20th Volume, No.

32 1963 – “55 years tugboatman” - 2018 Dated 24April 2019

Buying, Sales, New building, Renaming and other Tugs Towing & Offshore Industry News
Distribution twice a week 14,450+

MIDWEEK–EDITION

TUGS & TOWING NEWS

A LBWARDY D AMEN RECEIVES MASTECH AWARD FO R THE NEW D AMEN

M ULTIBUSTER 8020
Albwardy Damen has received
an award for its innovative
design of the new Damen
Multibuster 8020 shallow
draught, multi-purpose vessel.
The award was presented at the
MASTECH international
marine technical conference,
held on board the iconic QE2
floating hotel in the UAE.
Albwardy Damen has been
developing the Multibuster
8020 offshore workboat for the
past two years in close
consultation with a number of
oil majors, operators and
potential clients in the Gulf
region. Over that time the size of the vessel has grown as clients have sought additional capability.
While the Multibuster 8020 is 80 metres in length, making it the largest vessel to be built at Albwardy
Damen Sharjah to date, it will also be available in 60 and 70 metre versions. The award was based on a
number of factors that make this vessel highly unusual. Its design draught of just 3.5 metres is
exceptional for a vessel of this size and makes it ideal for the shallow waters of the Arabian Gulf as well
as elsewhere in the world. It also stands out for having a deck strength between the stern roller and the
anchor handling and tow winch, 800 m² in total, of 10 or even 20 tonnes per square metre as standard,
in comparison to the usual 3 to 5 tonnes. The rationale for this is that it saves time and expense by
making the deck ready to take any equipment or fulfil any operation without further modification,
whether it be the installation of a walk-to-work gangway, a heavy crane or a 14-metre cable carousel.
And that’s not all. Albwardy Damen has taken the innovation a stage further by specifying a
corresponding cofferdam below decks. This protection means that steel cutting and welding on the
working deck above can be carried out without draining and or degassing the fuel tanks first – an
operation that can take several days – and so further speeds up the mobilisation of new equipment.
Special attention has also been given to the working deck sides. These are free of obstacles over the full
deck length, resulting in maximum operational flexibility for the end-user. The design offers spacious
living and working interior spaces for 60 persons including SPS personal. The SPS personnel will find

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

that the design offers a dedicated mission control room, a client office / meeting room and SPS day
room. The design also has a gym with substantial head room, a prayer room, luggage store, a spacious
changing room with adjacent laundry room, a ship’s office, multiple stores / linen stores, and a spacious
multifunction mess room. The diesel-electric, DP2 classed vessel is outfitted with a retractable azimuth
bow thruster that results in low noise and vibration levels under DP conditions and good fuel economy
when standing-by. The design also ensures maximum visibility from the bridge of the foredeck and the
aft working deck. The working deck includes direct access to multiple large deck stores, a deck
workshop and two below-deck mission holds. The diesel electric engine room is prepared for the
future, and as such can be retrofitted with SCR systems and urea tanks. Additional options include
propulsion alternatives that can deliver a bollard pull from 45 to 95 tonnes, with the higher ranges
aimed at potential clients who have indicated that they would use the vessel for towing and anchor
handling. DP2 and a 1,000 tonne/ metre crane are also readily available. In all, the Multibuster’s high
levels of operational flexibility will allow it to carry out a wide range of tasks across the renewables, oil
and gas, marine contracting and dredging industries. The vessel design has also been prepared for
multiple deck equipment options including a 4-point anchoring system, A-frame, stern roller, dry
cement bulk capability, and with deck space reserved for additional auxiliary craft. The FiFi-2 classed
vessel can be upgraded to FiFi-3 or FiFi-4 with minimal impact on the design. The design and
engineering partner engaged by Albwardy Damen for the Multibuster 8020 project was the ship
designer and marine consulting agency OSD-IMT, which specialises in custom, one-off designs across a
wide range of vessel types. “At Damen we have been extremely successful with shallow draft
workboats, notably our Shoalbuster and Multicat ranges,” says Pascal Slingerland, Regional Director
Middle East for Damen. “These boats were originally mainly used in the dredging industry but have
since became very popular in the oil and gas industry as well. The new Multibuster is a combination of
the functionality found on both Shoalbusters and Multicats, but on a much larger and even more
versatile, shallow draught workboat.” (Press Release)

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A THOROUGHLY MODERN T UG BUILDING SPECIALI ST

Even though Sanmar Shipyards has an outstanding portfolio of proven tugs, primarily of advanced,
state-of-the-art, Robert Allan Limited design, the leading Turkey-based international specialist tug
builder is conscious that experienced operators often have their own preferences to suit local
operational practices and prevailing sea conditions. For that reason, Sanmar is including Design
Manager, Ozer Ilhan, in its personnel attending Tugnology 19 in order to highlight the company’s
‘custom-built’ philosophy. “I have some special members on my team who are not only fully qualified
naval architects but specialists in the field of computer generated graphics, a uniquely valuable tool in
demonstrating to the client how modifications to the standard model will affect the vessel” says Ozer.
“We recently invited Mr Tom Woolley, owner and managing director of the UK’s Targe Towing to
Sanmar headquarters in Tuzla, Turkey, for a session with our Mrs Ozge Abanuz so he could get an
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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

impression of how the new tug he had ordered from Sanmar would look when his special requirements
had been incorporated. Mrs
Abanuz joined Sanmar in
2013, to become the
company’s first woman naval
architect having obtained a
degree at the ITU Faculty of
Naval Architecture & Ocean
Engineering in Istanbul, the
country’s premier teaching
establishment in the field.
Promoted two years ago to the
position of project engineer, she is a fisherman’s daughter and a professional Scuba diver and maybe
her future was determined whilst at school when she built a scale model tug boat. Sanmar is a modern
progressive company and has for several years employed a number of female naval architects as a
matter of policy. As Ozge Abanuz explains, “People outside Turkey don’t realize that Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, gave women the vote a full decade before many
European countries achieved the same level of equality.” Some 200 Sanmar tugs are in operation all
around the world including Africa, the Middle East, Central and North America, Europe, Asia and the
Antipodes. The range includes both Voith and Z-drive tractors and ASDs. (Press Release)

Advertisement

PNS M OAWIN TOWED TO GADDANI

The 1964 built PNS Moawin

(ex-Dutch Naval Vessel AOR
Poolster) was seen under tow
of the 1984 built Pakistan
registered Harmony (Imo
8400945) of Seamax Marine
Services and managed by
Seaport International Shipping
– Sharjah; Emirates to
Gaddani. The harmony has a
length of 40.60 mtrs a beam of
11.00 mtrs and a depth of 4.81
mtrs. She has a grt of 599 tons
and a dwt of 537 tons. The

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PNS Moawin built as Hr.Ms. Poolster was a replenishment ship serving with the Royal Netherlands
Navy. Poolster entered service on 29 June 1964. In 1994 she was decommissioned and sold to the
Pakistan Navy where the ship was renamed Moawin. A later replenishment ship Zuiderkruis was
based on Poolster. In the Dutch navy she was replaced by the replenishment ship Amsterdam. She
was the first ship in the Dutch navy with inbuilt protection against radioactive fallout. (Photo:
Imran Farooq)

