Naval Architecture

Could Ulstein’s nuclear superhero be shipping’s saviour?

Could Ulstein’s nuclear superhero be shipping’s saviour?

As a shipbuilder and designer with more than a century of history, Ulstein has a proven resilience when it comes to adapting to maritime’s ever-changing political and economic landscape. Although the group is centred around its Ulsteinvik yard in Western Norway, which today specialises in offshore and expedition cruise ships, it’s nowadays perhaps most closely […]

Sustainability drives innovation in decking systems

Sustainability drives innovation in decking systems

Viking Cruises’ new ship Viking Neptune will set sail on the Mediterranean in November, before embarking on the 2023-2024 Viking World Cruise. With its diverse itineraries taking in everything from subarctic Scandinavia to the tropical waters of Southeast Asia and Latin America, the 227m newbuild will be faced a wide range of temperatures and climates. […]

Sentinels at the ready

Sentinels at the ready

Tasmanian boatbuilder PFG Group has launched demonstrator versions of its 8m and 11m Sentinel tactical watercraft – with one 8m unit already having been snapped up domestically by the Queensland Police Service. The RIBs were designed, by One2Three Naval Architects, for reduced risk of capsizal and rollover. Patrick McManus, naval architect at One2Three, tells Ship […]

Significant Small Ships of 2022 – entries open

Significant Small Ships of 2022 – entries open

Ship & Boat International eNews: July August 2022 Work has commenced on this year’s edition of Significant Small Ships, profiling newbuilds sized between 5-100m and officially delivered in 2022 (with the exception of prototype models). Significant Small Ships of 2022 welcomes any submissions from naval architects, boatbuilders and designers. We cover all vessel types, including RIBs, patrol / […]

UK electric alliance

UK electric alliance

June sees the launch of a new partnership between UK boatbuilders RS Electric Boats and Cheetah Marine, who will collaborate on the development of two new series of electric craft, comprising workboats and adventure catamarans.   In a statement issued in late May, the British companies announced their intention to identify synergies between Cheetah Marine’s […]

Streak of inspiration

Streak of inspiration

Naval architecture firm Vripack and boatbuilder Van der Valk Shipyard have devised a conceptual design for the fast weekender market, monikered the Meteor. The first example of this concept has already been snapped up by an anonymous client. Yoeri Bijker, head of sales and marketing at Van der Valk, says: “There is an ongoing trend for […]

Bringing it all back home?

Bringing it all back home?

In the early 1980s, in a letter published in the pages of The Naval Architect, Margaret Thatcher referred to shipbuilding in the UK as a sunset industry. At the time it was very difficult to dispute that; attempts to revitalise the fortunes of yards under the auspices of the public corporation British Shipbuilders were quickly […]

Clean sailing via Croatia

Clean sailing via Croatia

(image: DIV Group)   Croatian boatbuilder Brodosplit has commenced construction of an eco-friendly passenger sailing ship, drawing on a combination of electricity and wind power to fuel its trips. The 63.5m x 10m vessel will feature a height of 5.35m from the main deck, a steel hull and superstructure, plus three aluminium alloy masts, and […]

AI AI, CAPTN

AI AI, CAPTN

  The German port city of Kiel is preparing for a green-fuel shake-up, courtesy of the Clean Autonomous Public Transport Network (CAPTN) project. Initiated by Kiel University, CAPTN aims to create the infrastructure for “an integrated inner-city mobility chain” of autonomous and environmentally friendly modes of transport, incorporating both riverine and road-based traffic.   To […]