Marine Log April 2019

VANUATU MARITIME SERVICES LIMITED (VMSL), 39 BROADWAY, SUITE 2020, NEW YORK, NY 10006

SAFETY SEMINAR 2 MAY 2019

arine oG M L www.marinelog.com

R e p o R t i n g o n M a R i n e B u s i n e s s & t e c h n o l o g y s i n c e 18 78

May April2017 2019

You are cordially invited!

Location: Address:

INDIA HOUSE 1 Hanover Square New York, New York 10004 Program

0800

Registration and Breakfast

0900

Opening Remarks

0915

Vanuatu Ship Registry Technical Policies

0945

Biofouling and Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species

1015

Coffee Break

1030 1115

Captain Michael DeCharles, Executive Vice President, VMSL Roderick Acquie, Senior Manager, VMSL

TUGBOAT DESIGN: What's On The Drawing Board?

Matthew Bonvento, Assistant Professor/USMMA & CEO/Goodwind Maritime Services

Scrubbers: Possible Solution for 2020

Nick Confuorto, President, CR Ocean Engineering

Ballast Water and SOx 2020 Status in US Ports

John Hillin, Chief, USCG Safety Division, Staten Island, NY

1200

Lunch

1330

IMO 20/20 Insurance Claims/Trends and Implications

1415

digiMed Five Plus Telemedicine Kit

1500

Coffee Break

1515

How to Steal a Ship – GPS Vulnerability and Maritime

1600

eLoran: Second Source of Positioning, Navigation and Timing

1645

Closing Remarks

Boriana Farrar, Vice President-Counsel, The American Club

Michael Dunleavy, President, DigiGone & Derek Andresen, George Washington University

Dana Goward, President, Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation Stephen Bartlett, Executive Vice President, UrsaNav

Captain Michael DeCharles, Executive Vice President, VMSL

The cost is an all-inclusive $100.00 payable by check or credit card. For any inquiries please contact either Michael DeCharles (mdecharles@vanuatuships.com) or Roderick Acquie (racquie@vanuatuships.com) or you may call us at 212-425-9600.

OFFSHORE SERVICES: LEARNING TO LIVE WITH THE NEW NORMAL

U.S. SHIPBUILDING: LOOKING FOR BALANCE

NEW CONSTRUCTION • REPAIRS • CONVERSIONS 2200 Nelson Street, Panama City, FL 32401 Email: sberthold@easternshipbuilding.com www.easternshipbuilding.com TEL: 850-896-9869

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4 IERB M T U N A EPSCG S TIO U U L SO

Our Vision of the Future for the US Inland Waterways

Industry Challenges

Visit us at Booth #1137 May 6-8, 2019 National Harbor, MD

We look forward to serving you in 2019 and beyond!

Visit us at Booth #607 May 20-22, 2019 St. Louis, MO

WE HAVE SOLUTIONS FOR USCG SUB-CHAPTER M & EPA TIER 4

Thank You All for Hurricane Michael: October, 10, 2018 Your Support!

CONTENTS

10

18

Departments

Features

2P ublisher’s Letter New Year Brings Winds of Change

18

Offshore Services Learning to Live with the New Normal After restructurings and mergers, some see hope in an OSV market still carrying too many boats and too much debt on its books

22

Tugs & Barges What’s Ahead in Tugboat Design?

Leading naval architects give their insights into what the market is looking for

30

Fuels Preparation Key to Meeting IMO 2020 Challenge Tim Wilson of Lloyd’s Register says most shipowners will meet the new sulfur limits by using compliant fuel

34

STUDY Scrubber Wash Water: What the Science Shows Carnival releases the results of a two-year study

36

U.S. Shipbuilding The Balancing Act For many American shipbuilders, success lies in getting the right mix of government and commercial business

4 Industry InsightS 6 Marine Innovations 7 Inland Waterways Budget request short changes Corps civil programs

8 Wellness Column Charting New Waters in Circadian Health 9 Vessel of the Month Vane Brothers ATB Watchapreague/Double Skin 803

10 Update

Metal Shark Expands into Europe All American Launches New Ferry • Bouchard Takes Delivery of ATB • •

17 Inside Washington avy Budgets Less for N New Construction Ships 39 Newsmakers Parker Harrison Named to Crowley Leadership Team 40 Tech News Kongsberg Opens Up Digital Platform for Increased Industry Transformation 48 Environment Managing Hull Biofouling

April 2019 // Marine Log 1

EDITOR’S COLUMN Publisher’s Letter

MarineLoG APRIL 2019 Vol. 124, NO. 4 ISSN 08970491 USPS 576-910 Subscriptions: 800-895-4389

Tel: +1 (402) 346-4740 (Canada & International) Fax: +1 (402) 346-3670 Email: marinelog@omeda.com PRESIDENT Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. amcginnis@sbpub.com Publisher Jeff Sutley jsutley@sbpub.com EDITOR Nicholas Blenkey nblenkey@sbpub.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Paul Bartlett paul.bartlett@live.co.uk

Changes and Opportunities

I

t’s always good to have exciting news to share—and this month, I’m pleased to announce that Heather Ervin is joining Marine Log as its new editor in chief.

Heather joins us from The Waterways Journal, where she has worked for the past seven years as associate editor, involved in a broad range of writing, reporting and production roles and helping to plan the magazine’s annual conference.

She is 2008 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and was a member of Phi Sigma Pi’s honor fraternity, the Dean’s List, and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

She has also worked as a reporter and assistant editor on county newspapers and on trade publications, with focuses on the agribusiness and renewables sectors.

Now she is looking forward to expanding on the lessons she has learned in the inland marine industry and applying them to the broader national and international maritime sector.

The biggest challenge facing the international industry is, of course, IMO 2020 and the coming global cap on sulfur in marine fuels. Although a lot of attention has been paid to the use of exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers, to meet the IMO 2020 mandate, the fact remains that

European EDITOR Charlie Bartlett charlie.bartlett@runbox.com

the overwhelming majority of shipowners will comply by switching to fuels that comply with the new sulfur limits. Though that may seem a “passive” response to the problem, nobody is under the illusion that simply bunkering with IMO-compliant fuel before the January 1, 2020, deadline is all that’s involved. There’s far more to it than that, as Tim Wilson of Lloyd’s Register explains in an in-depth feature this month.

Our IMO 2020 coverage in this issue also looks at scrubber discharges—and the results of a scientific study by Carnival and DNV GL that suggests a lot of the fears being expressed over scrubber wash water and its likely effect on the environment are misplaced.

Also in this issue: a look at some of the challenges facing America’s shipyards, signs that the offshore services sector may at last be starting to right-size, and some insights into what tug and barge designers have on the drawing board.

Art Director Nicole D’Antona ndantona@sbpub.com Graphic Designer Aleza Leinwand aleinwand@sbpub.com MARKETING DIRECTOR Erica Hayes ehayes@sbpub.com PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com REGIONAL SALES MANAGER EAST COAST Elaina Crockett ecrockett@sbpub.com REGIONAL SALES MANAGER MIDWEST/WEST COAST Jim Kingwill jim@kingwillco.com Barry Kingwill barry@kingwillco.com SALES REPRESENTATIVE KOREA & CHINA Young-Seoh Chinn corres1@jesmedia.com CLASSIFIED SALES Jeanine Acquart jacquart@sbpub.com Circulation DIRECTOR Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Michelle M. Zolkos mzolkos@sbpub.com CONFERENCE ASSISTANT Stephanie Rodriguez srodriguez@sbpub.com

JEFF SUTLEY

CONTRIBUTORS Emily Reiblein Crowley Maritime Corporation

Publisher jsutley@sbpub.com

Capt. Matthew Bonvento Good Wind Maritime Services Marine Log Magazine (Print ISSN 0897-0491, Digital ISSN 2166-210X), (USPS#576-910), (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St. 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices.

Judy Murray John Wooldridge

PRICING: Qualified individuals in the marine industry may request a free subscription. For non-qualified subscriptions: Print version, Digital version, Both Print & Digital versions: 1 year, US $98.00; foreign $213.00; foreign, air mail $313.00. 2 years, US $156.00; foreign $270.00; foreign, air mail $470.00. Single Copies are $29.00 each. Subscriptions must be paid in U.S. dollars only.

For Subscriptions, & address changes, Please call (US Only) 1-800-553-8878 (CANADA/INTL) 1-319-364-6167, Fax 1-319-364-4278, e-mail marinelog@stamats.com or write to: Marine Log Magazine, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Marine Log Magazine, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407.

2 Marine Log // April 2019

VT Halter Marine

COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2019. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018 Phone (212) 221-9595 Fax (212) 221-9195.

Michael J. Toohey Waterways Council, Inc. Simmons-Boardman Publishing CORP. 55 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10004 Tel: (212) 620-7200 Fax: (212) 633-1165 Website: www.marinelog.com E-mail: marinelog@sbpub.com

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Join us as we tour the world’s major shipping hubs to discuss how we can collaborate with you to find the best solutions.

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k

M

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS The U.S. Navy Rolls Out Its FY2020 Budget Request The Navy is U.S. shipbuilding’s largest customer. This year’s budget provides for a deployable battle force of 301 ships in FY20. This supports 11 aircraft carriers and 33 amphibious ships that serve as the foundation upon which the Navy’s carrier and amphibious ready groups are based. By 2023 the aim is to reach 314 battle force ships and 355 ships by 2034.

BATTLE SHIPInventory: INVENTORY: 314 FY 2023 BattleFORCE Force Ship 314 By FYBY 2023 PB20 FYDP

370 350 330

355

310 290

314

270 250

30-Yr SBP

FY19

FY20

FY21

FY22

FY23

FY24

FY25

FY26

FY27

FY28

FY29

FY30

FY31

296

301

305

311

314

314

313

314

316

322

325

331

337

FY 2020 Deliveries

FY32 343

FY33 351

FY34 355

FY35 355

FY 2020 Ship Procurement 1

4

3 3

3 1

2

2 1

0.0

0.5

1.0

2

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

0.0

4.0

0.5

Destoryers

Nuclear Attack Submarines

Aircraft Carrier

Littoral Combat Ships

Expeditionary Fast Transport

Destroyers

TOTAL NAVY BUDGET $205,572 MILLION

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Nuclear Attack Submarines Frigate

3.0 T-AO T-ATS

SHIPBUILDING AND CONVERSION, NAVY $23,784 MILLION

Source: U.S.Navy

U.S. Shipbuilding Contracts Qty

Type

Owner

Est. $

HII Ingalls Shipbuilding

1

Landing Platform Dock (LPD)

U.S. Navy

1.47 B

Austal USA

2

Expeditionary Fast Transport DDC con-tract

U.S. Navy

261.7 M

UNSPECIFIED

SSN long lead time material contracr mod

U.S. Navy

2B

12

40 ft patrol boats

U.S. Navy

20.6 M

Shipyard

GD Electric Boat Metal Shark

4 Marine Log // April 2019

Est. Del.

