Tidewater builds diesel electric PSVs

USA: Since their beginnings with the 1955-launch of the Ebb Tide, the first purpose-built boats to serve the Gulf of Mexico offshore oil industry, Tidewater has been an industry leader.

‘With over 400 vessels currently serving the oil industry worldwide the company is now the largest offshore support vessel operator in the world. The fleet has been built by acquiring competitors but also by an extensive and systematic new construction program. Currently the latest generation of platform supply vessels has completed the design phase. MMC Ship Design & Marine Consulting of Poland designed the vessels, twelve of which are being built in China at the Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding. The new class of PSVs will be diesel-electric power. Each of the four electric generators will be turned by a Cummins QSK60-D(M) rated at 1,825 kW. These provide the electrical power to the two motor-driven aft mounted azimuthing thrusters and two bow thrusters, a 910kW controllable pitch tunnel thruster along with an 800kW drop down controllable azimuthing thruster. Power will also be reserved for the vessel’s cargo systems. The boats have a 14.3-knot design speed. In the choice of propulsion, Tidewater has moved to the efficiencies offered by diesel-electric technology. The great flexibility of this system allows for significant cost savings when a boat is on standby at an oilrig or maintaining slow speeds for exploration jobs.

Read More

Asian container lines mull revamp to South American services

Tokyo: Three leading Asian carriers are re-considering their arrangements on the East Coast of South America to Northern Europe trades.

‘K Line, China Shipping Container Line (CSCL) and Evergreen were all vessel providers as part of the EUSA service (along with Argentine carrier Maruba) that started up in April, 2007, but was aborted in April, 2008 after what one carrier called “a debacle”. One line manager said of EUSA: “It didn’t have a chance, as all the better contracts were already tied up with the existing carriers like Hamburg Sud, Maersk Line and MSC. It was a bloodbath really for the Asian carriers and Maruba.” But now CMA CGM and Maruba have joined services in a new SAFRAN service (with the first sailing from the Brazilian port of Santos on December 25) and so the Asian carriers are facing a dilemma. Although they still have slots with MSC and on CSAV’s Euratlan service, they might not be sufficient to handle their needs, particular in terms of reefer plugs. CMA CGM says it is launching SAFRAN to service the needs of the growing reefer exports from both Argentina and Brazil. The Asian carriers, particularly K Line, are understood to be keen to take a share of this profitable box trade.

Read More

UAE Merchant Marine Cadets Graduate

Merchant marine cadets from a United Arab Emirates training ship graduated at a special ceremony held during Seatrade Middle East Maritime 2008, the largest maritime event of its kind in the region, which opened Sunday, 14 December 2008.

‘The deck cadets were the sixth batch of students of the Birla Institute of Technology International Centre for Maritime Studies and Ship Management to pass out after training on the Ras Al Khaimah-berthed training ship Sindbad. Seatrade Middle East Maritime which ran until Tuesday 16 December is under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. The event, officially opened by Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World, attracted a total of 313 exhibiting companies from 33 countries. Principal sponsors of Seatrade Middle East Maritime 2008 included Det Norske Veritas, GEM, Dubai Maritime City Authority, NITC and Gulf Marine. Other sponsors are: ABS, BP Marine, ClassNK, Drydocks World, Emarat Maritime, Ince Al Jallaf & Co, Lloyd’s Register, Topaz Energy & Marine, Rais Hassan Saadi Group, SAIFEE Trading, Royal Caribbean Cruises Line, Cloud Cruises and the Ministry of Tourism for the Sultanate of Oman.

Read More