S ALT I SLAND WITH R AZENDE B OL UNDER TOW

The 2008 Dutch Neptune

Shipyard built Salt Island (Imo
9505015) was seen towing
Razende Bol assisted by Kittiwake
arriving Aberdeen. I take the
photos for my enjoyment and
share with anyone who is
interested in them. Please feel free
to use them if you wish. I thank
you for all the work you do in
producing the Newsletter. The
shallow draft multicat Salt Island
is owned by Holyhead Towing has
a Length of 24.50 mtrs a Beam of
9.90 mtrs and a Draft min working 2.30 mtrs. The two Cummins KTA38-M2 develops a total 2,600
bhp, each driving fixed pitch propellers in forward nozzles through twin disc reverse reduction
gearboxes, with keel cooling. She performs a free sailing speed of 9 knots and a bollard pull of 29
tons. The multicat is classed Lloyds + 100A1 SSC workboat G5 LMC UMS, UK MCA Workboat code
of practice category 1, up to 150 miles from safe haven (Source: George Saunders)

C-F ENNASUCCESSFULLY CO MPLETES F UG RO 1200 JACKUP TOWING

OPERATIONS

Leask Marine’s C-Fenna recently

completed the tow of the Fugro
1200 jackup drilling unit from
Harwich International Port to
Ramsgate. ABCO contracted Leask
Marine to perform the towing of
the Fugro 1200 platform with the
tug boat Duke of Normandy
assisting during the towing
operations. (Press Release)

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

Advertisement

T HAI N AVY T OWS H OME O F F UGITIVE A MERICAN S EASTEADER

Thailand’s navy on Monday
began towing to shore the
floating cabin of a fugitive
U.S. citizen and his Thai
girlfriend, both prominent
members of the “seasteading”
movement who face possible
death sentences for setting
up their offshore home. The
cabin set on top of a spar 14
nautical miles off the Thai
island of Phuket had been
touted as milestone in the
movement to build floating
communities in international
waters as a way to explore alternative societies and governments. Authorities have revoked the visa
of bitcoin trader Chad Elwartowski, 46, and charged him and his partner, Supranee Thepdet, with
violating Thai sovereignty, punishable by the death penalty or life in prison. The Royal Thai Navy
dispatched three boats on Monday to dismantle the structure and bring it back to shore for use as
evidence in the government’s case against the couple. “The couple announced on social media
declaring their autonomy beyond the jurisdiction of any courts or law of any countries, including
Thailand,” Rear Admiral Vithanarat Kochaseni told reporters, adding they had invited others to join
them. “We see such action as deteriorating Thailand’s independence,” he said. HTMS Mannai, a
landing craft utility ship, was expected to return to Phuket with the six-meter (20 ft) wide, hexagon-
shaped cabin by late Monday. Elwartowski and Supranee lived in the cabin for two months and left
before the Thai navy raided the structure on April 13. Their whereabouts are unknown, though the
government has said the pair is believed to be in Thailand. Elwartowski has referred requests for
comment to Ocean Builders, which funded and built the cabin, and the Seasteading Institute, which
advocates building offshore floating cities and originally received backing from PayPal co-founder
Peter Thiel. Ocean Builders said on its website the cabin was in international waters and beyond
Thailand’s jurisdiction. Thai authorities say the structure is within its 200-mile exclusive economic
zone and therefore a violation of its sovereignty. Joe Quirk, president of the Seasteading Institute,
said the couple had achieved a milestone for the movement. “They proved a single-family seastead
can float stably in international waters for less than the cost of the average American home,” Quirk
said in a statement. Elwartowski also conducted valuable research on ecosystems over the two
months the couple lived in the cabin, he said. “You can demolish the seastead, but you can’t

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

demolish the knowledge that was gained,” said Quirk, who is described by his group as a
“seavangelist” and an “aquapreneur”. Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat. Editing by
Kay Johnson and Darren Schuettler (Source: gCaptain)

N OBEL B ROS S HIPYAR D RE - LAUNCHES REFURBISHED PUSHER OTA-953

Rybinsk, Russia based Nobel Brothers Shipbuilding & Shiprepair Yard says that on April 19, 2019, the
pusher tug of the 758 AM series
OTA-953 was re-launched. The
towboat has completed the inter-
navigational drydocking and repair.
The scope of work included repair
of Azipod propulsion units,
detection of faults and repair of the
hull and electrical equipment,
painting of the underwater hull.
Main particulars: YB - 1985, M 2,0
Ice 20 A Class, LOA - 41.5 m, beam
- 13.0 m, loaded draught - 2.5 m,
light draught - 2.13 m, overall
height with superstructures (light
draught) - 13.77 m. Nobel Brothers Shipyard LLC (Nobel Bros Shipyard) based in Rybinsk of Russia
was founded in 1907. Today, this is the largest shipbuilding firm in the Upper Volga: the yard
encompasses 214,000 sq. km, the company's workforce is 500 employees. The shipyard specializes in
the construction, maintenance, repair and refitting of sea-going and river multipurpose vessels with
6500DWT, a length of 140 m, beam of 17 m and launching weight of 2700 tonnes. The range includes
dry bulk carriers, tankers, barges, container ships, timber carriers, diving support and hydrographic
vessels, harbour vessels, workboats, oil boom workboats; hulls of various types and modern
comfortable yachts. (Source: PortNews)

F OUR VESSELS OF ASD T UGBOATS BUILT FOR L IAONING

L ONGYUN S HUNZE T UG L TD . STARTI NG STEEL CUTT ING
On April 19th , 2019, series of
6000HP ASD tugboats, which built
for Liaoning LongyunShunze Tug
Ltd. by our company, were carried
out steel cutting. Our guests,
President Quzhi, General Manager
Tianye, attended the ceremony. It
symbols milestone of steel cutting of
four tugboats. Liaoning
LongyunShunzeTug Ltd. is mainly
responsible for vessels’ entering and
leaving port, berthing, berth
shifting, pushing and towing in all
berths of Liaoning HaihangIndustry
Co., Ltd. wholly owned by Liaoning

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

BaolaiCorporation. The four vessels are a significant measure of Liaoning LongyunShunzeto practice
the development path ofindustrial assembly, environmental excellence, resource conservation,
function matching and benefit maximization replying on the development advantages of industrial
assembly in Liaobinpetro Park and resource advantages of Bohai economical circle. (Source: Jiangsu
Zhenjiang Shipyard)

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ALP F ORWARD RE - ACTIVATION B REMERHAVEN

We are happy to announce that ALP Forward is
presently being re-activated. She is re-activated
from warm lay-up in Bremerhafen and will be
fully operational in July 2019. ALP Forward will
take back her place in the active ALP fleet after
being completely serviced, overhauled and tested
in the coming months. (Press Release; photo
credit: Christian Eckardt, maritime publication)

