Eurodam News, Holland America’s newbuild blog, shares the secret;

When Zuiderdam, the first Vista-class ship, entered service, it quickly became evident that the aft part of the main restaurant had higher-than-usual noise and vibration levels. On all Holland America ships the aft section of the main restaurant is located above the propellers, but on Vista-class ships the main restaurant was located three decks lower and therefore is closer to the propellers.

Fincantieri engaged Danish consulting company Odegaard & Danneskiold-Samsoe to work with the shipyard’s noise and vibration department to develop a solution. They hit on the idea of installing an air-injection system that would create a cushion of air bubbles between the propellers and the hull to absorb some of the noise frequencies that would otherwise be transferred directly to the hull. A similar system had been installed on private yachts before, but the technology had never been tried on a large cruise vessel.

For the rest of the article click HERE. Also visit gcaptain’s new Free-board for Jobs In Naval Architecture.

This article was originally posted in October 2007

We first met Hydraulic Marine Systems during our coverage of the International Workboat Show in December and, like the rest of the trade show participants, were amazed by the product. Boiled down, they lease mobile propulsion units that can be readily affixed to a barge or used to provide supplemental power to any vessel with available deck space. This system has already proved valuable for salvage operations with new uses being discovered on a frequent basis.

Here is a video demonstration of the product:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The deckies run of this blog is just about over since today we are joining maritime recruiters everywhere and posting the sign “Engineer Wanted”.

If you are an engineer looking for a few extra dollars and possesses both writing and Internet skills please contact us today.

Not sure you’re sold on the idea of joining the ranks of maritime bloggers? Give YOUblog a try, it’s the simplest way to get started.

-gCaptain

The ship pictured above fails to impress the Icelandic tourists who board her for a short whale watching tour but after talking with the crew their attitude changes. ABC News tells us:

By April, visitors to Europe’s northernmost capital will get a taste of that future by taking whale-watching tours aboard the ship, or renting one of the world’s first hydrogen-powered hire cars.

The conversion of the Elding to hydrogen power will initially be confined to the use of a fuel cell to power the engine that runs its lighting, but for 43 euros ($72) a trip, the ship will offer whale-watchers unprecedented peace.

When the crew spots whales at sea, they shut down the main engines to let people hear the mammals swim and blow water – an experience owner Vignir Sigursveinsson says has been marred in the past by the rumble of a diesel auxiliary engine below.

“When we have the hydrogen machine, the boat will be completely soundless, which will make the experience of seeing the whales in their natural habitat even more magical,” he said.

For more on this ambitious project click HERE then visit the Icelandic New Energy Commission HERE.

At trial, it was proven that the M/V Tanabata had a removable bypass pipe or “magic pipe” that was used to discharge oily waste without the use of an oily-water separator, a required pollution control devise. The discharges were, however, falsely recorded as having been processed through the separator in the ship’s oil record book, a required log regularly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard. An engineer testified that the defendant referred to the bypass pipe as the “illegal pipe.” It was also shown during trial that the pipe was hidden when the ship was in port so that it would not be discovered by the Coast Guard.

Sentencing has been set for Jan. 10, 2008, before Judge William N. Nickerson. Humphries faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

The M/V Tanabata was operated by Pacific Gulf Marine, Inc. (PGM). PGM pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Jan. 27, 2007, to charges of making illegal discharges of oil-contaminated waste from each of four ships managed by the company. After learning of the investigation, PGM conducted and voluntarily disclosed the results of an internal investigation and cooperated with investigators and prosecutors. PGM was sentenced to pay a $1 million criminal fine and $500,000 in community service payments and to serve three years probation under the terms of an Environmental Compliance Program subject to court approval.

Continue Reading for the full article

Looking for Chief Engineer Jobs.

We are always on the lookout for “green” stories so were pleased when a friend forwarded a link to Skysails, a German based company looking to augment tradition ship propulsion systems with kites.

SkySails tells us:

SkySails is now offering a wind propulsion system based on large towing kites, which, for the first time, meets the requirements of shipping companies.

 

By using the SkySails-System, a ship‘s fuel costs can be reduced by 10- 35% on annual average, depending on wind conditions. Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can temporarily be reduced by up to 50%. Even on a small, 87 metre cargo ship, savings of up to 280,000 euros can be made annually.

