Robert Allen News

Chad Verret, a former executive in the offshore marine services business, has started a new marine consultancy called Verret Marine Consulting, LLC. The Louisiana-based company has offices in the Houston area and in Morgan City, La. and will be focused on areas such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, alternative fuels and marine based liquefaction projects.Verret got his start in the offshore industry nearly 40 years ago, signing on with Tidewater Marine as a deckhand in 1985…

On September 18, Portland Port held the official naming ceremony of the newest tug to enter the fleet, the Rupert Best.It was announced earlier this year that the new tug would be arriving at Portland Port following its construction in 2019. The tug was built in Turkey to a Robert Allen design, the Sanmar Sirapinar class ‘RAmparts 2200’ azimuth stern drive tug will improve and help support the port’s ability to welcome larger vessels.The multimillion-dollar tug entered service earlier this year shortly after the passing of Commander Best.

Crowley Maritime Corp.’s ship assist and harbor escort services group has taken delivery of Apollo, a powerful and maneuverable tugboat with the most compact size in the U.S.The tugboat has completed final outfitting at shipbuilder Diversified Marine Inc. in Portland, Ore., and will deploy soon to serve the San Francisco Bay. Like its sister tug operated by Crowley, Hercules, the Apollo was designed by Robert Allen Ltd. to be the nation’s most powerful tug under 80 feet at 78…

Svitzer, the towage operator that is part of Maersk, announced a 10-year extension of its marine service contract with Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd., a consortium set up to develop and manage the Sakhalin-II project, aimed at producing and exporting oil and liquefied gas.Svitzer has been providing towage services to the Sakhalin-II project since 2007, and the extension comes into effect in November 2022 to support the mooring of more than 1,800 gas carriers with a vessel fleet of four Robert Allen ice-breaking tugs and two mooring boats.

Abu Dhabi Ports has signed an agreement with Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd to develop the world's first fully autonomous commercial marine tugs.The tugs will undertake operations with SAFEEN, Abu Dhabi Ports’ maritime service arm.One of the primary advantages of the innovative design includes greater capability, as shifting the human element from on-board to on-shore, will allow such vessels to operate in far more adverse weather conditions. Furthermore, the new technology will help increase efficiency and enhance operational safety.Abu Dhabi Ports will work closely with one of Canada’s oldest privately-owned Naval Architectural and Marine Engineering firms on the research and development of remotely-controlled marine tugs that will be fully unmanned…

Albwardy Damen, the joint venture shipyard in Sharjah, UAE, between the Damen Shipyards Group and UAE-based Albwardy Investment, has received a prestigious Superbrands 2018 Award from Superbrands Worldwide, the world’s largest independent arbiter of branding. It pays tribute to the strongest and most valuable brands in the world through its publications and national marketing programmes. The winners of these awards were selected by the International Arbitration Board of the Award, made up of more than 4,000 marketing experts from the UAE business community. The Hamriyah Free Zone in which Albwardy Damen operates won the Superbrands UAE Award for 2018 for the second time in a row.

When markets expand niches are created, goes the logic. For builders of tugs, that market is “floating gas” and the expanding use of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, as a fuel. In support of LNG, there’ll be more oceangoing tug duty — the new floating storage and regasification units, or FSRUs, mean busier LNG carriers, and LNG cargo owners have an interest in tug escorts that share their “carbon footprint”. Still, new emissions rules offer ways to keep using refinery products, and the work of master tug designers suggests the new breeds of tugs are about more than fuel.