T OWING E QUIPMENT WITH THE C RUCIAL L I NK

The tug’s towing equipment is the crucial link between tug and ship for transferring the forces
generated by the tug to the ship. The link consists of various elements which differ by tug. These
elements are in the simplest versions just a towing bitt and towline or a somewhat handier
equipment a towing hook and towline. On most tugs following towing equipment can be found: -
towing winch; - fairlead; - towing line, and sometimes towing pins. Each element should be strong
enough or designed in such a way that it can cope with the forces generated in the towline. A
further crucial aspect is the towing point, the point where the towline goes directly to the ship, and
more precisely the location of the towing point which depends on tug type and operating mode. All
these elements are discussed in detail in Section 7 of the book Tug Use in Port, including new
developments and emergency release systems. The most crucial link between tug and ship is the
towline. When the towline parts the ship loses assistance of the tug. Depending on when, where
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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

and under what conditions of wind and current it happens, this puts the ship at risk. It should be
avoided by paying careful and
continuous attention to the
quality and strength of the
towline. A most important
aspect is the safety factor which
usually lies between three and
four times the bollard pull for
harbor tugs. A smaller safety
factor increases the risk of
parting, in particular with steep
towlines and in wave conditions.
Another very important aspect is
the stretch of a towline. Steel wire towlines were used up till about 15-20 years ago, although they
can still sometimes be found on a number of tugs. The lack of stretch of a steel wire towline was
often a problem for harbor tugs. This was compensated for by a stretcher, which absorbs the high
peak loads in the towline. After the steel wire towlines conventional fibers were used for towlines,
such as polyester, polyester/polypropylene, nylon, etc. The advantage was that such towlines were
handier, had lesser weight and had much more stretch than a steel wire towline. However, with the
introduction of modern HMPE fibers for the towlines, the problems of hardly any stretch and
consequently high peak loads in the relatively short towlines of harbor tugs were back. Various
methods are used to introduce somewhat more stretch, such as for instance pennants made of nylon
or polyester. Modern winches have load reducing systems. The line tension can be set between a
maximum and minimum value, e.g. between 20 and 60 tons. The question is, however, whether the
towline load measuring system and the winch are fast enough to react adequately to peaks in the
towline. If not, high loads will occur again which could damage the towing winch, fairleads and
ship’s deck equipment. With respect to render-recovery winches a further aspect requiring
attention is the friction in the towing staple and the consequences of it. Please see:
http://www.imcgroup.nl/downloads/Towline_Friction_and_its_Consequences.pdf This is just one
side of the story. The other side is that strength of present deck equipment on ships to be assisted by
tugs is often not strong enough
to cope with the high forces
generated in the towlines by the
present powerful tugs.
Therefore, rules and regulations
should be made in line with
current practices. In addition,
with the coming of fibers for
towlines, the towline market has
become rather complicated.
Various rope types are on the
market, all with different
characteristics and different
brand names. Much knowledge
and experience is needed to find
the correct type of towline for
tugs and their working conditions. This and much more, such as emergency towing equipment, is
dealt with in section 7 of the book Tug Use in Port. The large-format hardback book is illustrated

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

with a wealth of detailed diagrams, graphics and photographs. The book can be ordered at a price of
€45 at The ABR Company Limited www.tugandosv.com. (Source: Marex by Henk Hensen; bottom
photo Arie Nijgh)

ACCIDENTS – SALVAGE NEWS

F ERRY D OCKED I N I SCHIA W ITH S TRONG L IST
The "Don Peppino", which was
crammed full of vehicles and
heavy vehicles and full of
passengers, arrived at the port of
Ischia in the morning of April 20,
2019, with a dangerous listtoport
side. The case led to an
immediate intervention of the
Coast guard of Ischia which
opened an investigation to
understand how the ship , wich
had come from Pozzuoli, could
develop such a list. (Source:
Vesseltracker; Phto: Il Golfo24)

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C ANADIAN C OAST G UARD PATROL BOAT STI LL UNREPAIRED FIVE

MONTHS AFTER SI NKING

A Canadian Coast Guard vessel that sank in November last year due to an alleged act of vandalism
remains unrepaired five months after the incident. The Hero-class patrol vessel CCGS Corporal
McLaren MMV has since been refloated and is presently in Nova Scotia near the area where it sank
on November 26, 2018, the cost of its repairs still being estimated by the Department of Fisheries
and Oceans (DFO). The DFO has not yet provided details on when it will complete its cost estimate
but emphasised that most of the repairs will be limited to the vessel’s interior. Corporal McLaren
MMV had sustained only minor hull damage. However, the onboard electronics and other delicate
equipment reportedly suffered considerably greater damage after the interior had been flooded with
saltwater for a week before the vessel was refloated. The interior repairs will also involve testing of
equipment and replacing defective items which will then further add to the delay in cost estimation,

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

said Timothy Hui-Tung Choi, a doctoral student at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies of
the University of Calgary.
Meanwhile, the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) has stated that no
suspects have yet been
identified in the sinking.
Further, DFO officials have
pointed out the absence of a
fence or gate, the “unreliable”
surveillance cameras, and
other inadequate security
measures at the Canadian
Maritime Engineering
shipyard where the vessel was being repaired at the time of the incident. Investigators and the DFO
claim the poor security at the yard allowed the perpetrators to slip into the facility unnoticed and
cut the cradle cable and safety chain keeping the vessel in place, which in turn caused it to slip free
and slide into the water. Local media outlets have referred the security issues at the shipyard to
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), which awarded the repair contract for Corporal
McLaren MMV. PSPC is yet to provide an official statement in response to the enquiries by the
media. (Source: Baird)

O NE MISSING AND ONE I NJURED FTER FERRIES COLLIDE IN

I NDONESIA
One person has gone
missing while another
sustained injuries after two
passenger vessels collided in
Indonesia’s Sunda Strait on
the afternoon of Monday,
April 22. The incident
involving the ferries Virgo
18 and Windu Karsa Dwitya
occurred in the waters off
Merak in Banten. Virgo 18
was entering the Port of
Merak at the same time that Windu Karsa Dwitya was sailing out of the port bound for Bakauheni in
Lampung. The two vessels collided at a point two kilometres off the Port of Merak at approximately
16:30 local time. On Windu Karsa Dwitya, one crewmember reportedly fell overboard and one of
the passengers suffered injuries as a result of the collision. No injuries have been reported among
Virgo 18’s passengers and crew. Windu Karsa Dwitya immediately headed back to Merak to allow
disembarkation of the passengers and proper assessment of damage. The lone injured passenger was
rushed to hospital in Krakatau shortly after the ferry had berthed. Assessment of Windu Karsa
Dwitya’s hull revealed that the collision left dents and breaching on the foredeck as well as damage
to the starboard side bridge wing. The damage sustained by Virgo 18, which has also since berthed at
Merak, was reportedly limited to the stern. Indonesia’s Basarnas national rescue agency is
continuing its search for Windu Karsa Dwitya’s missing crewmember as it assesses both vessels for

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any sign of oil spills. (Source: Baird)

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S TELLAR D AISY S ANK DUE TO “C ATASTROPHI C S TRUCTURAL F AILURE ”

OF I TS H ULL

A catastrophic structural
failure of the ship’s hull
was the likely cause for
the loss of the very large
ore carrier (VLOC) Stellar
Daisy, that sank on March
31, 2017, according to a
report by the Republic of
the Marshall Islands. The
hull failure probably
began in No 2 Port Water
Ballast Tank (WBT) of the
266,141 dwt vessel, owned
by Polaris Shipping and converted from a very large crude carrier in 2008 under the supervision of

