Acorn Fire & Security helps luxury charter super yacht get back into service

Friday, 14th September 2018

Recently Acorn Fire & Security were contacted to assist super yacht MY ELENI, to facilitate a repair or replacement of a defective and obsolete Marine Approved Fire Alarm Panel and to re-commission the full vessel.

ELENI is a 50m luxury motor super yacht originally built by CBI Navi, which was fitted with a now obsolete Minerva T1008 Fire Alarm Controller. The client had unsuccessfully tried several international specialist companies from around the globe to help.

The luxury super yacht was shore-bound and set to lose high revenues if they couldn’t get the Fire Alarm system up and running by the following week. Acorn Fire & Security quickly surveyed; and commissioned a “Special” Marine Approved Addressable Fire Alarm panel, built to the exact existing bulkhead cut-out dimensions, by UK manufacturers, Kentec Electronics. The special was rushed out to Acorn’s offices, fitted with multiple addressable/conventional zone interface modules, pre-wired and pre-programmed, then delivered next day to the berth at Ancona. Commissioning resource was further mobilised, with the new Fire Alarm panel installed and the whole Fire Alarm system fully commissioned whilst in Port.

Comments from ELENI’s Captain, Nicholas Smith
“We had a fault in the engine room, with the old Fire Alarm panel being redundant we had no way of isolating it and sorting out the problem. We therefore had to remove the guests off ELENI, and try to find a solution as quickly as possible which is where Acorn came in. We also had to run 24-hour fire watches, which was quite a headache in the middle of charter season. We were very appreciative of Martin’s assistance during our time in Ancona. As he would have mentioned, timing was tight, but he got the job done and we got through our surveys”.

Lloyds register were completely satisfied as was the Marine surveyor. This new approach has now been adopted for future use on the majority of Marine super yacht Fire Alarm retro-fits.

MY ELENI is now back in full charter throughout the Mediterranean and Adriatic.

Acorn Fire & Security are a major distributor and commissioning support specialist within the fire and security industry, who go the extra mile offering alternative solutions to many problems internationally.

Women in Maritime Pledge

Thursday, 13th September 2018

Coltraco Ultrasonics are proud to have signed the Women in Maritime Pledge: "We are committed to building an employment culture that actively supports and celebrates gender diversity, at all levels, throughout our organisation, and our industry". This comes as the ITF estimates that women make up only 2% of the world’s maritime workforce.

Coltraco are proud to support gender parity and equal pay. Carl Hunter, CEO and Clare Hunter, Head of Marketing & Communications were delighted to attend the Women in Maritime Charter Launch, as one of just 60 companies who have signed the pledge. In a video created by the Dept for Transport (DfT) for this occasion, our Marketing & Communications Assistant proudly describes her “fulfilling” career in the maritime industry.

Coltraco hope that this is the start of positive change within the maritime sector. Coltraco hope that the UK will lead the world in changing the gender balance to create equal opportunities for all.

With thanks to MaritimeUK who have been the wind in the sail of this Charter, supported by DfT, Department for International Trade, leading associations like SMI and ABP and fellow industry leaders.

Watch more here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6444963488858140672/
Pledge Signatories: http://www.coltraco.com/signed-women-in-maritime-pledge/

Damen performs tank testing of new FCS 7011

Thursday, 13th September 2018

Damen Shipyards Group has carried out tank testing of its 70-metre Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 7011. The tests were carried out at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) with a 2.8-metre long model. Intended for long distance crew transfer operations, the Damen FCS 7011 will offer the offshore oil & gas industry a safe and cost-effective alternative to helicopter flights.

In developing the FCS 7011, on-board comfort has been one of Damen’s central design parameters. Consequently, the company has executed a large number of simulations to investigate seakeeping characteristics.

“We have used these simulations to see which hull form gives the optimum comfort levels,” explains Albert Rijkens, Damen Product Portfolio Manager Research. “The aim of the model testing at TU Delft was to validate those numerical results.”

