 2.5-meter seas. The air cushion system from ESNA dynamically adjusts to sea conditions so the vessel can reduce transit times, reduce fuel consumption…

Finnøy Gear & Propeller has signed a contract to deliver complete propulsion systems for a new series of eight cargo vessels being built for the Norwegian shipping company Wilson ASA. The vessels will be constructed at Udupi Cochin Shipyard Ltd. in India and are based on a design from the Dutch company Conoship International. The project marks an important collaboration between Norwegian maritime technology, European ship design, and Asian shipbuilding resources.Finnøy's delivery includes a "twin in – single out" 2G42-60F gearbox system…

Finnøy Gear & Propeller has signed a contract to deliver complete propulsion systems for a new series of eight cargo vessels being built for the Norwegian shipping company Wilson.The vessels will be constructed at Udupi Cochin Shipyard in India and are based on a design from the Dutch company Conoship International. The project marks an important collaboration between Norwegian maritime technology, European ship design, and Asian shipbuilding resources.Finnøy's delivery includes a ‘twin in – single out’ 2G42-60F gearbox system…

HamiltonJet’s latest innovation – the LTX waterjet – has moved from initial design to commercial reality, with the first LTX36 jets commissioned on a 20-m passenger ferry in The Netherlands.The vessel Inselexpress 2, built by Next Generation Shipyard, is powered by twin LTX36 jets driven by Volvo D8 engines (313 bkW) via ZF gearboxes. During trials, the ferry comfortably met its predicted top speed of 23.5 knots, validating the LTX’s technical promises and its potential to reshape propulsion performance in the 20–30 knot range.Originally launched as a new design in 2023…

Hamburg-based GEFO Gesellschaft für Oeltransporte mbH had an oil and product tanker from its fleet of 148 serviced and modernized at the Strela Shiprepair Yard in Stralsund for the first time. The 99 x 14 meter oil and product tanker Brahms was docked at Strela Shiprepair's premises in the Volkswerft Maritime Industrial and Commercial Park at the end of May.Brahms, which has a cargo volume of 4178 tons, was scheduled for the so-called intermediate class, meaning that extensive maintenance work had to be carried out in the shortest possible time during its stay at the shipyard.

Sweden-based waterjet propulsion systems manufacturer Marine Jet Power (MJP) has unveiled its new X-HT waterjet.Designed for efficiency in low to medium speed applications (up to 35 knots), the X-HT particularly targets wind farm crew transfer vessels (CTV) but boasts wider applicability for various workboats, including passenger ferries, patrol boats and other utility vessels.“We are excited to expand our X-Series line with the High Thrust variant,” said Jonas Tegström, CEO of MJP.

A containership transiting the Pacific Ocean lost hydraulic oil and propulsion after its propeller blade cracked, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). A blade on the vessel’s controllable pitch propeller system did not meet manufacturer design specifications, the investigation found.The Matson containership Maunalei was travelling to Portland, Ore., from Anchorage, Alaska on August 11, 2022, for drydock repairs when the crew intentionally shut down the main engine due to problems in the controllable pitch propeller system…

Damen Naval has selected Kongsberg Maritime Sweden to deliver controllable pitch propellers and shaft lines for the four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates for the Netherlands and Belgium.As part of this contract, Kongsberg will supply four shipsets of its controllable pitch propeller systems and associated equipment including blades, hubcaps, hubs, and shaft lines.The four ASW frigates will replace the current Karel Doorman-class multi-purpose frigates. They will be deployed for a wide variety of tasks, with anti-submarine warfare as their main purpose.

Swansea-based HST Marine, a Purus Wind company, is using Reygar’s BareFLEET technology to understand and report on the performance of its hybrid Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs), and reduce emissions.The company currently has four hybrid CTVs in operation with three more soon to enter service, all of which have BareFLEET installed. These vessels are a mix of both controllable and fixed pitch propeller systems that take power from either a high-efficiency electric motor or the main engine…

Norway's Kongsberg Maritime has won an order for six sets of controllable pitch propeller systems from South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries for installation in six new 94-meter offshore patrol vessels for the Philippine Navy.Each propulsion set will consist of twin Kongsberg Kamewa Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) 86 A/5 D-B systems, as well as shaft lines, hydraulic power units, local operating panels, and accessories. The first shipset will be delivered in August 2024.The six new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) are part of a major upgrade to Philippine naval capacity.

Kongsberg Maritime (KM) announced it is dividing its propeller systems into three distinct categories, C-Line, P-Line, and X-Line.The ‘C’ in C-Line stands for ‘Configured’, and indicates that these propellers are configured within a pre-defined technical spectrum to suit customers whose priorities are short lead times and a strong performance-to-cost ratio, the manufacturer said. Numerous options are available within the C-Line propeller solution to fine-tune the offering further, presented in a lucid and straightforward manner which simplifies the decision process for customers.

Sea Change - America’s first hydrogen powered ferrySWITCH Maritime’s new 70-foot passenger ferry Sea Change is navigating uncharted waters as the United States’ first zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel cell-powered, electric-drive ferry.The pioneering aluminum newbuild, constructed by Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), has been completed and was launched this summer, though permitting of hydrogen fuel systems for maritime vessels is still being worked out with the U.S. Coast Guard.“Legislation and laws for passenger safety did not exist yet for this type of vessel.