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

the Korean Register. Findings of the report indicate that the structural failure was most likely a
result of a combination of factors, including the strength of the ship’s structure being compromised
over time due to material fatigue, corrosion, unidentified structural defects, multi-port loading and
the forces imposed on the hull as a result of conditions Stellar Daisy encountered between March 29
– 31, 2017. KR noted that it agrees with most of the findings, including that the fatigue cracking was
probably undetectable by visual inspection prior to the sinking, but added that there are areas areas
of the report that are directed specifically at KR which require further explanation. Material fatigue
The report states that KR’s review and approval of the conversion design was based on the
assumption that all of the scantlings, including those from when the ship was constructed as a VLCC
in 1993, were as original and did not take into account material fatigue. The basis for this
assumption was that the Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which was conducted in accordance with
the requirements of the KR Rules for Steel Ships, took into consideration allowable stress, corrosion,
and stresses due to local notch effect. KR commented that the report correctly states that the FEA
and fatigue strength assessment took into consideration allowable stress, corrosion, and stresses due
to local notch effect. This is common practice for many IACS classification societies. An
independent review conducted by BSR (Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates) – the third-party hired by
RMI to technically review the conversion process – confirmed that KR’s structural analysis was
conducted properly. Failure analysis The findings show that although KR did conduct a failure
analysis of the damage to the transverse bulkhead at frame No. 65, it did not conduct a failure
analysis after an extensive number of cracks were identified and repaired when the ship was in
drydock in 2011, within two years after the conversion was completed. As a result, potential
weaknesses with design
details were not identified.
This is an indication that KR’s
monitoring and assessment of
the ship’s structural integrity
was not as effective as it
might have been. The register
explained that a failure
analysis is carried out at the
discretion of the attending
surveyor when, in their
assessment, a defect or
damage is “out of the
ordinary” and further scrutiny
is required. The RMI report correctly states that a failure analysis of the damage to the transverse
bulkhead at frame No. 65 was conducted as it was determined by the attending surveyor to be “out
of the ordinary” and similar damage was not found in other parts of the ship. However, the
cracks/defects identified and repaired at the time of drydocking in 2011 were determined to be those
typically found on board ships of a similar age. Based on this observation, the attending surveyor
determined that the cracks/defects were not “out of the ordinary” and as long as proper repairs were
performed, a failure analysis was not needed. Reporting to flag Administration The report states that
the 2016 RO Agreement between the administrator and register requires that KR immediately
inform the administrator of “any dangerous occurrences, accidents, machinery or structural
breakdowns, or failures that they are aware of on a vessel.” KR did not inform the administrator of
the damage to frame No. 65 in 2016. KR responded that, as stated in the casualty investigation
report, a failure analysis was carried out to assess the structural integrity of damage to the transverse
bulkhead at frame No. 65, the result of which showed that there was no area of concern and proper

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

repairs were undertaken to renew the damaged part to its original condition. KR also examined the
surrounding bulkheads of Stellar Daisy as well as bulkheads on 29 other converted VLOCs to
determine if there were any similar defects, concluding that there were no areas of concern. As a
thorough inspection and comprehensive repairs were undertaken and KR determined that there was
no “dangerous” structural issue that warranted reporting to the flag Administration. However,
mindful of the recommendations in the report, the Korean Register said it plans to review its
reporting procedures to avoid any future misunderstandings. The 1993-built vessel sank in the South
Atlantic Ocean while transporting 260,000 tons of iron ore from Brazil to China. Twenty-two of the
24 crew, that include eight South Korean and 14 Filipino seafarers, went missing from the converted
ore carrier. Seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity deployed its search ship,
Seabed Constructor, to look for the ill-fated Stellar Daisy on February 8 under a USD 4.3 million
contract. Only days after starting the search efforts, Seabed Constructor located the wreck some
1,800 nautical miles west of Cape Town at a depth of 3,461 meter and managed to retrieve its voyage
data recorder (VDR). On February 20, the search teams deployed at the wreckage site found bones
believed to be from at least one of the missing crew members some 1 km away from the wreck,
Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries reported. The search vessel left the site on February 23
headed to Montevideo without recovering the remains, according to the International Stellar Daisy
Network. (Source: World Maritime News)

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DISASTER REMEMBER TODAY

L OCH S LOY 24 T H A PRIL 1899
It was during the early hours of
April 24, 1899, when the Scottish
sailing barque Loch Sloy, Captain
Peter Nicol, bound from Glasgow
to Adelaide and Melbourne with a
general cargo, met with disaster on
the coast of Kangaroo Island at the
mouth of the Investigator Strait,
South Australia. The barque, with
a crew of 26 and 7 passengers (2 of
whom were women), had overrun
her mark when trying to spot the
light at Cape Borda. She was too
close inshore and the light was

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hidden by the cliffs between Cape Bedout and Cape Couedie. In the darkness of the morning she
ran full on to a reef known as Brothers Rocks about 300 yards from shore to the north of the
Casuarina Islets in Maurpetuis Bay. The Loch Sloy’s crew and passengers took refuge in the rigging,
but one by one the masts broke and went over the side and all were hurled into the breakers. There
was little opportunity for anyone to save themselves. The ship had struck well off shore and only
four men reached the beach – a passenger, two able seamen and an apprentice. One of those who
made it to shore, soon died from his injuries and exposure. None of the survivors could later say
exactly how they got to safety; they heard the crash of the masts, and the next thing they were
aware of was the wreckage bumping about them in the surf. The Loch Sloy was built in Glasgow,
Scotland, in 1877. She was 1,280 tons and measured 222 feet 4 inches in length (68.68 meters); 35
feet 5 inches (10.8 meters) in breadth, and 21 feet 2 inches (6.45 meters) in depth of hold. (Source:
Shipwrecks; Complied and edited by Dr. E. Lee Spence)

OFFSHORE NEWS
N ORMAND S PRING ER AT A BERDEEN
Last week was seen the 2014 built
Norwegian registered with call sign
LAFT8 Offshore Supply Vessel
Normand Springer (Imo 9656656)
which is the former Sea Springer
now in her new colours arriving
Aberdeen. The OSV was built by
Zhejijang Shipbuilding under yard
number ZJ2022. She has a length
o.a. of 89 mtrs a beam of 19 mtrs
and a max. draught of 6.60 mtrs and
a deadweight of 4,459 metric tons.
Her main engines develops a total
output of 6,512 kW (8,732 bhp). She
is classed Det Norske Veritas - Germanischer Lloyd (Photo: George Saunders)

G RANDWELD D ELIVERS F O UR C REW B OATS TO KOC

Grandweld Shipyards, fully
integrated shipyard based in
Dubai, has delivered four
crew boats to Kuwait Oil
Company (KOC). The UAE
Grandweld will build six
pilot boats in addition to four
crew boats for KOC, under
the contractual agreement
signed in May 2017. Five
boats have been delivered
and the remaining five will
be delivered in June 2019.
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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

