Vessel Builder News

Aluminium vessel builder Strategic Marine has signed a memorandum of understanding with Purus Wind’s UK-based crew transfer vessel owner HST Marine, to build three Brevity-class crew transfer vessels. The agreement binds the two parties to negotiations on a vessel building contract for the Chartwell Marine-designed 27-meter catamarans. The Brevity-class designs, launched in June 2022, are designed to serve the offshore wind support vessel market.The Brevity class CTVs, able to accommodate 32 people…

Pemamek has provided automated welding solutions to the shipbuilding industry for more than 25 years. Modular lines consisting of everything from simple robotic welding systems to entirely integrated plate preparation, joining and finishing operations can be built according to customer needs. But, according to Michael Bell, Sales Director for Pemamek LLC, the North American subsidiary of Finland-based Pemamek Oy, their systems are customizable for all types of vessels ranging from sub birthing barges…

There is an old adage that states that a repair yard can economically build new ships, but a new construction yard should never touch ship repair jobs. In my experience there is a lot of truth to that statement, and it does not mean that new construction yards are run by less capable people; it simply means that ship construction and ship repair and conversion are fundamentally different business models. Ship construction uses a script, while ship repair and conversion is improvisation. I will not drive the theater comparison completely home, but it has some validity.

CWind, offshore wind crew transfer specialist, on Tuesday announced the delivery of what it described as "the world’s first hybrid-powered Surface Effect Ship (SES)," the CWind Pioneer crew transfer vessel.CWind said that the crew transfer vessel, with 24 passenger capacity, was developed in response to an industry-wide push to develop and deploy innovative technologies that reduce CO2 emissions, while cost-effectively servicing windfarms located further offshore. "The CWind Pioneer…

Gas Agility is the world largest LNG bunkering vessel with 18,600 cu. m. MARKIII-flex type membrane tanks built at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. in China. The vessel is equipped with four sets of 8L20DF engines for electric propulsion and two sets of azimuth thrusters and a bow thruster for navigation. A Harmonized Control system for the thrusters is a key technlolgy for maneuvering safely and efficiently for berthing, unberthing, position-keeping and approach…

Norwegian offshore vessel builder Havyard will outsource the construction of the Atlantic Harrier platform supply vessel to its compatriot yard Kleven, as delays with other projects have put a strain on Havyard’s Leirvik facility.The platform supplier was first ordered by Fafnir Offshore in 2014, but Havyard in 2017 canceled the order as Fafnir was unable to secure a long-term charter or financing agreement.Havyard then last year won a contract to deliver the PSV to Canadian-based Atlantic Towing…

Norwegian offshore and fishing vessel builder Havyard Group said Gunnar Larsen will serve as interim CEO until the group finds a replacement for retiring chief executive Geir Johan Bakke.Bakke has been employed in Havyard Group since 2001, and he has been CEO since 2004.Larsen, who comes from the position of General Manager of the Havyard Production & Service business area, is Senior Vice President of Market & Business Development in Havyard Group and has been with Havyard for 12 years.He will immediately begin recruiting a permanent CEO, the company said.In November, Havyard Group announced t

BMT has introduced two vessel designs aimed at Taiwanese offshore wind operations.In March, BMT's Specialized Ship Design division attended an official keel laying ceremony for its new 36-meter service accommodation transfer vessel (SATV). BMT has partnered with high-speed commercial vessel builder Penguin Shipyard International (PSI) for the SATV as well as a new 26-meter crew transfer vessel (CTV).The SATV design aims to push the boundaries of wind farm servicing and maintenance activities to a whole new level and boost productivity, according to BMT.

The global towage operator Svitzer held a ceremony on the River Thames  to officially christened Svitzer Meridian as the latest - and tenth - vessel in its Port of London fleet.During a naming ceremony held on the River Thames with guests representing a variety of customers and partners – including vessel builder Sanmar – the 70 tonnes bollard pull Azimuth Tractor Drive (ATD) Svitzer Meridian was officially christened by representatives from multinational electricity and gas utility company National Grid Grain LNG, who are godparenting the vessel.Meridian, whose name was chosen to reflect Maritime Greenwich’s Prime Meridian longitude line – and Svitzer’s longstanding links with the local area – has been in operation at the Port of London since November 2018…

Marine News looks back at the past 12 months and showcases the best of North America’s workboat design shop and shipyard output. In a year where some stakeholders might not rank 2016 as the best of years in the shipyard or on the waterfront, we might disagree. And, there is plenty to write about. New contracts, deliveries and designs all combine to show that the collective workboat waterfront is moving forward, with technology, the environment and replacement tonnage requirements as the main drivers.

The newly built M/V Dan Reeves was commissioned in January of 2016 for the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Little Rock District. Built by Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala., overseen by the USACE Marine Design, the 95-foot-long vessel is designed to comply with proposed USCG Subchapter M Requirements. Power and propulsion is provided by tow Cat C32 WOSR “C” Rated main engines, giving 1,300 HP Each at 1,800-2,100rpm, along with two Thrustmaster TM1500MZ Z-Drives with 5.74:1 Reduction Gear Ratio. Fuel Capacity: 22,800 Gal. Potable Water: 7,500 Gal.