They are not the only company trying to harness the power of wind to propel ship, San Francisco base KiteShip.com a maker of kites for sailboats, is also trying expand into the commercial shipping industry.

“KiteShip is also working on marine applications as diverse as towing oil rigs and other large marine structures, diverting icebergs from oil platforms in high latitudes and in autonomous robot towing of relatively safe cargo such as bagged water,liquid fructose and the like.”

Both companies have tested the technology with (according to them) success. gCaptain will be bringing you more on this story in the future, so stay tuned.

Note: We have updated this post in a comprehensive look at Green Ship Propulsion

Here’s a video showing how the system works;

Another day of reviewing incident reports. It never ceases to amaze me, how many of these tragedies could have been avoided. Yes, I judge. It’s my job. OK, it’s real easy to play the critic; to stand outside of the barrel, pointing inside, and say, “Gee, that’s messed up.” It’s a lot safer than being “in” the barrel. Yes, I’ve had my turn in the barrel. We all digress at times. Call it “a brain fart,” “laziness,” “preoccupation,” “pressured,” “hurried,” or (my favorite) “the beer had nothing to do with it,” we’ve all been there. I must admit, there was the time that my brother-in-law and I were enjoying a combination of beer and hot wings while watching The Thirteenth Warrior. This deadly commingling of alcohol and testosterone caused us to believe that we could hang a ceiling fan by a swag light chain, and that it would work (well, it did for a second). Every time my brother-in-law looks in the mirror and sees the twenty-seven stitch scar, he remembers that night. OK, I’m sure that the guys who invented The Hindenburg thought, “It’s filled with hydrogen, what could happen?” Beer, hydrogen, what’s the difference.

Anyway, back to work. Here’s a quick list of incidents. See if you can figure out what they all have in common; then, we’ll talk:

• I Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) was launched. It entered the water along with a section the boat davit.

• A twenty pound roller fell fifty feet from an oil derrick.

• A tankship grounded in Long Beach after suffering a steering failure.

• Earlier this summer a large US Flag passenger / vehicle ferry experienced a catastrophic failure of its main electrical switchboard.

• Recently a Great Lakes bulk cargo vessel suffered a boiler tube rupture resulting in a boiler casing failure which injured two crewmembers. The tube failure was not unique and the boiler casing should have contained and channeled the steam out the stack.

Ok, that’s enough for now. Have you figured out the cause yet? No, it wasn’t beer! “Equipment Failure” is listed as the cause to many of these, but there’s a little more. Each one of these was caused by one thing: Metal Fasteners. So, because of this, today’s bedtime story is about something near and dear to all of us: Our Nuts.

Lock nuts are different from your garden variety standard nuts. The main difference is that they have a device built into them that’s designed to interlock with threaded area of the bolt or stud. This creates a more secure fastening hold and prevents fastener slippage. There are many different types and sizes of lock nuts for use in a wide range of applications. The need for these types of nuts depends on the mechanics of fastener stress.

When performing corrective or the most routine of maintenance, you should always check your nuts. It just makes sense. If your nuts have been well-used over the years, you can’t be sentimental. I know you may have grown attached to them, but lets face it, you have to learn to let go. Nuts that are worn, irregular, or rusty are just plain unsafe. If you just keep twisting your nuts, they won’t last forever. Repeated usage of your nuts can wear them out and when they’re spent, they can’t perform anymore (although, I hear that they have pills for that). Besides, it’s not fair to your bolt, if your nuts aren’t worth a damn. Let’s face it. Your nuts aren’t designed to last forever. Sometimes, you just have to go into the light and let go of your nuts.

Seriously, lock nuts wear out over repeated usage and must be replaced when required. When are they required to be replaced, you ask? That, my friend, must be your call (Pay attention. This is where I make my point and we come to full circle). Do to the aforementioned reasons, we don’t change out our worn metal fasteners. Remember, the nuts you save may be your own. Don’t be nuts, change them out!

Alright kids, that’s my bedtime story. Keep the emails coming. Next time I might reflect on the importance of bearing lubrication. I think I’ll call it: Do You Grease Your Balls? This is the Artful Blogger. That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!

Have a suggestion for The Artful Blogger? Think he is out of his mind or simply “on target”? Leave a comment below or write your own story and submit it to tips {at} gcaptain.com. If it’s well written and of interest to the maritime community, we’ll post it right here on gCaptain.

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