July 2022

Aug. 2022

Rule the Sea

Viega MegaPress CuNi ®

The most innovative, mechanically-attached fittings for the marine world.

Let’s face it. With tighter deadlines, bigger budget constraints and a rising tide of labor scarcity, traditional welding methods have gotten in the way of timely building and repair. There’s a faster, safer, simpler alternative that brings more certainty and success to the industry. MegaPress CuNi is a press fitting system designed for copper nickel application aboard ships. It’s a sea change for the marine world. Those who harness it will be those who rule with confidence. MegaPress CuNi has ABS Type Approval and is U.S. Coast Guard Accepted.

Learn more about how MegaPress CuNi can help you rule the sea at Viega.us/RuleNow Viega. Connected in quality.

Marine Innovations NANOVERE TECHNOLOGIES llc Nano-Clear NCI for Marine Brighton, Mich., headquartered Nanovere Technologies has been awarded the prestigious NACE MP Corrosion Innovation of the Year Award for its Nano-Clear line of industrial coatings.

Nano-Clear NCI for marine is designed to enhance and extend the service life of newly painted or highly oxidized painted surfaces by 10 years. It penetrates deep into the pores of newly painted or highly oxidized paints and enhances color, improves gloss, dramatically increases surface hardness and extends UV resistance. http://www.nanocoatings.com/marine

LAVLE USA Solid Electrolyte Battery ESS for Marine Market Anacortes, Wash.-headquartered Lavle USA Inc. is developing the world’s first, large scale, Solid Electrolyte Battery (SEB) Energy Storage System (ESS) for the marine market, utilizing SEB cells supplied from its Japanese joint venture partner, 3DOM and application engineering expertise from its American JV partner, Ockerman Automation. The 3DOM SEB cells utilize a unique, patented separator technology that enables the use of lithium metal in the anode and solid materials for the electrolyte between the cathode and anode electrodes. https://lavle.com/

SUITX Third-generation Shoulder Exoskeleton Emeryville, Calif., based suitX has launched its third-generation wearable shoulder-supporting exoskeleton (shoulderX V3) for use by shipbuilding and other workers. The industrial exoskeleton augments its wearer by reducing forces at the shoulder complex, substantially reducing the risk of shoulder injuries and increasing workplace productivity. www.suitx.com/

TRU-VU MONITORS Sunlight Readable Touch Screen Monitor Arlington Heights, Ill., based TRU-Vu Monitors has released the SRMHTRWP-15V” Sunlight Readable touch screen monitor with a waterproof stainless steel panel-mount enclosure that enables it to be flush-mounted into a wall, cabinet, control panel or on a ship. The 15” screen is more than five times brighter than a standard desktop monitor, making it ideal for use in direct sunlight or other high ambient-light conditions.The 5-wire resistive touch screen can be activated by a bare or gloved finger, pen, stylus or nearly any other object. www.tru-vumonitors.com

BRIDGEPORT MAGNETICS Marine Puck Family of Boat Isolation Transformers Shelton, Conn., based Bridgeport Magnetics Group’s Marine Puck Boat Isolation Transformers for yachts and commercial vessels reduce leakage current to below one mA eliminating shock hazard to persons on board and swimmers near the vessel. Using highly efficient toroidal construction, size and weight is about half of other brands. Automatic boost models are available to compensate for voltage drops caused by long dock-runs. www.bridgeportmagnetics.com

6 Marine Log // April 2019

inland waterways

Fiscal Funding for the Future to receive $82 million in FY20, with $1.5 million going toward Pre-Construction Engineering and Design for the Three Rivers Project in Arkansas.

The FY20 budget also proposes $965 million be derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, down from the FY19 appropriated level of $1.55 billion.

Not Unexpected Given Past OMB Requests

O

n March 11, Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) reacted to the Trump Administration’s release that day of an outline of its top-line Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) budget numbers, and the next day, to the Corps of Engineers’ review of its account and project-specific funding levels.

Shutterstock/ TFoxFoto

Cuts to Corps Civil Works For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program, the FY20 budget proposes $4.827 billion, a 31% cut from the FY19 appropriated amount of $7.0 billion.

Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) proposed funding in FY20 is $55.5 million, with a total of $111 million requested for the Lower Mon Project in Pittsburgh, funding it to completion.

Congress appropriated $329.8 million for five IWTF-funded projects in the FY19 minibus appropriations bill, despite the fact that in FY19, the President’s request for Construction was just $35 million for the Olmsted project.

Congress increased that $35 million FY19 amount by 842.3%, enabling efficient funding for Lower Mon, Kentucky Lock (confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers), Chickamauga Lock (Tennessee River), and funding to completion for Olmsted Locks and Dam (Ohio River) and for major rehabilitation of LaGrange Lock (Illinois Waterway).

If the President’s FY20 budget is accepted, Lower Mon would be the only IWTF project receiving FY20 funding, while Kentucky Lock and Chickamauga Lock would go unfunded and be shut down.

Per Vessel Charge The FY20 budget again proposes a PerVessel Charge on the inland waterways, expected to raise $178 million annually that would be in addition to the current diesel fuel tax commercial operators pay. The FY20 budget also seeks to have commercial operators pay for 10% of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) funding, historically

We look to Congress to restore Fiscal Year 2020 budget cuts and recapitalize critical locks and dams

a Federal responsibility.

The FY20 budget proposes $3.025 billion for O&M, and $148 million for Mississippi Rivers & Tributaries (MR&T).

Inland O&M received $705 million in the FY20 request.

The FY20 request also included $24.1 million for a deficiency correction at Mel Price Lock and Dam on the Mississippi River.

The Investigations account is proposed

This budget is not unexpected based on past Office of Management and Budget requests from any Administration, but the FY20 proposal is still very disappointing considering the President’s many positive pronouncements on the importance of infrastructure investment.

Early in office, President Trump had touted that a trillion dollars would be the spending target for an infrastructure bill. In June 2017, he went to Cincinnati and stood on the banks of the Ohio River to stress the importance of the inland waterways and its lock and dam infrastructure.

This was the first time in modern memory that a President came directly to the river and referred to the waterways as “critical corridors of commerce,” and an “American thoroughfare.”

President Trump noted that of his Administration’s $1 trillion investment plan, $200 billion would be direct Federal funds, leaving an $800 billion short-fall.

The big question then — and now — is who will fund that, and how?

And even $1 trillion dollars is less than a quarter of what is actually needed to bring the condition of U.S. infrastructure up to a level that would earn it a “B” grade, according to American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates.

Until we get the right proposal and the optimal amount of money to fund American infrastructure, we look to Congress to restore Fiscal Year 2020 budget cuts and recapitalize critical locks and dams, a conduit to American competitiveness.

Visit www.waterwayscouncil.org

Michael J. Toohey President/CEO, Waterways Council, Inc.

April 2019 // Marine Log 7

WELLNESS COLUMN

Charting New Waters in Circadian Health

8 Marine Log // April 2019

clock” in the brain’s SCN (Suprachiasmatic Nucleus) which regulates the sleep and wake cycle. The good news is that even though we may not be able to sleep and wake at normal hours, we may still be able to drive beneficial cycles by affecting the other modes of circadian influence, like the rhythmic movements of the gut. Ultimately, these trillions of microbes housed in our belly

Disrupt or misalign the body’s cycles, and the potential for deadly consequences results.

region are affecting how much energy we make, expend and how much becomes the fat around our waistline. They also do everything from express our genetic code creating disease and/or health, to producing hormones like serotonin to boost our immune system.

Past understanding of gut health called for individuals to seek food and supplements like probiotics (i.e. yogurt) and prebiotics (i.e. dietary fibers) that act as “miracle grow” for microbes to help our gut operate at maximum potential. Feeding the gut bacteria the right foods can help diversify the populations and keep them strong.

Emily Reiblein

Crowley Maritime Corporation, Labor Relations-Union Wellness Programs/ Operations Integrity

Shutterstock/ Yuriy Golub

L

ast month we talked about the recommendations for fatigue management measures within the transportation industry. This month, we are diving into the latest science on the ever evolving sleep topic of circadian rhythm, best known in association with our sleep and wake cycle. Dim the lights and the hormone melatonin rises to bring on sleep.

Brighten the lights, especially in the blue spectrum and melatonin drops to wake us up. Advances in circadian science are now identifying how these rhythmic movements can impact our health for better and worse.

Using these patterns to our advantage may change the way shift-working mariners, and over 20% of the rest of the population, better their health even in the face of minimal sleep, and poor nutritional intake.

The timing of the body’s circadian rhythms unfolds over a 24 hour period.

Exposure to light keeps us regulated daily.

These oscillations propel many aspects of our behavior, psychology and physiology.

They drive the body’s production of proteins, which are based on what we eat, when we eat it, our sleep and how much activity we have throughout the day. Disrupt or misalign the body’s cycles, and the potential for deadly consequences results. These manifest in diseases like cardiovascular disease, intestinal disruptions, neuro-degenerative diseases, cancer and diabetes. Recently, circadian relationships have been identified across the whole body with various “clocks” embedded in organs, muscles and our microbiomes like the bacteria in the gut. These clocks appear to operate somewhat independently, but in conjunction with the “major

Satchidananda Panda’s work at the Salk Institute is identifying a different tack, how not eating or restricting when we eat can affect our gut circadian cycle for better gut health and better sleep. Studies are showing that Time Restricted Feeding (TRF) can decrease body weight by 1/3rd and help regulate blood lipid numbers like cholesterol and triglycerides, even for those with nutritional challenges. Study subjects were eating between a 12 to 9 hour daily window, and refraining from all but water outside the window. Body weights in this group were reduced, without restricting calories, and continued even through there were disruptions to the time restricted eating cycles, wild weekend feasting for example. Shockingly, a combined high sugar and fat diet also known as a Standard Western Diet, fed in a 9 hours window still lead to weight loss and enhanced metabolic regulation. Symptoms of diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease were reduced. Panda points out that resting time for the gut and other organs helps drive healthy circadian cycles and is one of the reasons for the positive results; “Just like you cannot repair a highway when the traffic is still flowing, you can not completely repair the gut if you keep on eating”.

