gCaptain.com

Popular mechanics brings us the Trilobis 65 a low cost (relatively) subsea semi-submersible home. They tell us:

At first glance, the Trilobis looks as if it would be more at home soaring into the sky than plying the waters of atolls, bays and maritime parks. Looking at a computer image of the bow conjures up visions of the flying saucers in 1950s science fiction films. The Trilobis’s blueprints, however, reveal a nautical heritage that reaches back to the humble dugout while simultaneously embracing 21st century technologies that include high-strength composites and nonpolluting hydrogen fuels.

The most distinctive feature of the Trilobis is its fully submerged first level, the observation bulb. Like the driving deck and day area above, it offers a commanding and unobstructed view of the sea. Only here, that view begins 10 ft. below the waterline. This is the smallest of the levels, just big enough for six chairs. Built to the same technical standards as tourist submarines, it is a thick glass enclosure that provides a 360° view. So that this area can be used when there’s no sunlight, the Trilobis has a ring of 200-watt spotlights, angled away from the observation bulb, to illuminate any sea life swimming directly in front of the viewers.

Read the rest of the story HERE

Freedom Ship is a concept for a floating city proposed by Norman Nixon of Freedom Ship International.

Current naval engineering techniques are inadequate for the construction of such a large vessel. At present supertankers cannot be made larger because of the enormous stresses imposed on hulls by hogging and sagging in heavy seas, leading to catastrophic failures. Freedom Ship International has said on the Discovery Channel’s Engineering the Impossible that they plan to use a barge building technique, which would reduce the stress of the enormous weight. Also, this would reduce the cost of custom made parts for the ship, which would allow living costs to be more reasonable. The program has also said that the propellers would be a series of 400 fully-rotational azipods; despite the high number of screws, the ship would still be the slowest in the world.

Net price estimates for the ship have risen from 6 billion US$ in 1999 to 11 billion US$ in 2002.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Freedomship.com

[Continue Reading →]

Fred Fry focused our attention on Popular Science Magazine which has a story on a new concept to scan containers before they reach our ports. The idea is that of SeaAway and is called the ‘Prior to Port’ system and it is currently being patented. In this article Pop Science tells us:

The plan calls for pairs of 100-foot-wide platforms anchored outside the world’s major ports. Equipped with an array of sensors and unmanned surveillance drones, the system monitors for chemical, biological and nuclear traces as ships travel between the platforms.

SeaAway proposes a passage fee of $20 per container—roughly double average port fees—to help authorities offset the $100-million cost of each system. Tax breaks for shippers could help curb costs, notes Steve Kroecker, SeaAway’s founder and vice president.

Construction begins this summer on a prototype system. Kroecker won’t disclose specifics but says that SeaAway is in talks with officials from four ports in the Caribbean and one on the U.S. eastern seaboard.

I’m not sure if this idea will work but can assure you it will be at least as interesting as the company’s logo (above right).

Be sure to read the full article HERE and watch the movie below: [Continue Reading →]

 

 SeaAway [4:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Telstar Logistics brings us the scoop on the construction of the new Bay Bridge in San Francisco. They write:

We live in a time of many wonders and miracles, and one of them is taking shape in San Francisco Bay. The new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will replace the cantilevered span built in 1936. The old span was vulnerable to earthquakes — as the Bay Area discovered in 1989 — so the new structure is designed to be a bit less fragile.

Estimated to cost billions of dollars and six more years of construction this project will huge in scope and a topic likely to be discussed often in the maritime community. Read his full story HERE and be sure to click on the photo links.

If you prefer the other bay bridge visit his story: Backstage atop the Golden Gate Bridge

Fisherman have discovered thousands of Jumbo Squid off the Southern California coast this week. The site mongabay.com tells us:

Thousands of Jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) squid are appearing off the coast of Southern California, according to published reports.

Ventura County fishermen have caught hundreds of squid in recent days, according to the Associated Press.

The cephalopods, which can measure 6-feet long and weigh 100 pounds (40 kg) (though usually smaller), appear periodically in California waters. The species, also known as the Humboldt squid, is commonly found from Peru to Baja California but seems to be expanding its range according to researchers tracking the beasts. Hundreds washed up on San Diego and Orange county beaches in 2002 and 2005, a sign that the species may be on their way to becoming year-around residents according to the Los Angeles Times. No one is sure what causes Jumbo squid to end up on beaches. Jumbo squid invasion in California

While not as large as Colossal Squid these giants can grow upwards of 43ft and with a diameter over 1 foot possess the largest eyes of any living thing.

Interesting Links: [Continue Reading →]