Workboats News

One of the United States’ largest and most productive heavy-gauge aluminum boat builders has been humming along at its recently expanded manufacturing facility in Roseburg, Ore.Last spring, North River Boats added a new 33,750 square foot manufacturing building to house all commercial and large boat recreational fabrication. Additional remodeling of the existing factory was completed shortly after to expand small boat fabrication. The yard relocation of its canvas/upholstery shop and received new paint preparation bays…

Now more than ever, professional operators are opting to run outboard engines on a various small military craft, patrol boats, multi-mission workboats and other vessels that have traditionally been powered by small to midsized inboard engines.Using engines that can be mounted on the outside of a vessel instead of those requiring placement inside the hull presents a number of advantages, including space savings on board, easier access for maintenance as well as simpler, quicker replacement…

Several companies within Japan's NYK Group have partnered to test the remote navigation of a tugboat in Tokyo Bay.The tugboat, operated by NYK's Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha Corporation, was equipped with a manned remotely controlled system and put to the test by NYK and its group companies MTI Co. Ltd., Keihin Dock Co. Ltd., and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS).During the trials, the tug was operated remotely from an operation center in the city of Nishinomiya, approximately 400 kilometers away.

U.K. shipbuilder SMS Group reports it has delivered a newbuild aquaculture vessel to a Tuna farm operator in Malta.The new vessel, Emmaya, has 24m LOA, 8.5m beam and a 3m draft, and it is built to the MCA-MGN-280-Catergory 1 (150nm from safe haven) workboat code. Designed by Walker Marine Design, the workboat will provide tuna harvesting and aquaculture/fish farm logistical and maintenance support services.David Azzopardi, Director of Fish and Fish Ltd, said, “This represents a major investment for Fish and Fish Ltd…

A passenger port in Zhuhai, China has created a new solution using aquatic robots for long distance line deployment.Earlier this month, Zhuhai Jiuzhou Port carried out a series of typhoon-proof reinforcement work for their floating barges. The staff used a small self-powered jet pump device called Dolphin 1 to transport a traction rope, which was attached with the mooring line, to the opposite shore 230 meters away.After the traction rope was transported to the opposite shore…

Canyon Marine Solutions has been approved as an authorized distributor for Thordon Bearings.The Virginia-based engineering firm will provide sales and engineering support to Thordon’s complete portfolio of marine bearing and seal products in the states of Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia.Canyon Marine Solutions, which officially began representing the company on April 1st has already secured a major order for Thordon Bearings. The company…

Two Danish companies have joined forces to test a novel workboat stabilizer for the first time at sea.DACOMA’s groundbreaking Airkeel-technology will be integrated on a 7-meter test vessel from Tuco Marine's ProZero workboat range to demonstrate heel compensation and optimization of roll damping in waves.The DACOMA stabilizer is based on the Airkeel, a submerged, air-filled flotation body mounted at the bottom of the hull. A computer-controlled mechanical drive system moves the Airkeel from side to side…

The NEXT GEN Shock Mitigation Solutions Workshop has been rescheduled to October 6, 2020. The program and format will remain the same and the majority of attendees have confirmed their availability for the new date at the Grand Harbour hotel, Southampton UK.Workshop Lead, John Haynes said, “Whilst we are living in challenging times, we believe it is still important to make plans for the future. Our focus is on viable innovation and using people’s time effectively. There is no…

When discussing the arrival of autonomous workboats, many – especially those developing the technologies that enable them – say it’s is not a matter of if, but when. In fact, autonomous harbor tugs are already being put to the test in Singapore, where authorities hope to establish the technological infrastructure to enable fully autonomous ship operations. In the U.S., an autonomous vessel was shown to be able to respond to marine oil spills.But is autonomy really the future?

UK-based offshore support services provider CWind has signed a long-term charter deal with Dalby Offshore for several offshore vessels that will support offshore wind farms in the UK North Sea.The deal will see CWind immediately add four new vessels to its fleet with the option of an additional two vessels later in the year.Also, CWind said it that supported throughout negotiations by vessel procurement advisor Colebrook Offshore, It has already chartered some of the new vessels…

Veecraft Marine, subsidiary of Paramount Maritime, said it has been awarded a tender from Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to design and build two twin-screw, diesel powered workboats.The 100% South African-developed, 19.5-meter (LOA) vessels, manufactured with 60% local content, will feature a 7.25-meter beam, fixed-pitched propellers and twin rudders, offering 15-ton bollard pull (short tons-force).

To enable a fast mobilization throughout the entire Rotterdam port without delaying a ship’s commercials operations, Hydrex dive support vessels are stationed in Rotterdam. These workboats are fully equipped with hydraulic cranes, winches, a dive spread and control room.This allows Hydrex to offer simple maintenance operations as well as repairs on all parts of the underwater ship propulsion system and the hull. Hydrex operations are class approved and carried out alongside or at anchorage while commercial activities continue without disruption.