Giving it periods of time where high levels of acids are not working to digest food and drink appears beneficial to overall health.

Aligning gut “down-time” with our bodies sleep timing; not eating two hours prior to bed and an hour after waking appears effective at setting the gut up for success and also promoting better sleep. Digestion takes energy, and if the gut is awake when we are trying to sleep, there will be a misalignment of activities and neither will happen well.

For those with acid reflux there may be an added benefit of reduced symptoms when going to bed with a stomach that is not full.

The possibility that lifestyle choices can be furthered and even mitigated with a simple change to when we eat is promising. In an industry like ours where there can be few choices for mariners this type of change can help create health regardless of poor circumstances.

Vessel of the month

WATCHAPREAGUE/ DOUBLE SKIN 803 Conrad Shipyard delivers third in a series of ATB units

Conrad Shipyard

M

organ City, La., based Conrad Shipyard has delivered the third in a series of identical Articulated Tug Barge units, designed by Greg Castleman of Castleman Maritime, to the Vane Brothers Company, Baltimore, Md. This third ATB unit comprises the tug Wachapreague and barge Double Skin 803, The 110-foot Wachapreague, named for a city on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, has a breadth of 38 feet and a design draft of 15 ft 4 in. She has accommodations for a crew of ten and is powered by two Tier III compliant, 2,200 hp Cummins QSK-60M diesel engines turning two Hung Shen, 102-in by 79-in four bladed, fixed pitch, bronze propellers via Reintjes WAF 873 7.087:1 ratio reduction gears.

Electrical service is provided by two 125 kW Cummins generator sets, driven by Cummins QSB7-DM diesels, plus a 65 kW emergency generator.

The tug’s towing equipment consists of two Coastal Marine Equipment C-83 capstans: a

40 hp unit mounted on the bow and a 20 hp unit mounted on the stern. A 2,500 pound Thern deck crane is mounted aft.

The tug and barge are linked by a BeaconFinland JAK 700 coupler system.

Double Skin 803 has an overall length of 403 feet, beam of 74 feet and overall depth of 32 feet. The barge is equipped with bow thrusters and thermal heaters for its cargo of asphalt.

“It is always rewarding to deliver new vessels to a repeat customer like Vane,” said Conrad Shipyard Chairman and CEO, Johnny Conrad. “The Vane team is great to work with, and this ATB is representative of the quality, craftsmanship, integrity and service consistently delivered by our extraordinary shipbuilding team. We appreciate Vane Brothers’ continued confidence in Conrad Shipyard.”

April 2019 // Marine Log 9

Update

BIZ NOTES NAVY HAS BIGGER PLANS FOR Unmanned Vessels

BC Ferries to Build Five New Vessels with Input from Community In an effort to rejuvenate its fleet, BC

Ferries says it plans to replace four of its older vessels with new larger, quieter, and environmentally sustainable ferries. The ferries on the way out include the Queen of New Westminster, Queen of Alberni, Queen of Coquitlam and Queen of Cowichan.

The new ferries, expected to enter into service in the mid 2020s, will add capacity to the Metro Vancouver- Vancouver Island routes.

The decision to replace the vessels will not be solely a company one. BC Ferries is inviting customers and members of the community to take part in engagement sessions and workshops in order to join the conversation and provide their take on what

the future onboard experience should be.

The feedback received through engagement will be used to help inform the detailed design of the vessels. The vessel design will be shared with customers and communities as the project progresses so they can understand where their input was used, and where it wasn’t possible to incorporate feedback and why.

BC Ferries is also identifying the operational needs related to size and capacity, speed and maneuverability, space allotments and other technological requirements.

“This is an exciting project and we invite our customers to join the conversation,” said Mark Collins, President & CEO of BC Ferries. “There is still a lot to be decided.”

The U.S. Nav y could soon be leading the world in autonomous power. Under the Navy’s FY2020 budget request was the unexpec ted inclusion of t wo large unmanned surface vessels in the ship construction submission.

The Nav y’s existing Medium Displacement Unmanned Surface Vessel ( MDUSV ), Sea Hunter is already making headlines, and creating records—including an autonomous round trip from San Diego to Pearl Harbor completed at the start of this year.

Now it looks like the agency is taking steps to bring its plans for larger vessels to fruition.

Last month a Sources Sought/ RFI notice was posted on the FBO website saying that “the Navy is conduc ting market research in accordance with FAR Part 10 to determine if sources exist that are capable of satisfying the Navy’s anticipated program requirement for L arg e Unmanne d Sur f ace Vessels (LUSV).”

The posting says that the complete Sources Sought/RFI posting contains controlled technical data that cannot be posted to the FBO website and will only be made available to U.S. Department of Defense contractors.

Sanmar building icebreaking ASD Tugs for Finland Finland’s first privately-owned ice-

breaking escort tugs are taking shape at Turkey’s Sanmar shipyard. The two ice class 67-ton bollard pull ASD tugs are being built for Alfons Håkans.

Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., the tugs are based on the firm’s new TundRA 3200 series classed by Bureau Veritas as Hull, Mach, Escort Tug, AUT-UMS, Baltic Service, Ice Class 1A, INWATERSURVEY, Green Passport-EU. The tugs will be capable of performing multiple tasks, including escort, ship- assist, 10 Marine Log // April 2019

icebreaking and ice management, open sea towing, fire-fighting, small cargo transfer on deck including 20-foot containers, assistance in salvage, and oil spill recovery.

The hull is designed for icebreaking with strength that is significantly above requirements of ice class 1A to ensure safety during icebreaking and eliminate the possibility of structural damage and shell plate deformation. For ship-assist in berthing and unberthing the tug is fitted with equipment and fendering for two directional, bow and astern pushing and pulling.

Update

Metal Shark Expands into Europe Metal Shark continues increasing its

reach in the industry. The Jeanerette, La., based shipbuilder, has made its way across the Atlantic into Europe, opening its first location outside of the United States. Metal Shark Croatia is a new engineering facility recently opened in the city of Rijeka on Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast.

The facility employs nearly 20 naval architects, machinery systems engineers, and electrical engineers who collaborate with Metal Shark’s domestic engineering team in support of the company’s shipbuilding operations at its three facilities in Alabama and Louisiana. The goal is to increase that number to 40-person fulltime staff by year’s end.

“Metal Shark’s success is driven by our ongoing commitment to in-house

12 Marine Log // April 2019

engineering, which allows us to quickly and capably design complex, custom, high quality vessels,” said CEO Chris Allard. Allard is a graduate of the Webb Institute in Glen Cove, N.Y., one of the world’s leading naval architecture and marine engineering institutions. “While we will continue to recruit domestically and to partner with universities to educate the next generation of America’s ship designers and engineers, the establishment of Metal Shark Croatia allows us to scale up our engineering resources at a rate that would be otherwise impossible.”

Key factors that made Croatia stand out to Metal Shark included the country’s rich maritime history, its shipyards and technical faculties, and its pool of highly trained naval architects and maritime engineers.

At Metal Shark Croatia, vessels are 100%

digitally designed. Engineers are actively involved in all phases of project development, from vessel design, classification, and documentation, to the construction and design drawings required for shipbuilding.

The facility also uses the same advanced engineering software and project management systems used in Metal Shark’s U.S. facilities ensuring a seamless collaboration and communication.

“While we are a remote facility, we are fully integrated with the rest of Metal Shark and we collaborate extensively in a shared team environment,” said Teuta Duletic.

“By working both ends of the clock we are able to quickly and capably deliver highly complex and custom production-ready vessels for Metal Shark’s growing range of markets.”

Update

$19.6 Million in Small Shipyard Grant Funds Available The highly competitive Small Shipyard

Grant Program is back this year. According to a notice published last month, in the Federal Register by the U.S. Maritime Administration, $19.6 million is currently available under the Small Shipyard Grant program. Applications must be received by April 16.

Last year, MARAD awarded more than

$20 million in grants to support capital improvements at 29 U.S. small shipyards.

The grants are available “for capital and related improvements to qualified shipyard facilities that will be effective in fostering efficiency, competitive operations, and quality ship construction, repair, and reconfiguration.”

The notice says that it is expected, based on experience, that the aggregate amount of requested funding among all applicants will far exceed the funds available and that only a small percentage of applications will be funded. It is anticipated that roughly 10–20 applications will be selected for funding with an average grant amount of about $1 million.

BIZ NOTES BW Group Purchases MAJORITY Stake in Epic Gas

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BW Group has announced the purchase of a 54.7% stake in Epic Gas and launched an unconditional tender offer to acquire the remaining shares in the Singaporeheadquar tered company. Epic Gas currently operates a fleet of 39 pressurized LPG vessels. BW Group’s family of companies and affiliates currently control over 300 vessels across the offshore supply, crude oil, refined product, dry bulk, LPG Shipping, LNG shipping, and LNG storage and regasification verticals.

The Epic Gas board has appointed Andreas Sohmen-Pao, Chairman, BW Group, and Billy Chiu, Executive Vice President, BW Group, as new directors of the company.

Andreas Sohmen-Pao, Chairman of BW Group said, “BW Group is pleased to acquire this shareholding in Epic Gas with its strong operational platform and quality fleet. The transaction represents an opportunity to acquire a well-managed company, led

by Charles Maltby, and we look for ward to working together to achieve successful growth in the service of our customers.”

For his part, Maltby, Chairman and CEO of Epic Gas, said, “BW Group’s experience and track record as an industry leader in maritime transportation of energy aligns with Epic Gas’ vision of being the leading provider of pressurized LPG shipping solutions.”

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April 2019 // Marine Log 13

Update

All American Marine Launches New Vessel for Kitsap Transit

All American Marine has completed

construction and launched Reliance, the second of three low wake, high-speed passenger vessels it is building for Kitsap Transit. The 118

-passenger aluminum catamaran features a composite superstructure.