Rolls-Royce and Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey have signed a contract for the delivery of eight MTU Series 4000 engines for four new terminal tugs, including an option for a further four engines. The tugs will each be fitted with two 16V 4000 M73L MTU engines, each delivering an output of 2,700 kW (at 1,850 rpm). The MTU brand is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems. Sanmar and MTU have been working closely together since 2009. Knut Müller, Head of the Marine and Government Business Division at MTU…

Svitzer will provide marine support services for the Excelerate Energy FSRU at Bangladesh’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal. Excelerate Energy Bangladesh Limited awarded Svitzer the 15-year contract following a competitive tender process. The contract also includes a five-year option. Bangladesh’s first LNG import terminal, located offshore Moheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal, will enable Petrobangla, the state owned energy company, to increase natural gas supply in the country by up to 20 percent, sufficient to support up to 3,000 MW of power generation capacity. The construction of the terminal will commence in the fourth quarter of 2017 and is anticipated to be in service by mid- 2018.

Harley Marine Services has welcomed its newest vessel, Dr Hank Kaplan, to its Puget Sound fleet on June 22. The vessel has a length of 80', a beam of 36' and a depth of 13'7" and is equipped with two 3516C marine propulsion engines that deliver a combined 5,350 HP. The vessel also features the brand new Cat MTA 524-T azimuth thrusters, which were specially designed for high performance tractor tugboats. Designed by Robert Allen Limited in Vancouver, the tug was built at Diversified Marine in Portland, Ore. and is a sister class vessel to the recently built Michelle Sloan and Lela Franco.

The Vancouver International Maritime Centre (VIMC) is on a mission to grow the city and port into one of the world’s premiere maritime centers. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently spoke with Kaity Arsoniadis-Stein, Executive Director of the newly re-established VIMC, for her insights on the pace and direction of the initiative. Let’s start out easily. Why Vancouver? Why now? Why Vancouver? Projections and studies indicate that global trade will increase and shift to the Pacific due to the demand of resources by China and India.

Bay-Houston Towing Co. announced it has contracted with Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Florida to build four new z-drive tractor/ASD tugs. The new tugs will utilize the popular and proven Z-Tech 2400 series designed by naval architect Robert Allen. The new builds are currently under construction with the delivery of the first tug scheduled in December of this year. The four new Z-Tech 2400’s will join their sister tug, the CHLOE K, which is currently servicing ships calling the Port of Houston. With eight z-drive tugs already in service, these four additional tugs will provide Bay-Houston’s fleet a total compliment of 22 harbor tugs servicing the Ports of Houston, Galveston, Texas City, Corpus Christi and Freeport, Texas. The vessels dimensions are: Length 80 ft., Beam 38 ft.

The myriad benefits of gplink are well documented. Remote Monitoring and Tracking company gplink bills itself as the most capable remote diagnostic tool available for high horsepower systems. In a nutshell, gplink monitors commercial vessels and equipment, allowing users to detect anomalies before they turn into problems. Remotely monitoring, tracking and troubleshooting expensive and far flung assets is now a mature concept, reaching all marine markets. Without a doubt, gplink is in the thick of it. Easily configured to monitor the data points that matter most to you, there are literally dozens of applications that can be safely covered.

FORAN has been used by the naval architecture firm ROBERT ALLAN LTD. in the review of the production design of 6000 HP Shallow Draft Pushboat, to be built in Erin Shipyard in Manaus, Brazil. ROBERT ALLAN Ltd., a Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Company based in Vancouver, Canada signed a contract with SENER Ingeniería y Sistemas S.A. (SENER) for the use of FORAN FVIEWER during this project. The 6000 HP Shallow Draft Pushboat was designed by ROBERT ALLAN LTD. for Hidrovias do Brasil. GHENOVA INGENIERIA & GHENOVA BRASIL are developing the complete 3D Model and 2D Production Design.

For its efforts to promote young employee development, marine insurer GARD has been awarded the 2014 YoungShip Young Corporation Award. The shipping industry is acknowledged as one of Norway’s key strategic industries. If shipping is to stay ahead in global competition, and solve tomorrow’s challenges, we are fully dependant on attracting the brightest brains and the hardest-working employees, in order to compete with other core industries for critical competence. As an organization for young professionals…

Rimorchiatori Riuniti bolsters Porto di Genova fleet with another Robert Allan Ltd. Rimorchiatori Riuniti currently operates five Robert Allan Ltd. designed tugs in its Porto di Genova fleet, including two AVT 2700 harbor escort tugs (Svezia and Inghilterra), one AVT 3600 offshore towing and escort tug (Messico) and two RAmparts 2,400W ASD harbor tugs (Norvegia and Spagna). The company has recently bolstered its Genova fleet with a new RAmparts 2400SX, 70 metric tons bollard pull tug, built by Sanmar Shipyard in Turkey.