Last month a Hydrex team removed a bow thruster from a 170-meter container ship. This was done during a stop in Rotterdam. The unit needed to be overhauled and the operation had to be carried out within a very short window that would fit the schedule available to the vessel’s owner.The team mobilized to the ship’s location using a workboat loaded with all the needed equipment. These workboats are fully equipped as dive support stations with hydraulic cranes, winches, nautical and communication equipment and a dive control room.

When it comes to complying with EPA’s Tier 4 emissions regulations, there’s no shortage of creativity emerging from America’s maritime engineering firms. Companies such as Hug Engineering are offering flexible, customized aftertreatment-based control systems that can assemble almost in modular like fashion. Other companies, such as ABB Group, offer battery-hybrid power sources to complement combustion power and avoid threshold diesel emissions. Engine manufacturers, such as Cummins…

KVH Industries, Inc., announced that AgilePlans Connectivity as a Service (CaaS) is now available as a regional offering using KVH’s ultra-compact, 37 cm TracPhone V3-HTS antenna. With data speeds as fast as 5 Mbps down/2 Mbps up, the TracPhone V3-HTS is designed to enable fishing vessels, workboats, and smaller commercial vessels to leverage fast and reliable Internet connectivity. The service includes new rate plans with no overage charges.The AgilePlans Regional service complements the AgilePlans Global service…

UPDATE [April 23]: This event has been rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will be held October 6, 2020. More information is available here.Devices, apps and digital are coming fast at sea. As simple and cost effective technology solutions become available for boats, the NEXT GEN Shock Mitigation Workshop brings decision makers together to highlight the burning issues today and identify viable solutions for the future.Repetitive Shock and Whole Body Vibration (RS & WBV) has kept scientists busy in recent years.

When it comes to the EPA’s recent proposed delay to implementation of Tier 4 marine diesel engines ‘in certain high-speed commercial vessels,’ where you stand probably depends on where you sit.On September 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection agency (EPA) proposed to delay implementation of Tier 4 marine diesel engines “in certain high-speed commercial vessels.” Specifically; EPA mentions three kinds of vessels: lobster boats, pilot boats and a third, more open-ended reference to “other high-speed vessels,” possibly including hovercraft.

U.S.-based autonomous marine systems developer Sea Machines announced on Tuesday that it has received class and regulatory approval to install its commercial wireless helm system aboard a class of U.S.-flag tugboats that support articulated tug-barge (ATB) sets, marking an industry first in wireless vessel control.The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) approval for Sea Machines’ SM200 follows a review of the Boston-based company’s technology and the system’s applications aboard ATB tugs, deeming the system satisfactory for shipboard installation and trials.

Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, the classic Maine boat designer and builder will build to Baltic Workboats design for the domestic workboat market.Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, the classic Maine boat designer and builder will announce at this year’s International WorkBoat Show that it has entered into the domestic workboat market as the Jones Act builder for the Estonian, Baltic Workboats wave piercing pilot boat, currently popular with Danish and Belgian pilots.How do you feel about taking on something as unusual as building a pilot boat designed and built in Estonia…

This month, listen in as Sean Fernstrum weighs in on how his firm arrived at its enviable market position, what comes next, and why.Sean Fernstrum is a third-generation owner of R.W Fernstrum & Company. He graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Scientific and Technical Communications. After college, he came home to Menominee, Michigan and began working as a Technical Writer at R.W. Fernstrum & Company. He has been President of the company for the last 8 years.

The commercial shipping world can benefit from greater range of communications and reduced satellite costs. Domestic brown water operators know all too well that’s easier said; than done. Until now.In the fast moving world of blue water, deep draft shipping, the availability of reliable ship-to-shore communications has been a non-issue for at least two decades. More than ever, they need it. These longtime users of so-called ship management software and now, sophisticated remote monitoring systems that watch over even the most obscure minutia on board far flung 1…

The environment in oil patches onshore and offshore alike has been challenging throughout 2019; worries about an economic slowdown – whether cyclical or induced by a trade war – have weighed heavily on oil prices, even in the face of reduced production by the big producers. Though storm clouds persist, there appears a clearing on the horizon.The fate of Offshore Service Vessels (OSVs) is, naturally, closely tied to the price of oil. Seacor Marine’s John Gellert, in reviewing its Q2 results, said: “Activity levels in the U.S.

Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics announced it has commissioned an SM300 autonomous control system aboard a HamiltonJet-powered workboat in New Zealand. HamiltonJet is now trialing this marine technology and has offered to provide on-demand customer demonstrations in the Southern Hemisphere.The combination of Sea Machines and HamiltonJet systems for commercial vessels will help enable autonomous control of commercial vessels executing nearshore or coastal missions. The integration of water-jets delivers increased maneuverability, precise station-keeping and even emergency stops. The internal nature of a water jet drive also increases confidence when running autonomously and allows shallower-water operation.