The story of Thailand’s first pair of gyrostabilised, 42m-long fast crewboats (FCBs) conceals another, writes Stevie Knight: how did Southerly Designs’ FCB concept establish a perpetual offshore presence from 2001 to today’s Gen 4 models? And how is the design faring with the push toward new technology? Southerly’s FCB concept has seen a 23-year run, […]
In the UK, raw sewage spills are no longer a rare occurrence: they’re an ongoing national scandal. According to conservation experts The Rivers Trust, only 14% of rivers in England can be considered to be in “good” ecological health. As if that wasn’t damning enough, a 2022 House of Commons committee report described England’s rivers […]
As reported in Ship & Boat International May/June 2024 (pages 16-19), Kongsberg Maritime’s development of remote operation centres (ROCs) for uncrewed (or minimally crewed) vessels has seen the company work to bring traditional crewing roles onto shore – “starting with the chief engineer, then the navigator, then the master”, Ville Vihervaara, Kongsberg VP for Remote […]
Jet skis have been a hit with adrenalin junkies for decades, though there may come a time when even the most ardent speed freak prefers to relax with friends in a marine setting, prompting the question: jet ski or boat? Now, a new prototype tender concept, launched and tested in Spain, seeks to offer both […]
It seems that, no matter how many times the maritime and offshore sectors flag the problem, enclosed space fatalities just won’t go away. A recent report from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) reveals that, of 1,611 standard vessel inspection reports uploaded to its Common Marine Inspection Documents (eCMID) and Common Marine Inspection Documents for […]
In California, pilotage for vessels sized 750gt and over is mandatory, so the San Francisco Bar Pilots (SFBP) must accompany nearly 8,000 ships in and out of the state’s ports each year, writes Stevie Knight. The pilot vessels are required by law to stand ‘on station’ outside the Golden Gate Bridge, roughly 12nm away from […]
Auckland, New Zealand is about to welcome its first all-electric passenger ferry, which will combine batteries and hydrofoils to ‘fly’ above the waves, reducing impact and drag, without emissions. The VS-9 has been produced by Vessev, a company aiming to roll out electric vessels incorporating sport sailing performance-level foiling tech for “premium tourism services”. The […]
With its projected value of US$4.05 billion by 2050, it’s easy to see why the ‘blue economy’ is spawning a race to deliver smarter, safer and more efficient ways to monitor our oceans, writes Matthew Ratsey. The offshore renewables sector (wind, tide, wave and thermal) is growing to augment, and potentially replace, existing hydrocarbon energy […]
Standardised hullforms mean many workboats came to look a lot like each other. However, times are changing, mostly driven by the need to reduce the marine sector’s carbon footprint, alongside a growing understanding that alternative fuels will only provide, at best, a partial answer, writes Stevie Knight. Therefore, Seawork 2024, hosted in June, saw a […]
Damen has signed a contract to build four hydrogen-powered ASD tugs for owner/operator CMB.TECH. The tugs will be constructed to the specs of Damen’s 2812 FF-H2 class, measuring 28m in length by 12m in beam and featuring a bollard pull capacity of 80tonnes. Each tug will be fitted with four high-speed hydrogen dual-fuel engines, all […]
Shipbuilders BRIX Marine and Ashbreez Boatworks have launched the latest in their jointly developed Resurrection series of recreational vessels, christened Just 1 More. Measuring 10.7m in length and 4m in beam, the aluminium catamaran was constructed using CNC-cut structural components, and, despite its camo-style paint job, is designed as a cruiser for sports fishing and […]
The Paraná Delta is a fascinating ecological zone, located where the Paraná River meets the River Plate in Argentina. While most deltas empty into oceans, the Paraná Delta flows directly into the River Plate, a freshwater estuary, creating a unique ecosystem with a mix of freshwater and wetland habitats. As such, the Delta is a […]