Dometic’s HVAC systems fit right into the dual purpose of providing comfortable workboat environments while also protecting vital equipment. Both tasks go hand in hand and collaboration between parties is the key. An efficient and reliable HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system on board commercial vessels is essential. In difficult and often extreme operating conditions, the system will provide a comfortable and healthy work environment for crew and also protect vital electronic equipment from overheating and potentially breaking down.

Even if, as Marcon International’s Bob Beagle says, barges are the workhorses of the towing industry, then the pushboats that propel the 38,000 (documented and undocumented) deck, hopper, tank, crane and miscellaneous purpose barges to their destinations are the heart and soul of the most efficient – and greenest – means to move cargo known to man. This month, we take a close look at what’s developing for both types of hulls; in terms of design, markets, boatbuilding and everything else in between. There’s something happening on all fronts. The second quarter of 2014 finds North American shipyards and the service and manufacturing sectors that support them still roaring along. But, it’s not just production – it’s also about innovation.

Harley Marine Services has added the newest component to their comprehensive training program by purchasing the Azimuthing Stern Drive (ASD) Training Vessel, BRAtt, from Robert Allen Ltd. The BRAtt is representative of a modern ASD tug and was purposefully built as a training tool for the maritime industry. Its compact design is scaled to proportionately represent a full size tug with dimensions of just 25.6 feet by 11.8 feet and a horsepower of 450. The HMS BRAtt, stationed in Seattle, joins the diverse and growing Harley Marine fleet of 120 vessels.

Samson, provider of performance cordage announced that the prototype BRAtt, is equipped with Quantum-12, one of Samson’s most popular towing lines. BRAtt, which is the acronym for Burchett Robert Allen training tug, is scheduled to debut at the International Tug and Salvage Convention and Exhibition in Vancouver, B.C. this month. The result of collaboration between Ron Burchett and Robert Allen Ltd, the BRAtt answers the global need for cost-effective azmuthing-stern-drive training vessels for today’s commercial- and naval-ship masters. The BRAtt is designed exclusively by Robert Allan Ltd., Naval Architects of Vancouver B.C., and will be built by Adrenalin Marine Ltd. of Delta, B.C., which has been selected as the licensed builder for all BRAtts in North America.

Another Nichols Brothers catamaran joined the commuter fleet on San Francisco Bay in November. Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Inc., of Whidbey Island, Wash., delivered a Cummins-powered, 112-ft. vessel for service between Alameda, Oakland, and San Francisco. The 315-passenger catamaran, M/V Peralta, will be operated by the Alameda/Oakland Ferry Service, with the Blue and Gold Fleet providing maintenance and engineering services. As with the 27 other catamarans built by Nichols Brothers, the vessel was designed by International Catamaran Designs of Sydney, Australia. Commuter route for the Peralta includes the ports of Alameda and Oakland and the ferry landing on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

Captain John Long will assume the duties and responsibilities of Commander, Coast Guard Activities San Diego from Capt. Robert Allen in a military change of command ceremony, Friday, July 26 at 10:00 am. Captain Allen, who has served as Commander, Coast Guard Activities San Diego since 1999, was the Commanding Officer during several prominent Search and Rescue and Law Enforcement Cases. The most notable being the tragic Alaskan Air Airlines crash in January 2000 and the heroic medevac of two severely burned victims located over 500 miles off shore of San Diego. During the terrible events of September 11th, Capt Allen presided over the temporary closing of the Port of San Diego and ensured 100 percent vessel boarding compliance during the weeks following the attack.