gCaptain.com had a chance to speak with Todd Preston of Hydraulic Marine Systems. Hydraulic Marine Systems was one of the biggest hits of the 2008 International WorkBoat Show. They rolled into the show with a fully operational, self contained, system that was sold on the spot. Not a big surprise when you take into account the effectiveness, diversity and durability of their unique product. Here is what they had to tell gCaptain.

What are some of the more challenging or interesting projects your thrusters have been utilized on?

Our Thrusters are used on a variety of platforms including carpenter barges used for bridge work, Crane Barges, Dredging, Fuel barges and shuttle barges. We have several lease units on location in San Juan, Costa Rica which are being utilized on a Marina project.
Probably the most interesting project would be the most recent one also. The 275HP Twin unit Displayed at the WorkBoat Show in New Orleans sold right off the floor and was delivered to a nearby location on Saturday after the show closed. The unit was installed on a 90×250′ Salvage Barge called the “Dixie Diver”. The barge and its crew, along with Divers, set way for a project in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday to perform salvage recovery operations from an oil platform that was damaged during Tropical Storm Fay. [Continue Reading →]

The 433 ft long “Beluga SkySails” in an undated image. Turning ocean winds into gold while cutting greenhouse emissions in the process might sound like some sort of alchemy for the 21st century. The ship will make its maiden voyage in January across the Atlantic to Venezuela, up to Boston and back to Europe. It will be pulled by a giant computer-guided $725,000 kite tethered to the mast.

(Source: chinanews.com.cn)

More photos can be found HERE.

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