Reduced slamming
Performing tests at 30 knots and 40 knots in waves of 2-3 metres significant wave height, seakeeping was a major aspect of the testing. The results were positive; the hull design and the application of the Sea Axe bow allows the vessel to reach high speeds through waves while meeting predetermined criteria for comfort levels.

“In fact, what we see is that ship movements become calmer as the speed increases. This is because the forward energy of the vessel allows it to go through the waves, instead of going over them. At the same time the Sea Axe bow shape reduces any uncomfortable slamming that might occur during high speed transits.”

Another aspect of the tank testing was to study vessel resistance at speed. “Our results showed that, due to its long and narrow hull, the FCS 7011 has relatively low resistance.”

The tests were also an opportune moment to trial the so-called Ride Control System positioned at the stern of the 1:25 scale model of the FCS 7011. “This system measures ship movements and based on these signals it continuously determines the position of the active control mechanisms. The effectiveness of the system – enabling us to improve comfort levels even further – was also validated in these tests.”

Academic cooperation
The FCS 7011 tank tests represent the continuation of the strong working relationship between Damen and TU Delft. “They have definitely played an important role in this project,” adds Mr Rijkens. “This started in the preliminary seakeeping simulation stage to reach the optimum hull form that we have used. And now, using their tank testing facilities, to validate our ideas and our calculations.”

With these tests yielding positive results, and further testing planned in this year, Damen is closer to finalising the design of this new vessel. As Mr Rijkens notes, the FCS 7011 marks a significant step for the safe and fast transfers of offshore personnel. “Offshore oil and gas operators currently use helicopters as their principal method to transfer crews to and from platforms. However, there is a very clear desire from the industry to change the logistical model with the introduction of new generation of crew change vessels.”

“They need an alternative – and the FCS 7011 fills the gap between the current crew change vessels and helicopters. It will achieve this by being able to carry up to 150 passengers in business class comfort at speeds of up to 40 knots.”

Damen Shipyards Galati opens historical exhibition as part of continuing 125 year anniversary celebrations

Tuesday, 11th September 2018

Displaying an extensive collection of historical maritime memorabilia, Damen Shipyards Galati has opened an exhibition in the Lower Danube University in the Romanian city of Galati. The exhibition is part of the yard’s 125 year anniversary celebrations that began with the annual Shipbuilder’s Day festivities on 15 August.

The exhibition opened on 1 September with a ceremony attended by numerous invited guests including Damen Shipyards Group Board President Jason Bronscheer and the mayor of the city of Galati, Mr. Ionut Pucheanu. Containing various items such as photographs, postcards, maps, books and other special pieces, the exhibition – open until 30 December – thus reflects the rich maritime heritage that has been grown at the yard since its founding in 1893.

Some items, such a photo of the Romanian Navy minelayer NMS Amiral Murgescu, demonstrate shared aspects of Romanian-Dutch history. This vessel, for example, was built at the yard in 1941 to a Dutch design. Other items include two paintings painted in the 1950s by the then painter of the yard, Armin Muller, and a heavy duty diving suit dating back to 1913.

Shipbuilding operations on the site that is now known as Damen Shipyards Galati started back in 1893 when metalworking specialist and business entrepreneur Gheorghe Fernic founded a metal foundry and later in 1897 a shipyard. The shipyard quickly became internationally recognized for the complexity of the ships it was building, and so began a long and continuing tradition of shipbuilding in Romania.

“2018 is a very special anniversary year – we celebrate 125 years since the founding of this yard,” says Mr. Rino Brugge, the Managing Director of Damen Shipyards Galati. “We are very proud of Romania’s maritime heritage and the role that this yard played in Romania history – including the long series of ships delivered to the Romanian Navy.”

Damen Shipyards Galati has been part of the Damen Shipyards Group since 1999.