In a typical year, the waters surrounding British Columbia’s Port of Vancouver host approximately 3,000 deep sea commercial vessels and 19 of the 35 ferries operated by BC Ferries, one of the largest ferry operators in the world. These waters are also home to a wide variety of aquatic wildlife, including the southern resident killer whales (SRKW), which have been listed as endangered in Canada since 2003.With vessel-generated acoustic disturbances identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as one of four key threats to the SRKW…

Belle Chasse, La. shipbuilder C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the new towboat Bowling Green to Kirby Inland Marine, L.P.The newbuild—the second in a three-boat series for Kirby, delivered six months after the first vessel—will operate it under a long-term lease from Hines Furlong Line.The triple-screw 6,600-horsepower towboat measures 170’ x 50’ with the pilot house eyeline measuring at 39’-3”. The Bowling Green was designed by CT Marine, LLC, based in Portland, Maine. The vessel’s design includes three Cummins QSK60-M main engines…

C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the new towboat Olive Parker to Parker Towing Company. The vessel is the first the Belle Chasse, La. shipbuilder has built for the Tuscaloosa, Ala. based company.The 4,400-horsepower towboat measures 147.5’ x 34’ x 10’-9” with the pilot house eyeline measuring at 33’. The Olive Parker was constructed based on a collaborative design by Parker Towing Company and CT Marine, LLC, based in Portland, Maine. The vessel’s design includes two owner furnished CAT 3516B main engines…

This year, despite innumerable challenges and setbacks, a great number of new U.S.-flagged vessels made their way into service. In addition to Maid of the Mist's new electric tour boats James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla featured Wednesday, the newbuilds highlighted below are some of the most noteworthy to come out of U.S. shipyards in 2020.DredgerU.S. dredging contractors have been adding tonnage in a big way. This Spring, Callan Marine added a significant piece to the U.S. fleet with its new Jones Act cutterhead suction dredge (CSD) General MacArthur.

Norwegian maritime equipment and systems provider Kongsberg Maritime has won a contract to deliver propeller systems for five F110 frigates, currently in construction for the Spanish Navy. The contract, with the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia, is worth NOK 200 million (22,1 million).Destined for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations, each vessel will be fitted with twin Kongsberg Kamewa Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) systems, developed for minimum noise and vibration throughout the system…

Belle Chasse, La. shipyard C&C Marine and Repair announced Wednesday it has delivered the first in series new 6,600-horsepower triple-screw towboats for Nashville-based Hines Furlong Line.Scarlett Rose Furlong measures 170’ by 50’ with the pilot house eyeline measuring at 39’-3”.Designed by CT Marine based in Portland, Maine, the vessel includes three Cummins QSK60-M main engines, provided by Cummins Mid-South, that are paired with three Reintjes WAF 1173 H/V reduction gears, provided by Karl Senner, LLC.

Rolls-Royce and the Defense Production Act Title III office will invest millions of dollars to upgrade the company’s capability and capacity for U.S. Navy ship propulsion components in its facility in Pascagoula, Miss.The DPA Title III office has already agreed to invest $22 million for equipment, with Rolls-Royce making an additional investment for building improvements, supplemented with support from Jackson County and the state of Mississippi.Naval components manufactured by Rolls-Royce at Pascagoula include controllable-pitch propeller systems, fixed pitch propellers, and water jets.

Shipbuilder China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) is building a new cruise vessel for owner Changjiang Cruise Overseas Travel.The CSC-designed vessel is intended for operation on the Yangtze River, the largest river in China, and is scheduled to enter service in September 2021.The 150-meter-long long and 23-meter-wide vessel will reach an operating cruise speed of 14 knots. It will accommodate 600 guests served by 150 international crew members.German propulsion manufacturer SCHOTTEL said it has been awarded a contract to provide azimuth thrusters for the newbuild…

At one time the most powerful lighthouse in the United States was Twin Lights in Highlands New Jersey. Today it is a wonderful little museum and right now it has a very interesting show of paintings by Maarten Platje on the War of 1812. One painting is called the Great Chase and it tells this amazing story of the US Frigate Constitution being becalmed off the New Jersey coast and becoming engaged in a rowing race to keep out of range of a powerful British Squadron. The Constitution escaped and went on to have her amazing victories that year…

The SCHOTTEL After Sales Team has carried out a modernization on two double-ended ferries operated by FinFerries. Both vessels, capable of holding either 14 cars or up to 60 tons of payload, were originally equipped with various propeller systems manufactured in different years. For the retrofit, the state-owned operator requested a tailor-made concept to allow the same propeller assembly to be used. At the same time, the solution had to be quick and easy to install.In each ferry, two SCHOTTEL Rudderpropellers type SRP 150 have been installed.

SCHOTTEL has been chosen as propulsion supplier for two new build Ro-Ro ferries under construction at Damen Shipyards Mangalia, Romania. Each of the vessels ordered by Canadian Seaspan Ferries Corporation will be propelled by two SCHOTTEL Combi Drives and two SCHOTTEL Transverse Thrusters. The new ferries will join the company’s first two hybrid vessels, “Seaspan Swift” and “Seaspan Reliant”, which were commissioned just over two years ago. Seaspan Ferries currently operates a fleet of seven ferries out of four terminals in British Columbia…