Outfitting

New TAPP system from Trimline

During 2021, Southampton-based Trimline developed a new, allencompassing business application named TAPP. TAPP (Trimline App) runs any refit project, from initial enquiry through to project delivery – including material purchasing and resource booking, drawing management, onsite time recording and health & safety. It provides a way for Trimline, and its customers and suppliers, to work collaboratively towards the end-goal of a project executed on time and on budget.

TAPP has been developed by Trimline as industry-leading software, which allows the outfitting team and customer personnel to view live project progress (regardless of location). Snags can be photographed and managed within the software in real-time, by customers as well as the Trimline team. TAPP equipment is handled by the Trimline Project Manager, Foremen and team leaders to enable a quick and efficient method by which all the team on-board and the customer knows exactly the progress of the refit, along with any challenges arising, this being in a position to solve such problems with the minimum of delay.

The TAPP system is unique – it is designed to assist both Trimline personnel and Trimline’s customers to affect the best possible outcome of any refit. It pulls all the systems together to give an accurate sight in real time during the outfit process, and allows all to view what is the exact position of the refit at any time. It can also assist in pre-planning with an archive of every refit on-board previous refits, thus saving precious time for the customer when planning and getting quotes for a refit/drydock.

For Trimline, the TAPP system allows the project management team to accurately know the progress of all items of equipment – purchasing, delivery and installation. One of the main assets is the immediate knowledge of any challenges, which may happen during the refit and the method by which such challenges can be solved quickly and efficiently.

The first time TAPP was used on a project involved Marella Cruises’69,472 gt Marella Discovery 2, during a refit alongside in Zadar, Croatia in April 2021. Matthew Easton, Hotel Refurbishment, Marella Cruises said, “I found using TAPP hugely valuable. The ability to view live transparent data at any time, and in any location, certainly makes my life easier. Since using TAPP, Trimline has listened to my feed-back and been able to build in addition features, which has been fantastic. I first trialled TAPP during our last project, even though I was unable to get on-board the ship – I could still see, in real time, what was happening on-board the ship. The TAPP system is designed to ‘look after’ both customer and workers. “We are now at pre-planning stage for our next refit and I have access to all the live data from procurement to resource levels. At the touch of a button I can access, review and approve all drawings and FF&E. It’s great that I’ll also have access to historic data for future reference. I can’t wait to get on-board and see how TAPP helps us during drydock.”

Work is expected to begin in January 2022 on-board two of the DFDS ferry fleet in Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu), both projects involving the new Trimline TAPP system of monitoring and reporting the progress of the outfitting part of the refit projects. The two ships involved are the 60,500 gt Côte Des Flandres and the 33,796 gt Côte Des Dunes. The ships will follow each other into the shipyard with some 70/80 Trimline workers attending the refits. These comprise joiners, electricians, plumbers etc.

Earlier in 2021 Trimline worked across a programme of refits for P&O Ferries, which included the installation of COVID-safe catering areas onboard three of its ro/pax ferries. The Spirit of Britain refit was carried out by the team in Rotterdam, the Spirit of France in Tilbury, and the Pride of Kent in Newcastle, UK. On all three projects, the TAPP system was successfully utilised.

During the recent Cruise Ship Interiors Expo, held at London’s ExCel, the Trimline team was recognised for its TAPP system, by being awarded The CSI Technology Award. Voted for by the cruise industry and judged by leaders in the cruise industry, the award ‘recognises the company who has introduced technology to improve the way they work and therefore improve their product offering to clients’.

The TAPP system being used on-board Image of the winning entry, by Meyer Werft’s Thorben Stubbe - The Algae Lifecycle Floor

Bolidt award for Meyer Werft

The inaugural Bolidt Design Challenge has been awarded to Meyer Werft concept designer Thorben Stubbe for a versatile, carbon-negative cruise decking solution that combines science and nature to stunning effect. Named ‘Algae Lifecycle Floor’ (ALF), the innovative concept will now be turned into a physical sample and displayed at the Bolidt Innovation Centre outside Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Applicable to both indoor and outdoor spaces in the form of flooring, partitioning, wind protection or wall decoration, ALF comprises lightweight, hardwearing and sustainable materials including soya resin, hemp fibre and bamboo. At its core is a bioplastic water tank containing live algae, which convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, and Pavegen tiles, which turn kinetic energy from footsteps into electricity. As well as powering the pumps needed for cultivating the algae, this electricity provides energy

The art of decking

Bolidt delivers innovative on board flooring and deck covering systems for working decks, helidecks, exterior decks and interior decks.

Lightweight  Flexible  Low maintenance  Durable  Environmental friendly  Efficient installation by our own specialized teams

www.bolidt.com

for cylinders that raise built-in furniture in the day – for lounging and sunbathing – and retract it in the evening to make way for a dance floor, itself a key part of the ALF system.

As envisioned by Stubbe, any excess kinetic energy can be used to power RGB LED lights for an interactive game in which participants take to the dance floor to charge spare batteries. With the colour of the glowing floor indicating charge, the winners are the first group to change their section from red to green. The power generated during the competition can be reverted into the system to feed the hotel load, minimising the vessel’s reliance on conventional energy sources. To facilitate dancing and other activities, the flooring material is inherently flexible and gentle on the joints.