DNV GL awards AiP to Jiangnan Shipbuilding Company for 175K CBM Mark III Flex LNG Carrier â€œLNG JUMBOâ€

Friday, 7th September 2018

Hamburg, 6 September 2018: Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL – Maritime, presented Lin Ou, Chairman of Jiangnan Shipbuilding Company Ltd (Jiangnan Shipyard), with an approval in principle (AiP) for the “LNG JUMBO”, a new Flex LNG carrier design, at the SMM trade fair in Hamburg. The flexible, efficient and environmentally friendly design was developed by Jiangnan Shipyard in cooperation with ship designer MARIC, GTT, DNV GL and major equipment manufacturers.

“Jiangnan and DNV GL have successfully collaborated on joint design development and classification for various ship types, particularly in our star product gas carriers,” said Lin Ou. “We have completed China's first Mark III/Mark III Flex model tanks and moved into the membrane type liquefied gas carrier market. With this latest AiP, we have laid a solid foundation for introducing this ship type to the market and will further enrich our product portfolio in gas carriers and gas-fuelled ship types, which will benefit our clients and at the same time reduce emissions. Both Jiangnan and DNV GL will gain from the deeper and broader cooperation that this AiP represents.”

The ship uses the GTT Mark III Flex cargo containment system, and is equipped with four standard cargo holds, with a capacity of in total 175,000 cubic meters. The ship's shore connection is flexible and compatible with most shore facilities, and it can pass through the Panama Canal. The proposed WINGD X-DF low-pressure, low-speed two-stroke dual-fuel main engine propulsion system offers higher propulsion efficiency and lower fuel consumption in combination with an optimized twin skeg design and additional energy saving devices. In gas mode, the propulsion system meets IMO NOx Tier III requirements without the need for exhaust gas treatment systems. Additionally, a USCG certified ballast water treatment system means the design is ready for the incoming regulations.

“I am very pleased to be able to present this certificate to Jiangnan Shipyard, continuing a very productive and longstanding relationship,” said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen. “Jiangnan Shipyard had been continuously developing their ability to offer new and advanced vessel designs and we are very proud to have been part of this process. As the gas segment continues to gain importance in shipping, new designs that offer greater efficiency and compliance alongside safety are important in advancing the segment, and we are very proud to support Jiangnan Shipyard in realizing this new concept.”

Emergency Safety Showers Available to Hire from Hughes

Friday, 7th September 2018

Hughes Safety Showers has recently increased their hire fleet of emergency safety showers.

If you require a short-term safety shower solution why not consider hiring your emergency safety shower from Hughes? Perhaps you need an emergency safety shower during your annual maintenance shutdown? Or are you in need of secondary equipment to support your main safety products?

Three of Hughes’ models are available for hire whether it’s for a week, a month or a year.

• The STD-J-40K/45G Mobile Self-Contained Emergency Safety Shower is ideal as a secondary measure to supplement your permanent safety showers. Easy to manoeuvre and suitable for towing, its adjustable wheel-spacing means it can fit through a standard door opening.

• A larger capacity mobile unit is the ANSI compliant STD-MH-P-1200L Mobile Self-Contained Heated Emergency Safety Shower. The integral immersion heater maintains water at a tepid temperature and provides a continuous flow of water for 15 minutes. The unit is easy to transport behind a suitable vehicle using the towing hitch provided.

• For situations where tepid water, a constant water supply or sufficient water pressure are unavailable, we offer the EXP-MH-14K/350 Immersion Heated 350 Litre Emergency Tank Shower. The integral immersion heater maintains water at a tepid temperature whilst a panic bar or optional foot panel allow instant activation.

You won’t need to worry about servicing, Hughes will service the emergency safety shower every 6 months, as per European and international standards.

Hughes also ensure swift delivery as well as the option to collect and return the units yourself from the Stockport site.

Protecting the safety of your workforce is essential, if you need an emergency safety shower without committing to a purchase why not consider hiring from Hughes.

Contact Hughes today for pricing and availability.

Tel: +44 (0)161 430 6618
Email: sales@hughes-safety.com

Month: September 2018

Advertise with Seaplant

Join us