Designed by New Zealand’s Teknicraft, the 77m Reliance has a patented

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14 Marine Log // April 2019

hydrofoil-assisted hull design proven to have a low-wake wash energy signature, making it ideal to operate on wake sensitive routes such at the Rich Passage where the shoreline is prone to erosion.

“Our hydrofoil supported hull has been developed and refined over the last decade to become a leader in catamaran technology,” said Nic de Waal, Teknicraft’s principal naval architect. “With the additional benefit of sophisticated and intensive CFD modeling over recent periods, we now have one of the most advanced and environmentally friendly hulls in terms of the combination of low wake, high speed and low fuel consumption.”

“Reliance is not your typical ferry, it was built to be very lightweight and to fly smoothly through the wake sensitive zone,” says Matt Mullett, CEO for All American Marine. “This vessel was strictly modeled on the proven hull design, but additional enhancements and modernizations were added without hampering performance.”

The vessel can travel at speeds up to 36 knots and is powered by four Hamilton 403 waterjets and four Caterpillar C-18 engines in compliance with EPA Tier III emission regulations.

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Update

Safe Boats to Build Stormer Workboat Designs BREMERTON, WASH., based SAFE Boats International, known for its high-quality aluminum construction of military and law enforcement vessels, recently signed an agreement with Dutch builder Stormer Marine BV licensing it to build Stormer’s workboat designs in the U.S. Stormer Marine’s portfolio features designs ranging from 4.5m center console, open workboats to 12-m twin engine cabin workboats. The design can be used for patrol, rescue, harbor duty, firefighting, surveillance, contracting, towing, survey and transportation missions.

Stormer Marine’s Richard Gramser said, “Right from the first meeting there was a natural match with SAFE Boats in business philosophy and approach. During our visit to their factory in Bremerton we were impressed by the high quality and finishing of their boats. We are both excited and honored with this partnership and fully convinced that the production of our models is in ‘SAFE’ hands for the U.S .market.”

Bouchard Takes Delivery of New ATB Unit Marking the latest step in its ongoing fleet expansion, Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc., Melville, N.Y., has taken delivery of its newest ATB unit comprised of the ATB tug M/V Evening Breeze and the barge, Barge No. 252. The tug was built by VT Halter Marine and left its Pascagoula, Mississippi shipyard on its way to the meet the B. No. 252 constructed by Bollinger Shipyards.

The Jones Act vessels are fitted with the latest in advanced equipment and technology to reduce total emissions, better operations, and ensure a more eco-friendly fleet.

“Our Safety First philosophy remains at the forefront of our operation, and the M/V Evening Breeze and the B. No. 252 are strong representations of VT Halter Marine and Bollinger Shipyards ability to help advance our fleet with the most innovative technology,” said Morton S. Bouchard III, President and CEO of Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. The Evening Breeze is a 4,000 hp tug measuring 112 ft x 35 ft x 17 ft and meets all U.S. EPA-Tier 4 requirements, making it the first tug in Bouchard’s fleet to feature EPA Tier 4 engines. Speaking on the tug’s recently delivery, Ronald Baczkowski, CEO

of VT Halter Marine said the company was “pleased to build on our 37 plus year relationship, designing and building quality, safe, industry leading tugs and barges for the Bouchard family.

B. No. 252 has a 55,000 barrel capacity and will transport clean petroleum products in the Jones Act market. “Mr. Bouchard and his family continue to invest into the future by continuing to modernize its fleet,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “It is a great American story to have multiple generations of Bouchards continue on as leaders in our industry.”

April 2019 // Marine Log 15

Update

BIZ NOTES Kirby Completes Cenac Acquisition America’s largest domestic tank barge o p e r a t o r, K i r b y C o r p o r a t i o n , Houston, Texas, has completed the acquisition of Cenac Marine Services, LLC. Cenac is an

operator of tank barges and towboats in the inland tank barge transportation industry in the U.S. The company transpor t s petrochemic als, refined prod ucts, and black oil, including crude oil, residual fuels, feeds tocks and lubricants on the lower Mississippi River,

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Cenac’s fleet consists of 63 30,000-barrel inland tank barges with approximately 1.9 million barrels of capacity, 34 inland towboats, and two offshore tugboats.

Damen to Build Luxury Cruise Ship Damen is officially in the cruise ship

business. Damen Shipyards Group has announced it will build a 155 m mega yacht at its Damen Mangalia shipyard for Norwegian entrepreneur Atle Brynestad’s SeaDream Yacht Club. The ship, to be named the SeaDream Innovation, will have a one-to-one guest to crew ratio and include only 110 ocean-view suites meaning a more intimate, luxury cruise shipping experience.

The mega yacht, a purpose-built ship, will be prepared to operate in destinations, including polar and tropical, around the world. As such, the vessel will be built to ice class Polar 6.

“We were drawn to Damen Shipyards for their excellent reputation and proven track record as innovators in the shipbuilding industry,” said Brynestad, Owner, Chairman and CEO of SeaDream. “Damen Shipyards understood our vision from the very beginning, making them a natural fit for this venture. We are looking forward to working closely with the Damen team to bring this dream to reality.”

He added, “This project has been a dream of mine for many years. It has been a true labor of love to meticulously design every aspect of this yacht, from the interiors and facilities to the itineraries.”

Construction is to start later this year in October, with a scheduled delivery date of September 2021.

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Navy Budget Funds 12 Battle Force Ships in FY2020

T

he Navy’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget request of $205.6 billion is an increase of $9.5 billion (4.6%) from the FY19 enacted budget. However, at $23.7 billion, the FY2020 budget request for “Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy” is lower than the $24.15 actually enacted in FY2019.

From this point on much of the action that determines what ships will actually get built where will take place in D.C., where — as the Navy knows full well — the Congress usually likes to add in a ship or two The 12 battle force ships funded in FY2020 include the CVN 81 Ford class carrier, three Virginia class submarines, three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, two John Lewis-class fleet oilers, one FFG(X) guided missile frigate, and two towing, salvage and rescue ships.

There are also two large unmanned surface

vessels in the FY2020 request.

Ship depot maintenance funding increases by 6.8 percent over FY2019. According to the Navy, “this level of funding grows the public and private shipyards to beyond the current effective capacities and builds the workforce and sustains the industrial base.”

Ship operations funding increases by 5.9 percent over FY2019, “providing consumables, repair parts, administration, and ship operation training costs.”

Training Ships The FY2020 Department of Transportation budget request includes $205 million for the design and construction of a training ship scaled to meet the at-sea training needs of the smaller State Maritime Academies.

Last year the Congress appropriated $600 million for the construction of the first two of up to five National

Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) whose primary role is to replace the state academies’ current aging vessels. It’s not quite clear how the $200 million in the current ask fits in with the NSMV program. What is clear is that the Pennsylvania congressional delegation is going to pull out all the stops to try and get the NSMV ships built at Philly Shipyard, which has just delivered the last ship on its order book.

Coast Guard The Coast Guard’s FY2020 budget request includes $140 million for the procurement of two Fast Response Cutters, $60 million for post-delivery activities (PDA) for the seventh through eleventh National Security Cutters and $35 million for continued program management for construction of the first Polar Security Cutter — the order for which is likely within the next few weeks.

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April 2019 // Marine Log 17

OFFSHORE SERVICES

OSV OPERATORS start learning to live with the new normal

Harvey Freedom is one of five LNG-fueled OSVs in the Harvey Gulf fleet

Some see a few signs of hope in the offshore oil patch

By Jennifer Pallanich

A

re there any signs of hope in the offshore oil and gas sector — and, in particular, offshore services?

One indicator of the industry’s health is the most recent Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Gulf of Mexico lease sale. Held March 20, Lease Sale 252 generated $244,299,344 in high bids for 227 tracts covering 1,261,133.85 acres in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. That was considerably better than the $178 million generated by the August 2018 GoM lease sale “Today’s lease sale shows strong bidding by established companies, which indicates that the Gulf of Mexico will continue to be a leading energy source for our nation long into the future,” said Department of the Interiors Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Joe Balash.

Analysts were a bit more measured.

18 Marine Log // April 2019

“We saw a modest increase in overall spending, but it was outpaced by the increase in acreage leading to lower amount per acre, furthering our hypothesis that it is a buyer’s market in the Gulf of Mexico,” said William Turner, senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie.

National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Randall Luthi said the sale allowed the Federal government to check the temperature of the offshore industry in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in the face of the slow pace of recovering commodity prices.

“Lease Sale 252 not only reflects the relatively stable oil prices, but also the efforts by the overall industry to cut costs,” said Luthi. “Much of the cost cutting has drastically affected service companies, as their profit margin remains thin or non-existent.

However, the trajectory of this and the past few sales shows stability and helps establish

a new normal for the U.S. offshore industry.

Companies continue to shore up existing development operations (in both shallow and deep water) in known geologic areas, but are not yet ready for heavy investment in truly new deepwater projects.”

The international offshore services industry operating in this new normal looks a little different than it did, following a number of mergers and restructurings.

During the industry’s upswing, offshore supply vessel (OSV) operators around the world rapidly expanded fleets, leaving them vulnerable when demand plummeted in 2014.

Consolidations and debt restructuring deals, combined with a growing rig count and incremental demand, have some OSV operators feeling optimistic about the coming years while others remain deep in financial straits.

OFFSHORE SERVICES In terms of vessel numbers, the largest player today is Tidewater, following its merger with Gulfmark Offshore in November last year had a fleet of over 250 vessel.

Privately held Edison Chouest is second with some 222 vessels, Paris headquartered Bourbon comes in third with some 219 vessels, while Norway’s Solstad Offshore, comes in fourth with some 99 vessels.

However, if you look at what fleets are worth, the pecking orders is rather different.

According to VesselsValue, Chouest is the leader in this category with a fleet estimated to be worth $1.6 billion, while Bourbon trails with a fleet estimated to be worth $536 million.

There are still a lot of other players in the market, many of them well-established in some key geographical areas, with Chouest and Harvey Gulf, for example having a much bigger presence in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico than Tidewater, which dominated the GoM scene in its heyday.

What Went Wrong?