Another environmental benefit of ALF is that the algae cultivated on the ship can be used in a biogas plant for additional energy or as fertiliser for the plants on-board. Yet the system’s green credentials extend beyond the vessel. For example, the algae-based fertiliser can also be used in farming the soya, hemp and bamboo from which the decking solution is made, thereby completing the lifecycle. Meanwhile, since these crops absorb CO2 as they grow, only releasing it again when the end product is scrapped, their cultivation is entirely carbon neutral.

YSA Design’s HAL contract

The distinctive look and feel of a cruise ship delivered in 2021 has been turning heads during the inaugural season of Rotterdam, but Holland America Line’s (HAL) new flagship also includes some familiar features.

The 2,668-guest Pinnacle-class cruise vessel left Amsterdam on a 14day passage to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before entering a schedule of Caribbean cruising during November. For Oslo-based architecture and design firm YSA Design, which developed several public areas on-board Rotterdam, the 297 m passenger ship brought a mix of familiar territory and new ground.

In addition to lift lobbies and cabin corridors, YSA was responsible for the same leisure venues it had designed on the vessel’s sisterships, Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. For example, the World Stage theatre, with its two-storey, 270o wraparound LED screen – an industry first when it debuted on Koningsdam – remains a prominent attraction, as does the innovative Observation Deck with interactive tables, first introduced on Nieuw Statendam .

The Observation lounge on-board the Rotterdam

However, YSA Design senior architect and project lead, Trond Sigurdsen explains that HAL has expectations which involve continuous evolution. “With its Pinnacle fleet, Holland America Line wanted a fresh and contemporary aesthetic and Rotterdam is its latest inspiring example,” he says. “The ship is designed at the ‘human scale’, with smaller private spaces being central to the relaxing atmosphere on-board. Although the basic layout of the ship is the same, Rotterdam is very much reflective of modern times.”

To achieve the desired ambience, YSA opted to divide open areas into more compact and intimate spaces, allowing cruise guests to spend time in smaller groups. This extends to outdoor decks, where guests experience personalised service and the feeling of specialness associated with smaller ships.

Equally conducive to Rotterdam’s relaxing atmosphere is YSA’s expertly curated art collection, which features depictions of animals and nature in the public spaces as well as restful aquatic-themed artwork in the spa area to help guests disconnect from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Art is the key to Rotterdam’s modern aesthetic, with music-inspired pieces adorning walls, halls and corridors throughout the ship to reflect the main musical themes of Pinnacle-class ships. These include handcarved vinyl records and unwound cassette tapes portraying the faces of iconic musicians - a world map spray-painted onto a set of speakers and sculptures in the shape of musical instruments.

Meanwhile, the YSA-designed, deck-10 Pan-Asian restaurant, Tamarind, features stunning East Asian-influenced artwork including a traditional Japanese dress crafted of satin ribbon and two fibreglass sculptures depicting China’s famous terracotta warriors.

YSA Design’s relationship with HAL dates back to a refurbishment and conversion project on a previous iteration of the cruise line’s Nieuw Amsterdam in 2001. Since that time, the two parties have collaborated to refurbish 10 cruise vessels in line with HAL’s Signature of Excellence initiative, design half of the public spaces on-board 2007’s Eurodam and develop the Observation Deck fleet concept featured on Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam .

MJM partners with Ilimex

Northern Ireland’s MJM Marine has partnered with another NI based company Ilimex to look at complementary measures to assist in the wellbeing of passengers and crew with the introduction of a new piece of technology proven to uniquely kill viruses and bacteria, as well as improving air quality in the environment in which it is installed.

The Illimex UV-C Air Sterilisers, which come in various sizes depending on proposed use, use a combination of sterilisation technologies to continuously eliminate 99.9999% of airborne pathogens, including Coronavirus, on the first pass through the unit. The Illimex units also remove dangerous pollutants from its immediate environment including VOCs, formaldehydes, benzene, nitrogen dioxide, mould spores, smoke, particulate matter and much more. This is done by employing wide band extra long-life UV sources including a high efficiency power source to reduce operating costs, titanium dioxide photocatalytic filtration, silver-ion doped HEPA 13 filtering to PM1 (antibacterial filter) and activated carbon.

There are six products developed by Ilimex which come in various sizes - from the Ilimex 400 to a smaller piece of technology labelled the Ilimex 70 which is suitable for positioning over tables in cafes and other hospitality environments. This means that all areas of a cruise ship can be covered by multiple devices from cabin areas to crew areas and more. The devices can be integrated into existing spaces, plug and play, without imposing on the aesthetics of the interior.

Environmental Efficiency Consultants were contacted by Ulster University in conjunction with Ilimex to conduct an Air Quality Assessment at a test location to test air purification efficiency of an Ilimex sterilisation unit, the UV-C Air Steriliser.

The test location selected was the crew canteen on-board Irish Ferries’ Ulysses . The test area included a food service area, a self-service area, a seating area with tables for the consumption of food and drink and a lounge area. During the three-week assessment period in this heavy use area, various chemical, physical and microbiological parameters were measured under different scenarios. The test results proving the removal of pathogens were extremely favourable.

SORJ

The Illimex UV-C Air Steriliser