Stern Thrusters News

The Coast Guard gets its first new polar icebreaker in more than 25 years.The Coast Guard has accepted its first new polar icebreaker in more than 25 years, but it’s not really new. The 12,900-ton, 360-foot Anchor Handling Tug Support Ship (AHTS) Aiviq was acquired by the Coast Guard and renamed USCGC Storis (WAGB 21).According to a Coast Guard statement, “On Nov. 20, the Coast Guard purchased the M/V Aiviq, a 360-foot U.S.-built polar class 3-equivalent icebreaker for $125 million in a deal with Offshore Surface Vessels LLC.

Houma, La. shipbuilder Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors has been awarded a contract to design and build two new research vessels for NOAA, for expected delivery in 2027 and 2028.The $624.6 million deal was awarded following a request for proposals that was open June–October 2022 and includes purchase options for up to two more vessels.The new ships will be less than 90 meters long, engineered to focus primarily on ocean mapping and nautical charting as part of NOAA’s mission to deliver tools and information to help mariners safely navigate the nation’s ports and harbors.

Finland-based marine engine and technology provider Wärtsilä will supply its hybrid propulsion system for four new heavy lift vessels being built at the Wuhu Shipyard in China. The ships are set to be delivered in 2025, and they will mostly be used to help set up wind farms. The vessels have been contracted by SAL Heavy Lift GmbH, a German heavy lift and project cargo specialist and part of the Harren Group, in cooperation with its joint-venture partner, Netherlands-based Jumbo Shipping.

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted the most notable newbuilds delivered in 2022. From sturdy and nimble workboats, to the first new Jones Act laker in a generation, each vessel on display showcases the industry’s engineering prowess and technological ingenuity, with the focus on improving efficiency in operations. The maritime industry has no shortage of challenges to overcome, and each of Marine News’ top vessels will, in one way or another, aid efforts to tackle them.Mark W.

Roger Fellows, owner of Western Marine Electronics (WESMAR), Arcturus Marine Systems (ABT-TRAC), and SmartCatch, announced Wednesday the formation of a new marine technology company, INOV8V Marine Group, encompassing all three legacy brands.Fellows says combining the three companies produces a more complete, higher-performing product line, with improved service after the sale.“Whether operating pleasure yachts or commercial fishing vessels, our customers demand performance, reliability and aftermarket support,” Fellows said. “INOV8V Marine Group is in a stronger position to deliver than our component brands would be by themselves.”WESMAR has been innovating since introducing the world’s first solid-state sonar in 1965.

Kongsberg Maritime (KM) said it has been commissioned to deliver an integrated equipment and systems package for an environmentally-responsible new bulk carrier project.The gas-powered ship – which can be fueled using either zero CO2 emission liquefied biogas (LBG) or conventional liquefied natural gas (LNG) – is being built for the Norwegian short sea shipping company Seaworks, utilizing a design which originated with Norwegian naval architect Polarkonsult.The mechanical aspects of KM’s scope of delivery encompass steering and reduction gear…

AvA Yachts is currently building M/Y Infinity Nine, the second of AvA’s Kando series being built for former NBA star Tony Parker.Parker visited the yard to witness construction firsthand, and to date the hull and superstructure are now complete with the final coating of the hull underway. All major equipment has been delivered and installed and the interior fit out has begun in earnest.An extended swim platform at the stern, a full beam master with floor to ceiling windows and a gym on the upper deck…

Dutch shipbuilder Royal Niestern Sander has delivered the hydrographic survey vessel ‘Geo Ranger’ to Geo Plus, after 14 months of constructing, installing, commissioning and testing.The vessel last month successfully passed its sea trials on the river Ems.The ship was designed together with Conoship International BV and will be rented out by Geo Plus to parties that perform research, such as dredging companies and companies that build and maintain offshore wind farms. The 41 meters long…

Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam has completed extensive annual repair and maintenance programs on three cruises ships operated by the UK’s leading independent cruise line Cruise and Maritime Voyages ahead of their winter season.The triple cruise ships are Magellan, Marco Polo and Astor.First to dock at Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam (DSAm) was the 222-meter, 46,000 GT Magellan for a four-week schedule of works that included comprehensive cleaning and inspections, repairs to the main and auxiliary engines, the overhaul of the bow and stern thrusters and the servicing of the liferafts. As work proceeded, additional repairs were identified, an occurrence that was shared by all three vessels.

U.S. ship owner The Interlake Steamship Company said it has ordered a new U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier, the first to be built in more than 35 years. Measuring 639 feet in length (78 feet W, 45 feet H, 28,000 DWT), the vessel will be constructed by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., for scheduled completion in mid-2022.The new River-Class, self-unloading bulk carrier is reportedly the first ship for U.S. Great Lakes service built on the Great Lakes since 1983.The Interlake Steamship Company…

With the ongoing development of deepwater pre-salt plays and a decreased demand on local content in tankers and other vessels, Brazilian national operator Petrobras and other super-majors have been looking abroad for better rates and reliable operators of shuttle tankers. Claudio Paschoa, Maritime Reporter’s correspondent in Brazil spoke to Peter Liew, Global Director – Mid Size Tankers, Crude Shipping, about AET Tankers’ history and its operations in Brazil.AET (formerly American Eagle Tankers) was founded in Houston in 1994 primarily to conduct lightering operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The company’s fleet grew to 32 vessels (mainly Aframax tankers but also two VLCCs) by 2003, when acquired by MISC Berhad.

