Safety

Scope for change

Scope for change

February saw the launch of the report Safety of Domestic Ferries – A Scoping Study of 7 Countries, based on research conducted by World Maritime University representatives including Anish Hebbar, Serdar Yildiz, Nadhir Kahlouche and Jens-Uwe Schröder-Hinrichs. The team’s research was funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation and supported by Interferry, the Worldwide Ferry Safety […]

75 years of Ship & Boat International

75 years of Ship & Boat International

  It’s unlikely that many readers of the first issue of Ship & Boat International, published in 1947, could have envisaged a world of solar-powered ferries, unmanned tugs and offshore wind farms capable of powering tens of thousands of homes. Similarly, the abilities to conduct virtual reality walkthroughs of vessel plans, prior to construction, and to pay […]

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 […]

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 […]

Shoring up safety

Shoring up safety

  ABB and Singaporean shipbuilder Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) have concluded remote-pilot trials of a pusher tug in the Port of Singapore – and the partners are confident that this could precede a wider roll-out of remote and autonomous workboats within this busy location. The trials saw personnel remotely steer the 32m Keppel […]