The newly constructed four boats were specially designed to meet the requirements of KOC, in
accordance with Lloyd's Register’s classification rules in order to provide the highest operational
efficiency and safety, and have been delivered promptly without delay. JamalAbki, General Manager
of Grandweld Shipyards clarified, “Our long years of experience in the shipbuilding industry have
taught us that every single day a ship spends out of the water leads to a great loss for the ship’s
owner. Hence, our commitment to meeting deadlines with our work is a core component of our
workflow." "Furthermore, our team that consists of more than 800 professional specialists, working
in the best shipbuilding and repair environment in the region, share the same belief as well. As a
result, we are proud to announce the delivery of these four new boats specially designed to meet the
requirements of KOC, a leading company with high standards and specifications to carefully pick
products, and trusted suppliers. We assure KOC that its confidence in dealing with us will always be
in place," he added. The delivered Crew Boats can carry 30 passengers in addition to three sailors,
and the accommodation cabin is furnished with two bunks. The speed of the boats reach up to 28
nautical knots, with a sailing range of up to 150 nautical miles. Each boat has been designed to
withstand the roughest weather conditions, ensuring safe transportation for crew members to their
place of work during their frequent hour-long commutes throughout the year. (Source: MarineLink)

Advertisement

EMGS IN LETTER OF AWARD WORTH UP TO $73 MILLIO N

Norwegian offshore survey

firm EMGS has received a
letter of award for a
contract worth up to $73.3
million, following the
previously announced
participation in a sole-
sourced tender a multi-year
acquisition contract.
“EMGS is pleased to
announce that the
Company has now received
a letter of award for the
contract. The multi-year
call-off acquisition contract, awarded by one of the world’s largest national oil companies, has a
minimum value of approximately USD 29.3 million, and a maximum value of approximately USD
73.3 million, over a two-year period,” EMGS said. Based on current acquisition estimates, EMGS
expects that all or a substantial part of the minimum contract value will be recognized in 2019. “The

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

company expects that final contract execution will take place within approx. three weeks,” EMGS
said. EMGS will mobilize the Atlantic Guardian for the project. Bjørn Petter Lindhom, CEO of
EMGS, said: “This letter of award from a repeat customer, together with the on-going proprietary
acquisition in south-east Asia, has secured backlog for both of the company’s vessels, providing a
sound basis for two-vessel operation for the company in 2019. “It also gives us confidence that our
strategy of integrating CSEM [controlled-source electromagnetic] into oil companies’ exploration
workflow is on the right track. More and more oil companies’ realize that CSEM is an important tool
for reducing exploration risk and cost, with an attractive ROI when used correctly.” (Source:
Offshore Energy Today)

S UPPORT V ESSEL D ELI VERED TO O CEANEERING

Oceaneering International
announced Monday that it has
taken delivery of a newbuild
subsea construction support
vessel, Ocean Evolution, built by
BAE Systems in the US. The US-
flagged, Jones Act-compliant
multi-service vessel (MSV) has
completed sea trials and received
all necessary ABS and U.S. Coast
Guard certifications and is
currently in Port Fourchon, La.,
completing final outfitting and
preparing for project work
scheduled to begin in June. Oceaneering said the vessel is designed to serve deepwater stimulation
and intervention needs with its well stimulation and well intervention design, ABS Well
Stimulation and Well Intervention (WS/WI) ready notation and under deck capacity to store special
products. Its capabilities are headlined by its 250-metric-ton active heave compensated (AHC) crane,
two work-class remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) with AHC launch systems, survey
systems and subsea tooling all built for work in up to 4,000-meter water depths. Mike Ellis, Vice
President, Subsea Projects, said, “The Ocean Evolution is a world class vessel ready to service the
construction and intervention needs of our customers in deepwater. We are excited about the
upcoming integrated services that will be provided with this vessel when combined with
Oceaneering’s portfolio of subsea products and services. This combination will provide unmatched
productivity, safety, and value for many years to come.” Measuring 108 meters long, 22 meters wide
and Light Ship weight 6,900 tons, Ocean Evolution is a DP2 subsea MSV with accommodations for
110 persons, helideck and a working moonpool measuring 7 meters x 7 meters. It is equipped to
provide installation services for subsea tiebacks, solutions for subsea maintenance, repair and
decommissioning and well stimulation and light well intervention services, Oceaneering said. The
vessel’s 1,170-square-meter steel-constructed deck is designed to carry heavy loads and equipment,
which accommodates a wide variety of missions. The deck is rated to support 10 metric tons per
square meter, with a total cargo carrying capacity of 1,900 metric tons. The steel deck and on deck
utilities including water, power, fuel and communications enables easier and faster loading, welding
tie down and hook up of specialized deck equipment equipment during project mobilizations and
demobilizations. The vessel’s 250-metric-ton AHC main crane offers a 4,000 meters working depth
capacity and has a special lifting mode that allows heavy lifts with alternate reeving of the boom

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

eliminating the jib that provides increased hook heights of 36 meters above the main deck. This
provides the ability for crews to lift tall wellheads, large pin piles, and other oversized equipment off
the deck utilizing the maximum lifting capacity of the crane. A second auxiliary crane on deck
adjacent to the working moonpool is capable of 40 metric tons for lifting and handling of equipment
on deck and to water depths of 180 meters. Ocean Evolution features a unique layout bridge,
configured with port and starboard redundant control stations. These control station locations
provide bridge officers and dynamic positioning operators a better view of crane operations, ROV
deployment and simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) with other vessels and platforms on each side of
the vessel. Ocean Evolution is built with five low-emission EPA Tier 4 diesel engines with a
combined generating capacity of 16 megawatts on a three-bus system. The combination of five
engines and third bus provides enough excess capacity to allow full capability and redundancy of the
vessel if one engine is down for maintenance. Ocean Evolution features enhanced station keeping
capabilities, which allows it to maintain position even during extreme weather conditions. The
vessel’s position is held using two tunnel thrusters and a drop down thruster in the bow along with
two Azipull thrusters in the stern. Props on the propulsion systems can be turned 360⁰ and were
designed to optimize dynamic positioning of the vessel. The vessel achieved an ERN station keeping
reliability rating of 99.99.99.99 which is the highest rating possible further proving the ability of the
vessel to keep station in difficult conditions. The vessels design and construction was done with well
stimulation and light well intervention in mind as a key capability. The underdeck storage capacity
of up to 413 cubic meters of special products maximizes use of the critical deck space for pumping
and intervention equipment. The vessel layout and safety systems meet ABS class requirements for a
special well stimulation and well intervention notation. The vessel is equipped with two
Oceaneering work class ROV systems. One 220-horsepower Millennium Plus and one 250-
horsepower NEXXUS systems are on board, each with active heave compensated launch and
recovery systems installed in a custom indoor hanger for port and starboard launch. Integrated
survey and communication systems round out permanently installed equipment that provide
positioning and data services for all operations. (Source: MarineLink)