“We were in the golden age, and suddenly we incurred a deep crisis,” says Victor Chevallier, CEO of Paris, France, headquartered Bourbon Marine & Logistics. “We keep hearing the OSV market is one of the most depressed

Slide from Tidewater presentation shows which players are dominant in key offshore regions markets in the world. This is the result of four years of never seen before prices.”

The current down cycle has been longer and deeper than previous downturns. In 2014, oil commanded $100 per barrel, the rig count was around 740, and many new OSVs had been built and delivered into the market.

Then the oil price dropped off the cliff, eventually landing under $30 per barrel,

and the rig count and OSV demand correspondingly cratered.

Perfect Storm “Some call it the perfect storm of increasing supply rapidly as demand was falling quickly,” John T. Rynd, Tidewater president and CEO, says.

Oil prices spent the next few years riding

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April 2019 // Marine Log 19

OFFSHORE SERVICES an up-and-down roller coaster.

“We’ve been fighting our way back up with a few fits and starts,” says Rynd, a former chairman of the National Ocean Industries Association. “It’s been a tough slog for everybody in the industry.”

As of March, the rig count was hovering just over 400 and oil prices had reached $60 per barrel, leading to measured optimism.

“We’re seeing pockets of strength around world and incremental OSV demand,” Rynd

says, such as the North Sea and West Africa.

While Tidewater is “cautious” going into 2019, the company has increased its dayrates marginally in areas with stronger demand, he says.

Shane Guidr y, Har vey Gulf Marine CEO, says another metric can indicate whether a sector of the market is finally on the upswing.

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Harvey Gulf sees opportunities opening up, particularly toward 3Q 2019 and into next year.

“The Mexican Gulf of Mexico looks promising,” Guidry says, noting the company has reflagged five boats to Mexico for work in the region.

Harvey Gulf also sees potential for growth in Trinidad, Suriname, Guyana, Angola and Nigeria, Guidry says. The company itself is growing.

“A year ago, we had one office,” he says.

The company now operates offices in Mexico City, Ciudad del Carmen, Trinidad, Guyana and New Orleans and has plan to open an office in London in mid-May. The growth, he adds, is only possible because the company addressed its debt issues early on.

“I can work cheaper than the companies that have not restructured their debt,” Guidry says. “I did it early. I didn’t wait and fight my lenders to do it. I just stepped out there and got it done.”

Guidry believes consolidation will help the OSV sector.

“I think mergers need to occur. Companies need to get bigger and manage their costs better,” Guidry says, adding the company is open to buying or merging with the right company in order to lower operating costs. “I believe 2019 is the correct year to do this.”

In the meantime, Guidry says he’s been seeing demand for DP-2 fast supply vessels as well as boats that can pump 15,000 barrels of liquid mud into a well.

“Those really exist only in the U.S., so there’s a big need for those boats in Africa,” Guidry observes. “When pressure is put on vessels of a certain size, it allows medium and smaller boats to go out to work.”

As of mid-March, Guidry says, 40 of the company’s 43 OSVs were working.

The company operates the only five LNGfueled OSVs in America.

“People said they wouldn’t work, that they’d be dangerous, that no one would charter them,” Guidry recalls. “Since they’ve been delivered from the shipyard, they’ve always been working.”

At Bourbon, Chevalier believes the market is seeing an end to the recent demand crisis.

“We believe there will be a new normal in this market,” Chevallier says. “We’re traditionally used to making a direct correlation between the rig count and the number of OSVs at work. It’s still true, and we can see that the more rigs working, the more OSVs under contract.”

But, Chevallier says, there are other

20 Marine Log // April 2019 CONRAD-19-012-MARINE-LOG-APRIL.indd 1

3/22/19 10:02 AM

OFFSHORE SERVICES demand drivers in the OSV market beyond the rig count. He estimates about 60% of the demand Bourbon is meeting is tied to supporting producing platforms, with the remainder related to maintenance work and greenfield projects. In the last six months, Chevallier says, the company has seen backlog increase by $100 million.

Chevallier says decommissioning projects are picking up, particularly in the North Sea and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, and he expects to see more projects in the next one to three years. Also, he says, during the downturn, some maintenance work that could be deferred was, and owners are now playing “catch-up” with those tasks.

international shipowners who have some liquidity and who are able to capture growth,” Chevallier says.

“When the mar ket is up, e ver yone believes it will go up to the sky, and when it is depressed everyone believes it’s the end of the world,” Chevallier says. But the truth is, he says, the OSV market is a long-term market. “We fundamentally transformed our operations and approach to market.”

Bourbon has become more focused on cost, output and total cost of ownership, he says. The company has aimed to automate, digitize and otherwise streamline OSV operations, as well as transferring certain functions from the vessel itself back to shore, Chevallier says.

“The reality is the market is better than it looks in figures. The oversupply is not that bad, and clients are accepting an increase in rates,” Chevallier says.

Many Players The OSV market is “a very unconsolidated business,” Rynd says, noting about 10 sizable players own 50 or more vessels while the remainder of the 2,400 OSVs are owned by some 400 companies.

“We welcome the incremental demand, but with such a large oversupply, it’s not going to make a dent,” Rynd says. “We’ve got to rationalize the supply of the business to meet current and projected demand.”

Rynd recommends selling what can be sold out of the conventional OSV space into fishing and other peripheral markets while others should be recycled or scrapped.

Tidewater sold or scrapped 38 vessels last year. The company owns 227 OSVs, (down from the 251 at the time of its merger) of which 168 are marketed with the rest stacked. This year, the company aims to dispose of another 40 vessels. The company is also reactivating 10 stacked vessels.

“We’re cleaning up and leading the industry in getting rid of tonnage that we feel confident won’t reenter the market,” Rynd says. Looking forward, Rynd believes 2019 and 2020 will bring the opportunity to purchase new assets or participate in select mergers and acquisitions as vessel owners grapple with debt.

Chevallier estimates the OSV market has an oversupply of between 800 and 1,000 vessels. The reality, he says, is 400 to 500 of them will never return to work because “their owners don’t exist anymore or it will cost too much to reactivate them.” He believes local small and traditional shipowners are at most risk.

Bourbon owns 200 OSVs but is divesting between 30 and 40, Chevallier says, and about 150 of its vessels are diesel-electric.

The company has about 130 vessels under contract and was reactivating seven vessels in mid-March.

“We believe we are among the few

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April 2019 // Marine Log 21

Tug Design Robert Allan Ltd.’s RAmora Series would place a remotely operated vessel under the control of an experienced tug master to operate in hazardous environments

What’s Ahead in

Tugboat Design?

Three leading design firms give their insights on how they are responding to evolving industry needs

Delivered to Bay Houston Towing by Gulf Island Shipyards last year, Robert Allan Ltd. designed Mark E. Kuebler has a bollard pull of 81.5 mt 22 Marine Log // April 2019

tug master that could be an optimal solution for close-quarters fire-fighting, or operations in toxic environments..

“Our basic concept was operation of the secondary unmanned vessel from a primary manned vessel, and it is garnering lots of interest,” says Robert G. Allan, whose grandfather established the firm in 1930.

Since 1930, led by three generations by the Allan family, the company has prospered by understanding the needs of, and designing solutions for, first the Pacific Northwest coastal industries, and today the global commercial shipping industries.

The range and breadth of the company’s design solutions encompasses a full range of vessels, but in the tugboat category alone, the company offers 18 separate design series, including the Robert Allan/Voith Escort (RAVE) tug with two inline Voith Schneider cycloidal drives, and the Z-Tech tug series for handling large ships, especially with high-flare hulls.

“The ASD, or Azimuthing Stern Drive, tug is by far the most dominant tug design

on the world stage at the moment, particularly for ship-handling and escorting, and has been for quite a few years,” Allan said, “although there are still markets where conventional twin-screw, line-haul tugs continue to thrive—along the British Columbia coast, in the U.S., and especially Indonesia for their inter-island trade. Shiphandling is the largest market for tugs worldwide, and it accounts for roughly 90 percent of our tug business.”

If a tug is escorting a tanker through a restricted passage, it is usually larger and more powerful by design, supplemented in close quarters by one or more smaller tugs specifically made for handling on arrival or departure. Ship-handling tugs have a slightly different hull form for the service they provide, can run from 25 to 30 meters LOA, and these days can have a bollard pull of 80 or more tons as opposed to 50 tons two decades ago.

Mark E. Kuebler, the first in a series of Z-Tech 30-80 tugs delivered to G & H Towing Company in Galveston, Texas, last year

Robert Allan Ltd.

C

ould autonomous, or remotely operated vessels become a part of the tugboat industry scene?

Yes, in some applications at least. Among the design concepts under development at Vancouver, British Columbia, based Robert Allan Ltd. is the RAmora Series—a remotely operated vessel under the control of an experienced

By John Wooldridge

Tug Design Eastern Shipbuilding, Bollinger, Conrad, Bay Shipbuilding, and Master Boat Builders of Bayou La Batre, La., is another.

Making the Connection

ATB tugs designed by Guarino & Cox include the Tina Pyne, delivered to Kirby Corporation last year by Nichols Brothers has a bollard pull of 81.5 tons. Evolved from the previous Z-Tech 7500 design for the same owner, it incorporates Robert Allan Ltd.’s unique RAstar series sponsoned hull form into the existing Z-Tech design. Computer simulations conducted by Robert Allan Ltd.’s in house CFD team demonstrate escort performance of the new tug will be significantly increased by generating more than 100 mt steering force at 10 knots which is particularly important for escorting large vessels.

Nichols Brothers, JENSEN MARITIME.

ATB Design a Speciality Sal Guarino and Greg Cox, founders of Covington, Lousiana, headquartered Guarino & Cox, LLC, built an enviable reputation designing offshore service vessels. Today, the firm designs and services a wide range of vessels, including tugs and barges.

“Our company’s tug design business is primarily in the Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) market,” said Karl Keiger, Chief Naval Architect for Guarino & Cox. “There have been some evolutionary changes in these vessels, driven by things like the demand for better fuel economy, which our clients have been asking for.”

Keiger said that to improve efficiency for some clients, the firm has incorporated nozzle propellers on some vessels, and has also selected larger, slower-turning propellers as more efficient for some conventional tugs. And as diesel engine manufacturers achieve or approach Tier IV emissions goals, improved fuel economy continues to grow.

