Latest News – Page 1072

  • News

    Oz builder considers trimarans

    2003-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Austal ships chairman John Rothwell has pledged a vigilant pursuit of technological advancements to ensure the company?s "leading role" in delivering premium levels of passenger comfort.Speaking about long term prospects for the company amid the current "soft market for large fast ferries", Rothwell said passenger comfort would always remain a ...

  • News

    Double sides and raised bow in ?07

    2003-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Just occasionally a meeting takes place where coincidental events that are making news headlines elsewhere focus the minds of the delegates more strongly on the agenda than they ordinarily would be, resulting in the passing of tough resolutions.The recent meeting of the IMO?s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) was one such ...

  • News

    Regasifying LNG at offshore sites

    2003-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Security is an unavoidable issue in today?s climate of terrorism derived fear and paranoia. Such security fears are strongly impacting development in the natural gas industry, particularly where gas comes ashore at receiving terminals. Many communities now view the risk of such plants, however slight, as unacceptable whatever the economic ...

  • News

    Sucking up silt in France?s waterways

    2003-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Toward the tail end of last year, Izar?s shipyard in Gijon, northern Spain, delivered a second dredger to the French national dredging company Dragages-Ports in Rouen. Named Samuel de Champlain, the 8,500m3 trailing suction hopper dredger is designed for harbour and channel entrance maintenance work in waterways controlled by the ...

  • News

    Two new shipyards ? different concepts

    2003-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Completely new shipyards are rare, but two yards that stand out are the Kvaerner Philadelphia yard in the US andYantai Raffles in China.While the Philadelphia yard has been designed primarily to build containerships, the Chinese yard has been designed to be flexible to accommodate a wide variety of vessels including ...

  • News

    Channel cruiser with elbow room

    2003-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Brittany Ferries? new flagship, Mont St Michel, entered service on the Portsmouth-Caen route in December last year and is claimed to be the largest cruise ferry to have been purpose-built for operations on the Channel. The 35,600g vessel represents an investment of $128 million and brings with it new levels ...

  • News

    Wagenborg acquires Chinese newbuilding

    2003-02-01T00:00:00Z

    In November last year, the Dutch shipping company Wagenborg purchased a geared open hatch multi-purpose cargo vessel on the stocks from the Chinese shipbuilder Mawei Shipyard. The nearly completed 17,000 dwt newbuilding had been ordered some time ago by an unspecified European owner as hull number 436-2 and will be ...

  • News

    Pipework options

    2003-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Much research has been done on the performance of various pipework materials when used on saltwater systems. Copper-nickel alloys have been specified for seawater use for over 50 years and are the materials of first choice for seawater pipework and condenser service for many of the world?s navies and merchant ...

  • News

    When repair won?t do

    2003-02-01T00:00:00Z

    When a vessel has been in operation for more than 10 years, several onboard systems may be well into their useful lives. The same applies to the propeller, which may have been repaired, cleaned and polished several times during this period. A modernisation could be in order, or even replacement. ...

  • News

    Timeline to disaster

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Eight days after leaving Riga, Latvia, bound for Singapore with a cargo of nearly 77,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, Prestige hit trouble off Cape Finisterre in heavy seas. Six days later the ship was on the sea bed, having been refused a port of refuge and defying all the ...

  • News

    Our picks of the year

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Here at The Motor Ship we above all take pleasure in writing about the ships which make the most innovative use of new designs and technologies. Over the course of a year there are dozens of noteworthy new ships taking to the seas, and it would be a shame if, ...

  • News

    No smoke from the OK Coral

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Alaskan air quality is set to survive a potential smoke stack choking later this year when Princess Cruises? latest luxury liner Coral Princess, delivered from France?s Chantiers de l?Atlantique last month, arrives in the state in May. The ship, like Holland America Line?s Zuiderdam (see elsewhere in this issue), features ...

  • News

    Zuiderdam launches HAL?s smokeless era

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The lead ship in Holland America Line?s (HAL) new five-cruiseship ?Vista class? Panamax series, the Zuiderdam, sailed on its maiden voyage, a seven-day Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on December 14.Although broadly based on the earlier Rotterdam/Amsterdam series, the Vista design differs in many respects. It has been stretched ...

  • News

    Semi-submersible with redundant DP and azimuthing pods

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    China?s Guangzhou Shipyard International has finally completed Tai An Kou, the first of two 18,000 dwt semi-submersible heavy lift ships it was contracted to build by Chinese company Cosco Guangzhou. It is the first vessel of this type to feature fully redundant class 2 dynamic positioning (DP) and azimuthing podded ...

  • News

    BECRUX State-of-the-art livestock carrier

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    One of the world?s largest custom built livestock carriers, Becrux, is fulfilling a design brief for delivering high volumes of livestock in first class condition despite a rocky start to its service life. The 176.7m nine-deck dual-purpose vessel, which was delivered to owner Siba Ships of Italy in May, found ...

  • News

    EAGLE VIRGINIA Speed log for efficient lightering

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    American Eagle Tankers? Eagle Virginia, is believed to be the first VLCC to be equipped with a Dual Axis Doppler Speed Log, according to the company?s chief executive officer Joseph Kwok.The Doppler speed log is designed to improve the ship?s manoeuvrability especially at lower speeds. It enables the captain to ...

  • News

    FINNMARKEN Twin Efficiency Rudder installation

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    While a number of this year?s selection of notable ships are included principally for their pioneering use of podded propulsion, this revolutionary drive is not the only method shipowners and equipment manufacturers are pursuing to try and improve and increase operational efficiency.OVDS, for example, opted to install two Efficiency Rudders ...

  • News

    HELLESPONT ALHAMBRA Far from a white elephant

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Three of four ULCCs ? the largest to be ordered for nearly 30 years ? were delivered to Greek tanker company Hellespont Shipping in 2002. The 442,470 dwt vessels were built by South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo. Their design is based on experience from existing ULCCs, incorporating improved construction standards. Scantlings ...

  • News

    HMS ECHO Podded first for Royal Navy

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    As the first Royal Navy (RN) vessel to be fitted with integrated propulsion and Azipod propulsors, HMS Echo represents a radical departure for the normally conservative minded decision makers at the UK?s Ministry of Defence and the Admiralty. Having successfully completed its sea trials, the 3,470t multi-purpose hydrographic and oceanographic ...

  • News

    LA SUPERBA Second generation cruise ferry

    2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The 50,400g La Superba, delivered in March by Italian shipbuilder Nuovi Cantieri Apuania, is the first in a new two-ship series of what its Italian owner Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) describes as "second generation cruise ferries". It is built to be even more like a cruise ship than previous cruise ...