Aqueos Corporation, a subsea services provider for the offshore oil and gas sectors of the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific West Coast, announced the delivery of SPLASH, a Special Purpose Liveboat and Survey Hull to specifically address safety concerns with traditional methods of Liveboating. SPLASH is a purpose built vessel designed to address and mitigate inherent hazards associated with Liveboating. The vessel features twin jet drive propulsion, superior diving capabilities and is based on a shallow-draft catamaran hull and power plant that produces a rugged…

Sistac Victoria, a purpose-built RINA-classed, DP-2 monohull dive support vessel intended for service in Brazilian offshore waters has been delivered to Sistac Sistemas De Acesso S.A.. The vessel was designed by Incat Crowther in collaboration with the vessel’s builder, SeaSafe Barcos Manufacturados S.A. in Angra dos Reis, Brazil. Four Scania DI13 main engines driving Hamilton HM 521 waterjets through ZF 665 gearboxes supplies propulsion power to the vessel. Diver safety and maneuverability were key drivers in the selection of waterjet propulsion…

MacGregor has secured a winch package contract from Nam Cheong Limited group, a global offshore marine player listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited and Malaysia's largest offshore support vessel builder. Eight-point MacGregor mooring systems, with a 150-metric-ton line pull/270-metric-ton brake holding capacity, tugger winches and capstans have been specified for two new 500-men accommodation work barges being built at the yard. An option remains for two more barges. The 123-meter barges are scheduled for delivery in 2016.

Nam Cheong Limited a leading global offshore marine player listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited and Malaysia’s largest Offshore Support Vessel builder, today announced that it has sold two Accommodation Work Barges (“AWB”) worth approximately US$84 million (approximately S$105 million)  with the option to purchase another two vessels, to a repeat customer, Bursa-listed Perdana Petroleum Berhad (“Perdana”). In July last year, Nam Cheong sold one AWB of a smaller size, to Perdana, an established, major offshore marine services provider for the oil and gas industry in Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region.

Heavy lift operations offshore are an awe-inspiring feat, but an operation that requires consistent monitoring of man, machine and procedure to ensure they are conducted in as an efficient and safe manner as possible. Due to a growing focus on safety related to subsea lifting operations, DNV GL recently established a Joint Industry Project (JIP) to develop practical methods for reducing the risks and lifetime cost of steel wire ropes for subsea lifting applications, using an integrated systems approach.

The government has a plan for responding to your oil spill. Do you? In February, due to a collision between a tug boat and a tank barge, approximately 31,500 gallons of crude oil were released into the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River was closed down for two days and the residents of St. Charles Parish sat on pins and needles, waiting to find out if their drinking water would be contaminated. Thankfully, the drinking water was not affected, there were no reports of serious environmental damage and the River re-opened several days after the closure. It doesn’t always and happily, however. Unfortunately, the potential for a spill like this is always present when operating vessels.

A series of new MacGregor offshore winch orders, secured in October, will serve the strong demand for maintenance, hook-up and commissioning services for existing oil platforms within the shallow water region of the Malay basin, says Francis Wong, Director, Segment Sales and Marketing, Offshore. "As oil prices remain high and oil majors continue to invest in exploration and production activities in the region, this has continued to boost the demand for new businesses relating to these services," explains Mr Wong. "Consequently, maintenance work boats and barges are in high demand to serve the needs of the area's oil platforms, many of which are operated by Petronas and Shell.

The blowout aboard the Deepwater Horizon and the resulting oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico captured the attention of both the public and regulators. As a result of this incident, both the government and the general public have developed opinions as to how such an oil spill should be avoided, contained and cleaned up. Now, even a small spill can become front page news and your company’s operations and policies will be scrutinized by the government, media and the general public. As such, it is important to develop a clear response plan to a spill before one happens.

Fincantieri SpA, the Italian state-controlled shipbuilder, is among final bidders for a stake in STX OSV Holdings Ltd., the world’s largest maker of offshore support vessels, said two people with knowledge of the matter. An investment fund also made an offer, one person said, declining to identify the bidder. South Korea’s STX Group, which is seeking to sell its 51 percent stake in Singapore-listed STX OSV, may conclude a deal next month, the person said, asking not to be identified because the process is confidential. STX Group’s stake is worth $809 million based on yesterday’s closing price, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Singapore’s takeover guidelines require any buyer of more than 30 percent of a publicly-traded company to make an offer for the rest of the stock.

With the U.S. Navy funding construction of the future USS Omaha (LCS 12), Austal USA, the vessel’s builder, invited the citizens of Omaha to join in as their naval namesake takes shape on the Mobile, Alabama, waterfront. The next USS Omaha will be an Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a highly-utilizable, 3,000 ton modular naval combatant. This aluminum trimaran will be built by an Austal USA-led team, which will support the U.S. fleet as America confronts new 21st Century threats at sea. Austal USA President and Chief Operating Officer Joe Rella welcomed the opportunity to reach out to the citizens of Omaha. “The ship we are going to build has some big shoes to fill,“ said Rella.

1905- An Executive Order extended the jurisdiction of the Lighthouse Service to the noncontiguous territory of Guam Island. 1952- The Coast Guard announced the establishment of an Organized Reserve Training Program, the first in U.S. Coast Guard history. Morton G. Lessans was sworn in as the first member of the Organized Air Reserve on 12 December 1951. 1986-CGC Manitou stopped  the 125-foot Sun Bird in 7th District waters and her boarding team discovered 40,000 pounds of marijuana hidden aboard. The boarding team then located the vessel's builder's plate and learned that the Sun Bird was the decommissioned "buck-and-a-quarter" cutter Crawford. The former cutter and her 14-man crew were taken into custody.

Genoa Design International has completed the structural production work pack for an aluminum-built Canadian Coast Guard Buoy-tending vessel. Genoa Design's 3-D modeling approach used in the structural production phase of the project led to significant efficiencies for the vessel's builder, C&W Industrial Fabrication and Marine Equipment Ltd., located in Bay Bulls, Newfoundland. After initial team planning, the detail designers and drafters at Genoa Design used ShipConstructor production software to create a 3-D model of the Coast Guard vessel. The combination of C&W's engineering staff along with Genoa's off-site professional expertise and sophisticated software resulted in several benefits and overall, the process integrated well with C&W's progressive approach to lean manufacturing.