The first vessel in the series will be the 20 meter RALamander 2000, featuring FiFi1 capability, pumping capacity of 2400 m3/hour and with optional foam capabilities. Vancouver based naval architects and marine engineers Robert Allan Ltd., and international marine technology specialist Kongsberg Maritime are collaborating on the development of a radically new remotely-operated fireboat that will allow first responders to attack dangerous port fires more aggressively and safer than ever before. Like other autonomous efforts underway on the waterfront, this concept tackles and solves the so-called “3D’s” – dull, dirty and dangerous – of workboat drudgery.

Kongsberg, Robert Allan drive the future of marine fighting. The first vessel in the series will be the 20 meter RALamander 2000, featuring FiFi1 capability, pumping capacity of 2400 m3/hour and with optional foam capabilities. Vancouver based naval architects and marine engineers Robert Allan Ltd., and international marine technology specialist Kongsberg Maritime are collaborating on the development of a radically new remotely-operated fireboat that will allow first responders to attack dangerous port fires more aggressively and safer than ever before. Like other autonomous efforts underway on the waterfront, this concept tackles and solves the so-called “3D’s” – dull, dirty and dangerous – of workboat drudgery.

Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar Shipyards said it has delivered Al JIMI 1 (Yenicay VII), the latest addition to Abu Dhabi Ports’ growing tug fleet, which already includes two sister vessels, Al SHAHEED (Yenicay IV) and AlHILI 1 (Yenicay VI), which were delivered by Sanmar in 2017. The Yenicay Class tugs are based on the Robert Allan Ltd Rascal 1800 basic design and are equipped to service both Musaffah Port and Zayed Port and complement Abu Dhabi Ports’ existing fleet. Management of these tugs falls under Abu Dhabi Ports’ Marine Services arm– SAFEEN.

Automated now; autonomous looms large in the center porthole. The word ‘autonomous’ is probably the maritime industry’s most frequently used term in the past year. The word, however, has a far different meaning than the similarly sounding “automated” – which means that certain processes are handled by machines, rather than by humans. Throughout 2017, industry thought leaders have been mulling over the new digital paradigms that are emerging including the ‘Internet of Things’ and/or the linkage of processes and machines – the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ – where devices talk to each other…

In 2018,  Shell's huge floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) Prelude, the world's largest vessel, will begin its job of extracting and processing gas at sea, reported CNBC. The 488-meter-long and 74-meter-wide floating facility left the shipyard in South Korea in late June and reached the Australian waters in late July. Currently, the vessel, which is almost one-third of a mile long with a deck longer than four soccer fields,  sits at its first location, Shell's Prelude gas field, around 125 miles north off the Western Australian coast. The Prelude facility weather vanes 360 degrees around a turret, moored in 248 meters of water. Three…

Abu Dhabi Port Company (ADPC) has purchased two newly built tugs from Sanmar shipyards of Turkey. The new Yenicay Class tugs, based on the same Robert Allan Ltd Rascal 1800 basic design-which are equipped with the latest technology and have a bollard pull power of 30 metric tons, will service both Mussafah Port and Zayed Port and complement Abu Dhabi Port’s existing advanced fleet. Management of these tugs falls under SAFEEN, ADPC’s marine services division. Designated Yenicay VI and VII the first unit will be heading for its new home with SAFEEN within a month…

Record hauls of wild fish, an unprecedented return on farmed salmon, finance and subsidy garner new orders, new designs and emboldened suppliers. In Scandinavia, particularly Norway, rich, carefully managed fisheries raise just one question for the commercially minded — which wave of business to ride. A growing number of large and small players are in on the action, as historic profits are heralded up and down the supply chain. For the hardened makers of gear that know tougher times, this is the golden age.

Cammell Laird shipyard informs it has reached the nine-month milestone in its project to build the U.K.’s new polar research ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough. The Merseyside-based engineering services giant beat off competition from around the world to be appointed to build the £15 0million vessel. The ship, which is the biggest commercial shipbuilding project in Britain for 30 years, has been commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and it will be operated by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), transforming the U.K.’s polar research capability.

The City of Amsterdam Fire Department has taken delivery of its new firefighting vessel: the Jan van der Heyde IV. C-Job Naval Architects provided the concept design for the 17.6-meter vessel. Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld executed detailed design, engineering and vessel construction. The canals of Amsterdam are more than a world-famous tourist attraction. They also form an important part of the city’s infrastructure. For example, the interconnected system of canals has been long used by the Amsterdam Fire Department not only to access fires but also as a source of firefighting water.

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) has invested in a Full Mission Bridge and an Engine Room simulator for its training center in Limassol, Cyprus, allowing BSM to offer training for the career development of its own officers, as well as external training for participants in the region. Training will include STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) courses as well as tailor-made customer courses to the advanced level required for Deck and Engineer officers.

The Port of London Authority (PLA) has invested £250,000 to upgrade its ship’s bridge simulator, adding a full tug bridge simulator in a move that is set to enable a boost in port trade and helps terminals verify their expansion plans. The Thames is the U.K.’s busiest waterway, handling more than 45 million metric tons of cargo a year. For over a decade the bridge simulator has been an essential tool for training the PLA pilots who guide ships to and from their berths on the Thames.

RSC Bio Solutions exanded its EnviroLogic 800 series of biodegradable greases. The EnviroLogic 800 series are VGP compliant, biodegradable Lithium Complex greases designed to operate in severe outdoor environments and withstand corrosion. RSC Bio Solutions is introducing EnviroLogic 800 and EnviroLogic 801 greases to further compliment the already established EnviroLogic 802, allowing the company to offer solutions for additional applications when specifications call for NLGI grades #0 and #1.