The turnover of older designs has to be a part of the evolution of the industry.

“There are quite a few 50-year-old tugs out there still working,” Keiger said. “But there’s also commercial, competitive pressure from the charterers for a younger fleet, so there are a good number of the older, lessefficient designs being phased out.”

There are multiple ATB builders engaged in this market, including VT Halter Marine,

Reliable connections between an ATB tug and barge continue to evolve, and are the specialty of companies like Intercon (Intercontinental Engineering-Manufacturing Corporation of Kansas City, Mo.) and Beacon-Finland. Intercon’s fail-safe mechanical coupler system allows pitch between the tug and barge with no towing lines, so it can be used in a wide range of ocean and coastal sea states. The JAK-ATB Coupling from Beacon Finland uses two pins on the tug’s bow and socket plates for the pins mounted inside the barge notch, held in place by compressed air and controlled electronically.

“ATB designs remain popular, in part, because manning requirements for them are considerably reduced,” Keiger said. “Plus, initial construction costs and regulatory requirements for ATBs are much less than similarly sized ships. New regulations could change these advantages, no question.”

Tier IV Drives Innovation Crowley Maritime Group’s Seattle based naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary Jensen Maritime has a strong record in the tug sector.

“One of the biggest drivers for innovation in tugs is the arrival of the EPA Tier IV regulation,” said Brian Nichols, Director of Business Development. “A lot of companies saw this coming and built a few compliant tugs a few years ago, but have held off further development. There were only two engine manufacturers in the U.S. prepared for it—Caterpillar with a generally accepted

urea-dosing-and-scrubber technology and General Electric with its= Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) solution. The GE is a medium speed engine, generally big and heavy, while the CAT is a high-speed engine, about half the weight of the GE—both very suitable, depending on the application. Some other high-speed engines are on the way, most notably from Cummins and MTU.” Recently, Jensen Maritime announced the presentation to Foss Marine of detailed design documentation for an initial four and an optional six Tier IV tugboats intended for offshore service along the West Coast of the U.S., as well as ship assist, escort, maneuvering and docking. A single Markey TES-40 winch will assist the 90-short-ton bollard pull tugs, and twin Z-drive drive units will add optimal control. Additionally, the boats will be equipped with 900 GPM fire-fighting pumps and a monitor, adding further utility to the proven Valor series for Jensenwhich the company is well known.

Pushing the design envelope is a Jensen mainstay. Its current projects are indicative: a 100-foot tug for Baydelta Maritime using Rolls-Royce hybrid propulsion technology; the first EPA Tier IV compliant tractor tug using a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system.

Taken together, it appears that growth and evolution continue unabated in the field of tugboat design and engineering. It also appears that the pace of evolution has picked up dramatically, in ways that could never have imagined by Jonathan Hulls, a British inventor credited with patenting the forerunner of all tugboats back in 1736: a steam-propelled stern paddle-wheeler designed to move large ships in and out of harbors and rivers.

Jensen Maritime’s design portfolio includes a range of 74 ft x 30 ft Tier IV compliant Z-drive escort tugs

April 2019 // Marine Log 23

& Trends, Technology & Innovation

REGISTER

www.marinelog.com/tugs

Hotel To reserve a room at Le MĂŠridien Philadelphia, call 215.422.8200.

Sponsorships and Exhibits Available Contact Michelle M. Zolkos (212) 620-7208 conferences@sbpub.com

SPEAKERS INCLUDE

Hybrid Tractor Tugs

What’s the Latest on EALs?

Peter Sinclair, Director of Planning, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders

Joel Altus, Supervisor of Vessel Rigging, Foss Maritime

Steps to Decrease Operator Fatigue & Increase Safety

Finding More Market Opportunities for ATBs

Emily Reiblein, CMC Labor Relations, Crowley Liner Services

What’s the Impact of Artificial Intelligence?

Capt. Jeff Slesinger, President, Delphi Maritime, LLC

Must-know Legislation, Regulation & Policy

Robert Hill, President, Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering

Jonathan K. Waldron, Partner, Blank Rome LLP

May 14 & 15, 2019 Le Méridien Hotel | Philadelphia, PA

Supporting Organizations

Shamosh Equipment Corp.

Hockema Whalen Myers Associates

Naval Architects



Marine Engineers



Electrical Engineers

&

May 14 & 15, 2019 Le Méridien Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA

Be a Part of These Important Discussions Join industry insiders to get the facts on TUG REPOWER GRANTS and how to qualify for them. Learn about how AI and DIGITIZATION will really impact the tug industry. Get an inside the beltway insight into what’s in the REGULATORY and LEGISLATIVE PIPELINE. Find out why simple steps to REDUCE OPERATOR FATIGUE make sense, and much more....

TUESDAY, MAY 14

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15

8:00 AM

Registration | Continental Breakfast (sponsorship available) | Expo Open

8:00 AM

Continental Breakfast (sponsorship available) | Expo Open

9:00 AM

Why Tugboat Repower Grants Make Sense for the Environment, the Taxpayer & the Operator

9:00 AM

9:30 AM

What Is the Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Tug Market?

Capt. Jeff Slesinger, President, Delphi Maritime, LLC

Why We Opted for Hybrid Tractor Tugs Peter Sinclair, Director of Planning, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders

9:30 AM

Designing a Tier 4 Tractor Tug Speaker from Jensen Maritime Consultants

10:00 AM

Coffee Break (sponsorship available) | Expo Open

10:00 AM

Coffee Break (sponsorship available) | Expo Open

10:30 AM

Ballast Water Management & Barges: What Are the Requirements? What’s Available?

Jan Flores, Vice President, NETSCo

10:30 AM

Must-know Legislation, Regulation & Policy Coming Down the Pipeline Jonathan K. Waldron, Partner, Blank Rome LLP

11:00 AM

What’s the Latest on EALs? Ben Bryant, Marine Market Manager, Kluber Lubrication Joel Altus, Supervisor of Vessel Rigging, Foss Maritime

11:00 AM

Funding Your Next Vessel Michael Dockman, Managing Director, AMA Capital Partners

12:00 PM

Luncheon (sponsorship available) | Expo Open

11:30 PM

A Shipbuilder’s Perspective on the Market

1:30 PM

Improving Propulsion Efficiency & Gaining Energy Savings Brian Fariello, Sales Manager, Schottel, Inc. Speaker from Becker Marine Systems USA, Inc.

12:30 PM

Closing Remarks/Adjourn

2:30 PM

Finding More Market Opportunities for ATBs Robert Hill, President, Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering

3:00 PM

Energy Break (sponsorship available) | Expo Open

3:30 PM

New & Next Generation Leadership Awards

4:00 PM

Steps to Decrease Operator Fatigue & Increase Safety Emily Reiblein, CMC Labor Relations, Crowley Liner Services Speaker from Office of Marine Safety­— NTSB

5:00 PM

Cocktail Reception (sponsorship available) | Expo Open

6:00 PM

Day One Ends

26 Marine Log // April 2019

Exhibitors AND Sponsors Include ABB

Kraft Power Corporation

ABB Marine & Ports is a pioneering maritime organization which is transforming the industry through electrical, digital and connected solutions. ABB’s innovative technologies are redefining the future, bringing new levels of reliability, efficiency and sustainability to shipping and making our ports and terminals safer, greener and more productive. new.abb.com/marine

Kraft Power was founded in 1965. We are leaders in the field of generators, transmissions, engines, and full service, parts and accessories. Our marine group includes Kohler generators, Hamilton Jet Drives, GE diesel engines, Lufkin gearboxes, and Heinzmann products. www.kraftpower.com

Bell Power Systems Bell Power Systems provides engineered John Deere packages to meet the needs of the tug and barge industry. www.bellpower.com

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. is a full-service naval architecture and marine engineering firm located in Bristol, RI. We specialize in commercial vessel design and consulting and have experience with tugs, barges, Articulated Tug/Barge Units (ATB), passenger vessels, workboats, dredges and floating dry docks. www.bristolharborgroup.com

Elliott Bay Design Group Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) is a full-service, employee-owned naval architecture and marine engineering firm that supports tug and barge operators and shipyards in the US and abroad. Driven by an understanding of the changing regulatory environment, our team of marine experts offers an array of services to meet our customers’ unique needs. www.ebdg.com

Palmer Biezup & Henderson LLP Since 1979, the firm has specialized in providing high-quality and cost-effective legal services to domestic and international clients in all aspects of the maritime industry through its headquarters in Philadelphia and satellite offices in New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. www.pbh.com

Schottel, Inc. We are an innovative group of companies specializing in the development, design, production and marketing of azimuthing propulsion and manoeuvring systems with power ratings of up to 30 MW. www.schottel.de/home

Shamosh Equipment Corp.

Shamosh Equipment is a leading supplier of barge pumps and hot oil heaters engineered for the tank barge industry. Established in 1979, we are authorized sales agents for Flowserve-Byron Jackson, Leistritz Corporation and Volcanic Heaters.

Hockema Whalen Myers Associates, Inc. Hockema Whalen Myers Associates is a full-service consulting and engineering firm delivering exceptional service to clients in the marine industry throughout the United States. www.hockema.com

www.marinelog.com/tugs

JONRIE INTERTECH LLC JonRie InterTech LLC is a deck equipment design and manufacturing company serving the tug and barge industry for almost 20 years. www.marinewinch.com

April 2019 // Marine Log 27

&

May 14 & 15, 2019 Le Méridien Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA

New and Next Generation Leadership Awards Meet Two Of Our NNG Recipients It’s people that determine the success of any maritime enterprise. As the tug and barge industry confronts new business, regulatory and technological challenges, we salute the new and next generation of leaders emerging to take the industry forward into a future where it will, more than ever, play a vital role in the economy by delivering safe, efficient and environmentally responsible transportation.

MARJORIE ZORETIC General Manager Foss Atlantic With new emissions standards in our industry, LNG is going to become an ever more critical part of the maritime landscape. Foss is leading the way with the Clean Jacksonville, the first LNG bunker barge ever built in the United States. In her capacity as general manager of Foss Atlantic, Marjorie Zoretic is directly involved in the ongoing operations of the barge, and prior to her role as general manager, she was the operations manager for the construction of the barge itself. There are few people in the industry as knowledgeable about LNG and the role it will play in the future of maritime as Zoretic.