Advertisement

P ETROBRAS AWARDS FIVE - YEAR DEAL TO OOS FLOTEL

Dutch offshore services provider OOS International has been awarded a five-year contract for the
flotel OOS Tiradentes by Petrobras. The new contract will start in 3Q/4Q of 2019, OOS International
said on Tuesday. OOS Tiradentes, named after a national Brazilian hero who fought for
independence, has been working in Brazil for Petrobras since its delivery and its current contact will
end later this year. “The new awarded contract is a result of excellent performance, competitive
pricing, strong local support and contract management,” OOS stated. The company also said: “OOS
International and CIMC Raffles are delighted to further strengthen their long and successful

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relationship with Petrobras, a highly valued customer and partner in an important industry.” The
OOS Tiradentes flotel was built
by China’s shipbuilder Yantai
CIMC Raffles and delivered in
February 2018. The OOS
Tiradentes is a self-propelled
unit equipped with electrical
driven cranes with a capacity up
to 2x 60T and accommodation
for 600 persons on board
designed for maintenance and
installation operations on
worldwide oceans such as Brazil
and the Gulf of Mexico. This
vessel has a dynamic positioning system and it offers access through the Marine Aluminum
telescopic gangway connecting to the installation. (Source: Offshore Energy Today)

WINDFARM NEWS - RENEWABLES

N ORTHER N EARS T URBI NE I NSTALLATION F INISH L INE
Van Oord’s installation vessel Aeolus has
completed the installation of 40 out of 44
turbines at the Norther offshore wind
project in Belgium. According to project
developer Norther NV, the 40th turbine
was installed yesterday morning, with
the last load ahead. Aeolus began
installing the first MHI Vestas 8.4MW
turbines at the site some 23km offshore
Zeebrugge at the beginning of February.
The 370MW offshore wind farm
delivered first power to the Belgian grid
at the end of February after the first four
turbines were connected to Stevin, Elia’s
new high-voltage station. Norther is
expected to be commissioned this
summer when it will become the largest
offshore wind farm in Belgian waters. It
is also the first Belgian wind farm to
feature turbines with 8MW+ individual capacity. (Source: Offshore Wind)

B ALTI C P OWER D EPLOYS L I DAR O FFSHORE P OLAND

Baltic Power, part of Orlen Group, has deployed a floating LiDAR at its offshore wind farm license
area in the Polish Baltic Sea. The LiDAR will study environmental impacts and wind conditions
which are expected to help assess the potential for the development of Baltic Power’s project with a
capacity of up to 1,200MW. The device is installed in the central part of the project site, some 30km

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

from the coast in the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone, and will measure the wind speed, direction,
strength and turbulence. It
will also measure air
temperature and humidity,
atmospheric pressure,
electrolytic conductivity and
water flow directions.
According to Jarosław
Dybowski, PKN ORLEAN
Executive Director for
Energy, the data will also be
used as a basis for deciding
on possible financing. The
agreement to conduct
environmental and wind surveys was signed at the beginning of the year with a consortium
comprising MEWO S.A. and the Maritime Institute of Gdańsk. (Source: Offshore Wind)

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DREDGING NEWS
AEM H IGHLIGHTS I MPORTANCE OF H ARBO R M AI NTENANCE P ROJECTS
The Association of Equipment
Manufacturers (AEM) has
submitted a statement about
the House Committee on
Transportation and
Infrastructure’s April 10, 2019
subcommittee hearing on “The
Cost of Doing Nothing: Why
Full Utilization of the Harbor
Maintenance and Investment in
our Nation’s Waterways
Matter.” In the statement, AEM
outlined the importance of the
health of the U.S. agricultural
economy to the equipment
manufacturing sector, and the many factors that influence it, including the functionality of the

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

infrastructure it relies upon to move product from farm to market. Specifically, the statement urged
lawmakers to utilize funds meant for harbor maintenance for their designated purpose, instead of
being diverted to offset budget deficits, as has been done. When these funds are not properly
utilized, critical projects like dredging are put aside, slowing down infrastructure modernization,
said AEM. AEM also highlighted the need to prioritize funding for the backlog of critical inland
waterways projects, including the outdated network of U.S. locks and dams. According to the
statement, “Our nation’s harbors and inland waterways are vital to the success of the equipment
manufacturing industry, the agricultural sector, and all sectors of the U.S. economy. We urge
Congress to provide the funds necessary to maintain and upgrade crucial infrastructure projects and
prevent future efforts to divert those funds to other government spending areas. Practical and
pragmatic efforts will help ensure that we reclaim the infrastructure advantage we once had.”
(Source: Dredging Today)

V OLVO A MPHIBIOUS E XCAVATOR S HAPING THE P OPLAR I SLAND

Maryland Environmental
Service is using a Volvo
EC300E amphibious excavator
to restore Poplar Island, a once
diminishing remote island
habitat in the Chesapeake Bay,
North America. Poplar Island,
located 34 miles south of
Baltimore, Maryland, is a
national model of
environmental restoration
made up of the Army Corps
Baltimore District and
Maryland Department of
Transportation’s Port
Administration (MPA). For
nearly two decades, the the
Poplar Island Project Team has used dredged material from the shipping channels that lead to the
Port of Baltimore to rebuild the island and keep the channels open. The island receives between 2 to
3 million cubic yards of dredged material per year. It has received more than 30 million yd3 to date
and will need 68 million yd3 in total. In 2016, MES purchased a new Volvo EC300E excavator from
local Volvo dealership that was modified to replace the standard crawler tracks with custom
flotation pads. MES now has almost 40 machines operating on the island, seven of them are Volvos.
(Source: Dredging Today)

YARD NEWS
S EA C REST : B UILDING FOR D OMESTI C AND F OREIGN C USTO MERS
Seacrest’s Managing Director Tavipol Hemangkorn receives guest in a board room decorated with
models of large crew boats, ASD tugs and a range of other vessels that his firm has built. Located just
outside the mouth of the Chaophraya River at Samutprakarn, Thailand the yard’s three marine ways
can launch vessels directly into the deeper waters of the Gulf of Thailand. They can accommodate
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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

vessels up to a 22-meter beam and up to 2500 metric tons. Outside the company offices an older steel
buoy tender is in for general
repairs while next to it a spanking
new aluminum crew boat awaits
delivery to her owners. Inside
one of Seacrest’s weather-
protected double building halls
the hull and superstructure of a
sleek 52 by 7.8-meter dive boat is
taking shape. When completed
later this year, it will have
accommodation for a crew of 24
who will crew the ship and
support the 18 passengers. A pair
of Cummins KTA50-M2 diesels,
each rated for 1875 HP at 1950 RPM, power the vessel in a medium continuous duty rating. The
engines turn conventional propellers through ZF gears to give a design speed of 20 knots. This is a
sophisticated vessel, as dive boats require compressors and other equipment to support the divers as
well as the comfort level suitable for tourists. In a fabrication shop, Khum Tavipol points out the
efficiency of the piping work that involved minimal welds and virtually no wastage of pipe. Such
precise engineering and fabrication is the result of Seacrest’s elaborate and extensive design room
where a dozen or more designers and draftsmen work at computers. The total vessel design, as well
as each individual component, is represented in three-dimensional renderings. Project Manager
Steve Tyler, explains that this allows precise representation of details, such as engine room piping, to
be drawn and set in place prior to fabrication. In operation since 1988, Seacrest Marine continues to
add to its impressive list of international and domestic customers. As Managing Director Khun
Tavipol says, with a smile, “Some Thai customers go to Singapore for their boats, but some Singapore
customers are now coming to Thailand and Seacrest.” (Source: Alan Haig-Brown)

