Ship & Boat International – News

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 […]

A new electric Epoch

A new electric Epoch

The US green propulsion sector has taken off on an unprecedented scale in the past five years. Admittedly, it took a while to get into gear, though increasingly stringent emissions legislation (spearheaded by California) and exorbitant fuel costs have helped to push battery-powered solutions forward.     Diane Seltzer, co-founder and CMO of Pennsylvania-based start-up Epoch […]

Bucking the tide

Bucking the tide

In recent years, there has been a focus on servicing deepwater offshore wind farms located far from shore, necessitating the construction and commissioning of larger, more stable CTVs and SOVs. However, accessing some of the smaller wind farms in shallower waters can also be a challenge. Take the 60MW Scroby Sands turbine array, located 2.5km off […]

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 […]

Virtually refined

Virtually refined

Seaspan Shipyards of North Vancouver, Canada has officially launched its HoloShip facility. Described as “an immersive visualisation system”, the facility incorporates digital twin technology, enabling ship designers and engineers to virtually ‘walk through’ their newbuild plans and general arrangements before the first steel is cut.   The HoloShip facility houses a 3D theatre room, in which a […]

Think tank

Think tank

At first glance, ballast tanks might not seem the most obvious fit for RIBs and powerboats, typically being the preserve of larger, ocean-going vessels. However, switch the ballast tank’s key role from guaranteeing hydrostatic stability to preventing slamming at high speeds, and its utilisation aboard smaller craft makes a lot more sense.   Excessive slamming […]

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 […]

Taming the Li-ion

Taming the Li-ion

  With a UK ban on internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered cars set to enter force in 2030, ro-ro ferry operators can expect electric vehicle (EV) carriage to become the norm. However, while EVs running on lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries could lower emissions by up to 69% compared to petrol-fuelled cars, according to a 2021 study by […]

Class of ’22

Class of ’22

The forthcoming Dutch training vessel Ab Initio is on schedule to be delivered in August this year, builder Concordia Damen has confirmed. The 67m x 8.2m ship will provide training to future crew and ship’s masters, doubling as a field lab in which companies can trial new equipment and technology on board, in collaboration with the students.   […]

Trash in hand – Circular Explorer

Trash in hand – Circular Explorer

  Here’s a sobering statistic, courtesy of German environmental non-profit One Earth-One Ocean (OEOO): by 2025, the total amount of plastic in the ocean – currently estimated to be 5.25 trillion pieces – will outnumber fish. In other words, we’re going to need a lot of waste-collection vessels to clean up this mess.   In […]

Planting the seed

Planting the seed

Consider modern superyacht and megayacht interiors, replete with chrome-plated brass fittings and plexiglass partitions. They look stylish and clean, for sure…but they’re not exactly what you’d call ‘unique’.   “Most yachts essentially look like hotels,” Björn Asmussen, director and executive architect at design studio 3Deluxe (3DLX), tells Ship & Boat International. “They’re very posh, but […]

Bite-sized Vampire Rib

Bite-sized Vampire Rib

The Vampire has big ambitions for a compact RIB – most crucially, to serve as a modular “rapid deployment transporter” for professional, commercial and recreational operators alike. The boat’s open aft deck can accommodate a moveable quick-release track mounting system, capable of deploying and recovering “everything from drones to quad bikes”, the RIB’s developer, Ring […]