Marjorie Zoretic manages all business operations for the Foss Atlantic region. Foss Atlantic oversees all marine transportation operations in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean; operations of the Delta Mariner, the famous “rocket ship” which transports rocket boosters for the United Launch Alliance from the factory in Decatur, Alabama to Cape Canaveral and other launch sites; and the operation of the Clean Jacksonville, the first of its kind, innovative LNG bunker barge which fuels LNG-capable TOTE ships.

Zoretic is a 2008 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and has worked on LNG regasification vessels, as a tankerman for Chevron, and as second mate for Noble Drilling in support of Shell’s offshore drilling in Alaska. She joined Foss in 2017 as operations manager for the construction of the Foss LNG bunker barge.

JohAn Sperling Vice President Crowley Shipping—Marine Services Johan Sperling started in the marine industry 20 years ago working for American Bureau of Shipping in New Orleans. In 2001, he relocated to Seattle to join Jensen Maritime Consultants, Inc., as a naval architect and marine engineer, where he eventually became one of ten owners of the company. In 2008, Jensen was acquired by Crowley, and Sperling has since held multiple roles at the company. These include serving as vice president of marine solutions, which saw him lead the company’s new construction group, the offshore project management team, and Jensen Maritime (Crowley’s naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary). In January 2018, Sperling transitioned to Crowley Shipping, where all of Crowley’s vessel operations is managed under Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager. Sperling is responsible for Crowley’s marine services group, where he leads the ship assist and escort services as well as oversees the oceanclass tug and flat-deck barge fleets which provide specialized cargo transportation to diverse shipping companies and projects. Sperling has a bachelor’s degree in naval architecture and marine engineering from University of New Orleans.

28 Marine Log // April 2019

The solution is inspiration Inspiration breeds solutions, that help turn maritime challenges into business opportunity. At Nor-Shipping 2019, world class industry leaders, speakers, innovators and visionaries converge to connect and collaborate.

This is your opportunity to discover inspiring solutions, during conferences, exhibitions, gatherings and more.

Welcome to Nor-Shipping 2019 – your arena for ocean solutions Buy your ticket at nor-shipping.com/tickets

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FUELS: IMO 2020

Preparation is Key to Meeting the

IMO 2020 challenge

Most shipowners will meet the new sulfur limits by using compliant fuel, but even that’s no easy answer

By Tim Wilson, Principal Specialist of Fuels Lubes and Emissions at Lloyd’s Register

30 Marine Log // April 2019

changes can be effectively managed.

What Change is Expected?

Outside of Emission Control Areas (ECA) operations, the IMO Sulfur 2020 limit will result in an increase in the number of fuel formulations that are being offered and there is uncertainty regarding the degree of diversity of these formulations. Owners and operators will need to consider what structural and procedural adjustments onboard must be made.

With their availability currently limited, uncertainty reigns and there is concern as to whether or not these 0.50% sulfur fuels will still meet the quality requirements specified in the international marine fuel specification, ISO 8217, when the supplier is focused on meeting the 0.50% sulfur target and is,

perhaps, less focused on the fuel’s critical operating parameters.

ISO-8217 – Why is this Important?

ISO-8217 is the marine fuel standard that gives the criteria of the core parameters that must be met by any fuel to be used onboard a ship. While Clause 5 of ISO 8217 does not prescribe specific test methods, it is an allencompassing requirement specifying that it is unacceptable to supply, blend or allow even an accidental ingress of any product(s) that would render the fuel unacceptable for its intended use.

For Sulfur 2020, there is speculation that because we’re going to have a diverse range of fuel blends there will be quality issues.

This might not necessarily happen because

Shuttertock/ travellight

W

hen it comes to complying with the IMO Sulfur 2020 limit, most shipowners and operators have essentially two options – switch to 0.50% compliant fuel or install an approved abatement technology such as an exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) also known as a “scrubber” and continue to burn High Sulfur Fuel Oil (HSFO).

Most owners are opting for the compliant fuel pathway, which comes with its own set of challenges.

The change in fuel sulfur content will have a significant impact on the management of ship’s bunkering operations, both around the lead up to the implementation date and thereafter. But, with due preparation, these

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FUELS: IMO 2020 Keeping Track Of Fuel In The IMO 2020 Era Coming up to IMO 2020 operators have been advised to switch to lower sulfur fuels early, how can Fueltrax help them handle this transition?

The biggest challenge for IMO 2020 wil be the imminent increase in cost for the low-sulfur fuels. So come 2020, efficient operations will be even more important, and this where we can help.

“Ever y dro p co unt s in a p os t2020 world,” says Global Operations Director John Donovan. Early sulfur fuel adopters using FUELTR A X will be ahead the curve in efficient use of low sulfur fuels, so when cost of fuel increases, control measures are already in place. Our clients know “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

Af ter 2020, de mons t rating t hat you either aren’t carrying high sulfur fuel, or are using a scrubber, will be required, How can you help with this?

The FUELTRAX system utilizes Coriolis meters for precise measurement which includes density, temperature and mass measurements. These data points will provide additional insights to assist with fuel qualit y assurance for any vessel type.

All data collected on board is made available in the web portal, FUELNET, which offers “audit-ready” reporting to prove IMO sulfur compliance.

If you do have a scrubber but can’t use it in areas where discharges are prohibited, you’ll have to burn compliant fuels in those areas. Can FUELTRAX show what fuels you are burning where?

Yes, FUELTRAX uses independent GPS tracking to correlate all fuel data points to an exact location. This gives additional assurance that operators that they are burning the right fuel types in the right location.

all residual fuels are for the most part blended, and blending has long been a common practice in the shipping industry, but it’s right to be cautious.

The relevant ISO committee has formally advised the market that “all marine fuels must meet the requirements of ISO 8217 in its entirety” and that the requirements for ships’ fuels to meet the current conventional diesel propulsion arrangements does not change with the reduction in the sulfur content.

Another aspect of fuel quality and contamination drills down to the choice of supplier.

The well-established oil majors are already declaring their hand in bringing in a range of compliant 0.50% products, all meeting ISO 8217 requirements and offering sound technical support. The selection of the supplier is more important considering recently highly publicized cases of deleterious contamination of fuels. We recommend purchasing against the latest revision of the international marine fuel standard ISO-8217:2017.

With this, the supplier knows the parameters and targets set out in ISO-8217 and understands that there are clauses in the standard that expect the supplier to have quality assurance within the supply chain, with consequent responsibilities.

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32 Marine Log // April 2019

FUELS: IMO 2020 What Are the Key Steps to Prepare for 2020?

IMO has recommended that shipowners and operators engage a ship implementation plan for each ship in their fleets, considering the known and potential safety risks in the process of switching from the HSFO we have today to VLSFO compliant fuel and defining the measures that will mitigate those risks.

The preparatory steps prior to phasing of the loading of VLSFO will differ ship by ship and will need to be negotiated with the fuel purchaser. For the most part this is the charterer, not only should the economic implications be considered but also the ship’s system preparations and possible modifications needed, as well as crew familiarization with the new bunker supply environment in order to mitigate against any operational and safety risks. The main objective being that by January 1, 2020 the ship is fully compliant for both outside and inside ECA operations, having achieved this in a controlled, safe and forward-planning manner.

Shipowners and operators are then recommended to enact a “fuel change management plan.” To do that, they are advised to complete a risk assessment to work out what changes they need to make to current practices, procedures and ship fuel system design.

When this is complete, the crew needs to be made aware of these changes. The timing of this change is important in that this transition is best completed sooner rather than later, so that the ship, fleet and crew are well prepared and familiar with the new fuels well before January 1, 2020.

The plan requires focused and clear guidelines for each scenario the crew might face, this plan should then be communicated to the crew to raise awareness and build a relationship with management, so if there are any concerns or updates every stakeholder will be made aware.

This proactivity towards fuel management could include using the new bunkers loaded within two days of receipt while other fuels of known acceptable quality are still retained onboard. This provides the advantage of being able to address any issues with the suppliers at an early stage of receipt, before the contractual time conditions run out with the supplier to make any complaint about the fuel that has been supplied. Bringing the crew on board early with changes and amendments to the operational procedures will limit the risk of any unexpected issues occurring and putting the operations of the ship at risk. It is good to test and plan-ahead so everybody knows what to expect when the

time comes, with plans in place to mitigate any issues and/or risks.

It is important that shipowners and operators discuss their plans with their stakeholders in the supply chain, identifying any concerns and agreeing expectations.

Suppliers will need to know what is the specific fuel specification that the ship is willing to receive and in turn must be willing to provide, in advance, the typical specification of the fuel that will be delivered and when, so the necessary preparations can be made.

What Needs Doing Now Experience of using 0.10% ULSFO for both residual-based and pure distillate operations will stand you in good stead for tackling the new 0.50% VLSFOs. However, there are many thousands of ships that have not yet truly experienced operations on much other than HSFOs and the occasional switch to distillates; this would suggest that the lessons learned by some from the switch in 2015 will have to be learned by many more for 2020.

There are risks and safety concerns, however the industry can tackle these with a sense of confidence if sufficient planning and stakeholder engagement is implemented.

Planning, training and awareness are critical. www.lr.org/sulfur2020

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April 2019 // Marine Log 33

STUDY: IMO 2020

Scrubber Wash Water: What the Science Shows

Carnival releases the results of a two-year independent study

T

hough most shipowners may be opting to meet IMO 2020 requirements by burning compliant fuels, a significant number have invested heavily in retrofitting ships with exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers. That strategy now faces a challenge as an increasing number of jurisdictions put restrictions on the discharge of scrubber wash water. Against that back drop, Carnival Corporation last month released the results of an independent, two-year scientific scrubber wash-water study.

The cruise giant says that it shows that its Advanced Air Quality Systems are a safe and effective means for compliance with the IMO 2020 requirements, which include strict wash-water quality standards.

The study also concluded that the washwater samples from Carnival’s exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) were below the limits set by several major national and international water quality and land-based water discharge standards even when compared to criteria like drinking water.

The two-year study included 281 washwater samples from 53 Carnival Corporation ships equipped with the systems: the largest wash-water data set in the marine industry.

The samples were analyzed for 54 parameters by independent laboratories accredited by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), using standardized EPA methods. Following the lab phase, DNV GL reviewed the laboratory test data, comparing the results to major point source discharge limits and water quality standards.