Advertisement

D ERECKTO R LAUNCHES TH IRD HYBRI D

Derecktor Shipyards, Mamaroneck, N.Y. has launched the third in a series of 65 ft aluminum hulled
catamarans featuring BAE Systems hybrid technology. Derecktor’s first two hybrid cats were
research vessels, but this third vessel, called the Captain Ben Moore, will be the first hybrid cargo
vessel built in the U.S. It is under construction for Harbor Harvest, a Norwalk, Conn., based
company. set on changing the way fresh produce and foods are transported around metro areas.
Once in service, the Captain Ben Moore will carry goods from family farms and small producers in

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

the region across Long Island Sound, relieving traffic congestion and reducing emissions. The vessel
will have a top speed of 15
knots and offers 300 square feet
of open cargo space, 100 square
feet of covered space and 140
square feet of walk-in
refrigerated space. Total
capacity is 12,000 pounds of
cargo or the equivalent of three
to five full truckloads,
according to Harbor Harvest
founder Bob Kunkel. As the
third hybrid built by Derecktor
featuring a lithium battery
system at the heart of the
power plant, the Captain Ben
Moore further establishes
Derecktor as a U.S. leader in commercial hybrid vessel building. The shipyard, long known for
innovation in construction of yachts, commercial and military craft, has a commitment to the
development of sustainable solutions for marine transport. “We’re very proud of these boats”,
commented Derecktor President Paul Derecktor at the launching. “For over 70 years we have been
part of the maritime community, and playing a part in protecting the Long Island Sound and New
York Harbor environments is very satisfying. “It’s also been a pleasure working with Harbor
Harvest, a company that is pioneering the rebirth of clean marine transportation”. (Source:
MarineLog)

OSU EXERCISES OPTION FO R THI RD RESEARCH VES SEL

Oregon State University

(OSU) has received an
additional award of
$108.12 million from the
National Science
Foundation to manage the
construction of a third
Regional Class Research
Vessel and has exercised
an option for the
construction of the vessel
at Gulf Island Fabrication,
Inc. Each vessel will be
ABS Ice-Class CO and
DPS-1, Green-Marine
Certified, acoustically quiet, and carry up to 29 crew and embarked scientists. All three will be built
at Gulf Island’s Houma, La., shipyard. “I am pleased that OSU has exercised its third contract option,
enabling Gulf Island to have an increased role in the success of OSU’s marine research program,”
said Kirk Meche, Gulf Island’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We continue to move
forward with the engineering and construction of the first two vessels, and this third option by OSU

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

is a testament to the confidence of our customer in Gulf Island and our skilled craftsmen.” In 2013,
NSF selected Oregon State to lead the initial design phase for as many as three new vessels, and the
National Science Board authorized as much as $365 million for the project. Oregon State in turn
selected Gulf Island to build the vessels. OSU will operate the first vessel, the Taani, which will
operate primarily in the Pacific Ocean. Funding for a second vessel was approved in June of 2018,
and NSF selected the East Coast Oceanographic Consortium led by the University of Rhode Island to
operate the vessel primarily in the Atlantic Ocean. NSF has not yet chosen an operating institution
for this third vessel, although it will be targeted for work in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea,
and the southeast Atlantic Ocean. The new ships are critical to America’s research efforts, said
Roberta Marinelli, dean of OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences.
“Understanding the ocean’s resources and its role in our future is a national imperative,” Marinelli
said. “The Regional Class Research Vessels are state-of-the-art platforms that will add critically
needed capacity to understand nearshore oceanic process and living marine resources. OSU is
pleased to work with Gulf Island Shipyards, and on behalf of the National Science Foundation, to
build these revolutionary vessels for the academic research fleet.” Demian Bailey, project co-
manager for OSU, said the first ship is scheduled to be delivered to Oregon State in the summer of
2021, and will require a year of outfitting and testing before becoming fully operational. The second
ship is scheduled for delivery to Oregon State in January 2022 for similar outfitting before
transitioning to the University of Rhode Island. Construction of the newly announced third ship
should begin in November 2019 and be completed six months after the second vessel. About the
new ships: The vessel length is 199 feet with a range of more than 5,000 nautical miles; Cruising
speed is 11 knots, with a maximum speed of 13 knots; There are 16 berths for scientists and 13 for
crew members; The ship has the ability to stay out at sea for 21 days under normal operating
conditions before returning to port for fuel and supplies. (Source: MarineLog)

Advertisement

M OOSE B OATS CO NTRACTS WITH R O CHESTER , N.Y. FOR FIRE / RESCUE

CRAFT

Moose Boats, Vallejo, Calif., was awarded a contract from the City of Rochester, N.Y. Fire
Department for the construction of the first M2-38 Fire Rescue Catamaran to be delivered to the
Great Lakes. Main propulsion for the aluminum boats will come from twin Cummins diesel engines,
producing 425 hp each, connected to Hamilton Jet waterjets through Twin Disc transmissions. The
Rochester, New York Fire Department (RFD) has jurisdiction on the Genesee River and Lake
Ontario. The Port of Rochester is home to over 1,000 seasonal and transient slips including the City’s
new marina, the Rochester Yacht Club, several private marinas, and a cement shipping terminal.
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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

The port of Rochester is also a safe harbor of refuge for the main Great Lakes shipping channel that
passes in front of the port.
Rochester Fire’s new Moose
Boat will be equipped with a
fire pump system flowing
over 1,500 gpm of fire
suppression water to cabin
roof and cockpit mounted
monitors while
simultaneously maintaining
full maneuverability from
both propulsion engines and
jets. An integrated 5″ diameter discharge will allow Rochester Fire to flow water to land based fire
apparatus where hydrant systems are not present. The navigation and electronics suite is comprised
of multifunction navigation screens, radar, 3D side scan sonar, AIS, VHF radios, radio direction
finder and a thermal imaging camera. A heavy-duty push knee will enable the M2-38 to come in
contact with larger vessels and piers while the combination ladder will allow fire fighters to
disembark in beach landing scenarios and facilitate dive and rescue operations from the stern. The
City of Rochester used New York State DASNY Grant funding and GSA’s Schedule 84 Cooperative
Purchasing clause to procure the boat from Moose Boats’ GSA pricing schedule. Rochester Fire
Department’s boat committee brought experience, several specific requirements and a cohesive
approach toward developing solutions with Moose Boats, a statement from the boatbuilder said. The
Committee opted for an extended walk-around cabin configured with three shock-mitigating crew
seats, an incident command/navigation station, an 84″ patient bench with EMS storage below and an
integrated deck level head enclosure. Dedicated hose storage is planned for the underside of the
gunwales and weather-tight enclosures in the fore deck and the aft deck will house firefighting foam
and the additional valves, nozzles, tools and hardware necessary to respond to a wide range of fire
and rescue scenarios. Monroe County in which Rochester resides has the second largest number of
registered boaters in the state of New York. The RFD’s new vessel will work in conjunction with
marine resources from U.S. Coast Guard Station Rochester, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Monroe County Sheriff
Marine Unit to protect these assets and respond mutual aid with neighboring marine emergency
response agencies along the south shore of Lake Ontario. (Source: Workboat.com)

F ULL EC- TYPE E XAMINATION CERTIFICA TE FOR THE NEW

JRC/A LPHATRO N M ARINE A LPHA P ILOT MFM S ERI ES .
JRC/Alphatron Marine is proud to have received the full EC-type Examination certificate for the
new AlphaPilot MFM Series. Thanks to our experience and feedback of our customers and
engineers, we designed our new AlphaPilot MFM as a modular system with standard components
that makes it easy to install, commission and to maintain. The new AlphaPilot MFM had to be
deployable as a heading control system up to an advanced and complex autopilot system with
multiple positions and a control main steering. Our new adaptive autopilot features a 5-inch touch
display with the hardware and software based on our uniform product philosophy, creating a
consistent bridge and operational approach. The AlphaPilot MFM is an intelligent system that is
scalable from an standalone autopilot up to a full main steering system, controlling single, double
rudders, azimuth thrusters, waterjets etc. And is configurable without the need of additional
interface boxes, in case the mentioned propulsion systems are compatible with respect to i/o. The

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

MFM autopilot is connectable to the installed bow thruster in order to keep the bow of the vessel
head up when sailing dead slow
or in case the vessel is stopped.
The system is fully adaptive and
can be quite easily put into
operation the parameters are
altered on the base of loading
characteristics. A track steering
function Cat A is standard
included and can be supplied as
type approved Cat C track
steering into a certified IBS
combination. Rate of turn
steering is also included as
standard function, making it possible to navigate at shallow rivers at a constant rate. In case of low
speed sailing, a low speed heading control function is available making use of the tunnel or bow
thrusters. In order to compose a full system, a full range of Can Bus accessories are available like
tillers, handwheel and intelligent selector switches for steering position selection like wing steering.
The AlphaPilot MFM is a valuable addition to our ProLine package. (Press Release)

Advertisement

P IRIOU CREATES P IRIOU C ÔTE D’ I VOITE BY TAKI NG OVE R M ARINE

I NDUSTRIE S ERVI C E
PIRIOU continues its international development and is locating in Abidjan, by acquiring the
majority stake in MARINE INDUSTRIE SERVICE (MIS), rebranded PIRIOU CÔTE D’IVOIRE.
Created in 1991, MIS offer ship maintenance and repair services, as well as industrial maintenance,
for a clientele operating in the fishing, oil and logistics sectors. Located inside the Autonomous port
of Abidjan, at the heart of the fishing port, MIS employ 30 staff and have 2000 sq.m of workshops.
PIRIOU CÔTE D’IVOIRE will enjoy support from the PIRIOU group to allow them to invest,
reinforce their workforce, and enhance their range of services to shipowners. Mr Bruno VILLERS,
the previous managing director of MIS, is guiding the launch of PIRIOU CÔTE D’IVOIRE as
Chairman of the board of directors; Mr Jérôme TINARD, the former assistant director responsible
for development at Piriou group, has been appointed General Manager of the Company. Vincent
FAUJOUR, C.E.O of the PIRIOU group declared: "As announced in 2017, PIRIOU is taking all the
steps necessary to extend its international network of services to its shipowner customers. After the

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

creation of PIRIOU REUNION in 2017, PIRIOU SENEGAL and PIRIOU MAROC in 2018, the
creation of PIRIOU CÔTE
D’IVOIRE is reinforcing our
position in West Africa, in
synergy with PIRIOU
NIGERIA (WAS). This new
addition helps us to reinforce
our links with our historic
customers such as
SAUPIQUET, BOLUDA,
CFTO, BOURBON, etc. and
to develop our relations with
the Ivory Coast companies
such as IRES, FOXTROT,
SONACO, IRIS group, etc.
We are very pleased that, to
carry this out we can rely on
Bruno and Clotilde VILLERS, thanks to the acquisition of MIS, a company which has an excellent
reputation and which deserves investment for growth. "Bruno VILLERS, Chairman of the board of
directors of PIRIOU CÔTE D’IVOIRE, added: "I am very proud to sell MIS, a company created by
my father that I took over in 2006, to the PIRIOU group. We share the values of commitment,
quality and service which will ensure the success of PIRIOU CÔTE D’IVOIRE. I remain committed
to serving my clients, my employees and my partners. " (Press Release)

A US I CEBREAKER N EARING C O MPLETION

Preparations are ramping up
for the arrival of Australia’s
newest icebreaker, the RSV
Nuyina. The Antarctic
icebreaker is due to arrive in
Hobart in 2020. RSV Nuyina
will be the main lifeline to
Australia’s Antarctic and
sub-Antarctic research
stations and the central
platform of our Antarctic
and Southern Ocean
scientific research.
Construction of the ship at
Damen Shipyards in
Romania commenced in
May 2017, with a steel cutting ceremony, while a keel laying ceremony in August saw the first
building-block of the ship consolidated in the drydock. In September 2018 the ship was floated from
the dry dock to the wet dock, for the next phase of construction. Construction is expected to be
completed at the end of 2019. When complete, the ship will rise to 10 decks at navigation bridge
level and measure 50.2 metres from the keel to the top of the weather radar. The RSV Nuyina will
offer scientists unprecedented and extended access to the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. Replacing

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

the Aurora Australis, the 160-metre long, 24,000-tonne ship will face stresses normally experienced
by a vessel of 300 metres or more due to imposing Antarctic conditions. (Source: MarineLink)

Advertisement

T HE LARGEST BARGE OF THE C ASPIAN S EA UNDERGONE AN OVER HAUL

The barge of STB-1 owned by

the Caspian Sea Oil Fleet of the
CJSC Azerbaijan Caspian
Shipping Company (ASCO) has
undergone an overhaul. The
overhaul has been carried out at
the Bibi-Heybat Shipyard. As
part of the overhaul, the
underwater and surface parts of
the barge were cleaned and
painted. Along with this, the
bottom-side reinforcement of
the barge was repaired. At the end of the overhaul, the barge “STB-1” was handed over to the crew
members and Registry Classification representatives. The barge has already been released to water
and shipped to the port (base) belonging to the Caspian Sea Oil Fleet. For information, we note that
the length of the barge “STB-1” is 163, width – 45 meters. The safe load capacity is 18000 tons. Barge
STB-1 is the largest barge in the Caspian Sea. “STB-1” is used in the transportation of large-sized
support blocks for the construction of fixed offshore platforms. (Press Release)

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Last week there have been new updates posted:

1. Several updates on the News page posted last week:

• Albwardy Damen receives MASTECH award for the new Damen Multibuster 8020

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20TH VOLUME, NO. 32 DATED 24 APRIL 2019

• Successful sea trails of 3080 ASD tug built by Med Marine for Tug Malta
• Jensen Maritime Provides Design of New, Tier IV Ship Assist and Escort Tugs for
Moran Towing
• Third RAmparts 2400-W tugboat Lima delivered to Peruvian operator
• Taking the next generation to the next level

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