In Februar y, the independent study results were presented publicly at a technical conference for Clean Shipping Alliance 2020 (CSA 2020), a group of leading companies committed to complying with 2020 fuel requirements through the development and use of exhaust gas cleaning systems.

Specific to IMO wash-water requirements, the study confirmed results from previous studies showing the quality of the water used in the Advanced Air Quality Systems process was always far below the IMO monitoring limits for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the annual limits for nitrates.

34 Marine Log // April 2019

When measured against IMO standards, the average wash-water test results in this study were over 90 percent lower than maximum allowable levels. In many cases, the materials were completely undetectable.

Additionally, the report compared the samples to selected national and international water quality benchmark standards.i The Carnival system’s test results compared favorably with all of these major benchmark standards, demonstrating that the composition of the water was not only consistently below, but in most cases, significantly below the most stringent limits.

“We are pleased to see the positive results of this multi-year study, which included indepth analysis and review from respected independent experts, demonstrating the overall quality of our Advanced Air Quality Systems wash water and further confirming the IMO’s acceptance of these systems for 2020 regulatory compliance,” said Mike Kaczmarek, senior v ice president for marine technology for Carnival Corporation. “Based on extensive emissions testing, we know that our Advanced Air Quality Systems in some ways outperform marine gasoil (MGO) in providing cleaner air emissions. And although we have known for a long time that the quality of water being returned to the sea is at a high level, based on our years of development of this data set, it was important to release the findings publicly as the latest scientific evidence showing the actual water quality.”

Kaczmarek added: “Comparing scrubber wash water to both existing IMO requirements and also various other major water standards is useful to provide an informed perspective and to illustrate wash-water quality in a way that is easy to understand.

These comparisons also provide relatable criteria for a number of specific parameters for Advanced Air Quality Systems, such as PAH concentrations, that are included within these standards.”

As noted, Carnival uses a proprietary scrubber design not an “off the shelf solution.” Why? “Carnival Corporation tested our first prototype for what would become Advanced

Air Quality Systems from 2006 to 2012 before deciding on a maker for the full fleet,” Kaczmarek told Marine Log. “We selected a company with considerable land-based scrubber experience, and focused on the ‘marinization’ that would be needed.

“The basic design was off-the-shelf and proven, but with our goal of retrofitting existing ships, the design needed to exactly replace the existing ship’s silencer.”

So, are the results of the study indicative of what off-the-shelf systems would deliver?

“Yes, the approach proved successful from the first unit in its primary role of SO2 removal, through the full specified ranges of fuel sulfur content (up to 3.5%), engine loads and seawater alkalinity.”

Are any places that have banned these discharges likely to reconsider when shown some actual science?

“A few areas have taken or considered a precautionary position in the absence of available scientific data, and they are open to adjusting these positions as credible case studies become available,” Kaczmarek says.

“Our 2018 Washwater Assessment, released with the Clean Shipping Alliance 2020 to the IMO, and the Japan MLIT’s study on ‘Impact of Open Loop EGCS on the Ocean Environment,’ are now leading understanding on the benefits of ships operating with HFO and EGCS. We expect ports and destinations will consider these studies.”

Mike Kaczmarek, senior vice president for marine technology for Carnival Corporation

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One Magazine, The Entire Market

Your lens into the Maritime World MARINE LOG offers coverage of the entire maritime market.

From blue to brown water, domestic to international news, vessel design, operation and construction in the commercial, naval and government sectors, Marine Log offers whole market coverage in one magazine.

U.S. Shipbuilding Within days of resuming operations after being hit hard by Hurricane Michael, Eastern Shipbuilding had launched the escort/ rescue Z-drive tug Ava M. McAllister—just 58 days after the hurricane struck.

The Balancing Act

By Nick Blenkey

ast month, Philly Shipyard hosted a festive event—the christening of the second of two 850-feet long, 3,600 TEU capacity Aloha class containerships for Hawaii-based Matson. U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii broke the ceremonial bottle of champagne against the ship’s navigation bridge superstructure.

Steinar Nerbovik, Philly Shipyard president and CEO, said, “I’d like to extend my gratitude to Matson. Construction of the Kaimana Hila, and its earlier sister ship, has provided good skilled work for nearly 1,500 people at Philly Shipyard over the last three years. We are immensely proud to provide another quality and safe vessel that Matson can be proud of for years to come.”

After The Cheers, The Tears The problem for Nerbovik now is that since the ship has left the yard, it’s been left with an empty order book.

36 Marine Log // April 2019

What’s ahead? Although it has only delivered Jones Act commercial ships since it opened in 2003 (29 of them), Philly Shipyard is pinning its hopes on winning its next order from the U.S. shipyard industry’s biggest customer, the U.S. government. It calls this “going gray.”

“In anticipation that commercial opportunities might decline, Philly Shipyard has been preparing for the past few years to strategically pursue U.S. government projects, such as the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program and the U.S. Navy Common Hull Auxiliary Multi-Mission Platform (CHAMP) program,” wrote Nerbovik in the company’s latest annual report. “Each of these programs involves multiple vessels and spans multiple years, with detail design and construction contracts currently expected to be awarded for the NSMV program in Q2 2019 and the CHAMP program in 2023.

“We are intensively focused on the NSMV

program, which will replace as many as five of the aging vessels that serve as training ships for the state maritime academies in the United States,” Nerbovik continued.

“The U.S. Congress has appropriated $600 million in funding for the first two NSMVs and a contract award is expected in second quarter 2019.”

Back in February, a dozen members of Congress from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware joined U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), whose district includes the shipyard, in urging the Department of Transportation to bring the order for the first NSMV ship forward to Spring 2019.

“We firmly believe that Philly Shipyard is an ideal candidate to receive this contract,” wrote Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.

Other shipyards, backed by different congressional delegations may, of course, have rather different ideas on where the contract should go.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group

L

For many shipyards, the key to success is getting the right mix of government and commercial business

U.S. Shipbuilding Navy: American Shipbuilding’s Biggest Customer The giants of U.S. warship construction— notably Huntington Ingalls Industries and General Dynamics—can expect to do well by concentrating on Navy work. But so too can a lot of yards looking to build vessels other than the very big-ticket battle force ships.

The Navy’s Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for Fiscal Year 2020 aims to reach a battle force of 355 ships by 2034. This entails building 55 major warships by that date and rebalancing service life extensions (SLE) to produce a steady ramp to the 355-ship goal approximately 20 years sooner than last year’s plan.

“A healthy and efficient industrial base continues to be the fundamental driver for achieving and sustaining the Navy’s baseline acquisition profiles,” says the Navy. “Our shipbuilding and supporting vendor base constitute a national security imperative that is unique and must be protected. However, we are at a level of fragility that without consistent and continuous commitment to steady acquisition profiles as proposed in this plan, the industrial base will continue to struggle and some elements may not survive another ‘boom/bust’ cycle.”

An appendix to this year’s long-range plan notes that “over the previous six decades, 14 defense-related new construction shipyards have closed, three have left the defense industry, and one new shipyard has opened.

Today, the Navy contracts primarily with seven private new construction shipyards under four prime contractors to build our future battle force—far less capacity than our principal competitors. Reduced funding over time caused a parallel contraction of the even more fragile sub-vendor base.”

The Navy is also concerned about all those gray-hulled ships that are not categorized as “battle force.”

“Regrettably, the same austerity factors that drove the investment imbalance across readiness, capability, and capacity of the battle force, also deferred timely reinvestment in the auxiliary and sealift fleet,” the report notes. “In parallel, the commercial industry supporting our auxiliaries and sealift has atrophied due to increased foreign competition through modernized facilities and inexpensive labor. A contributing factor was policy legislation that ended U.S. government shipyard subsidies, putting the U.S. industry at a considerable disadvantage compared to subsidized overseas competitors.”

Acco rd i n g to t h e Nav y, t h re e U. S . shipyards currently build ocean-going commercial ships—NASSCO in San Diego,

Calif.; VT Halter in Pascagoula, Miss.; and Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pa. [Editor’s Note: Actually, as we’ll discuss later, there’s a fourth yard currently building an oceangoing commercial ship, but it has yet to be delivered.]

The Navy says that, to varying degrees, the three shipyards it names have developed processes similar to their overseas competitors, but still face steep relative penalties in labor rates, environmental controls, and insurance. The combined effect is a limited set of options for long-term recapitalization of the U.S. sealift fleet. The Navy said that it “looks forward to working with Congress and government agencies to first bolster the U.S. commercial shipbuilding industry, and then to open the aperture on near-term options regarding purchasing or leasing used ships.”

Lessons Learned

by Gulf Coast Shipyards For a long time, U.S. Gulf Coast shipyards were predominantly builders of offshore service vessels. Today, the yards that are still active have plainly demonstrated that they can build a lot of other things besides offshore support vessels (OSVs)—or, for that matter, jack-up drilling rigs. Those were long the staple of Keppel AmFELS in Brownsville, Texas. Now, though, the yard is in the process of earning its place as a fourth U.S. builder of commercial ships.

Currently under construction at the yard— a subsidiary of Singapore’s Keppel Offshore & Marine—is the first of two 774-foot Jones Act containerships for Pasha Hawaii that will operate fully on LNG from day one in service.

Meantime, the yards with the healthiest order books include those with a mix of commercial and government contracts. We asked the CEOs of two of them—VT Halter Marine and Metal Shark—for some insights.

VT Halter Marine We began by asking VT Halter Marine CEO Ronald Baczkowski a question that’s as good a measure as any of a shipyard’s health: Q: Are you hiring at the moment?

A: Yes, we have been hiring for our Engineering, Planning and Scheduling; and Structural Steel Fabrication departments.

We will be increasing our staff in all other trades as our current and future programs transition from engineering and fabrication to outfitting and testing and, finally, commissioning. Due to the volume of our order book, we expect to maintain a healthy labor force in the near future.

Q : Have you made any recent yard improvements or have you any in the works?

A: VT Halter Marine commissioned our state-of-the-art blast and paint facility— a $10 million investment—last summer and we continue to enhance the facility as we learn the most effective means to utilize it in our construction programs. This blast and paint facility is a semi-automated machine that enables VT Halter Marine to blast and coat up to 40,000 tons of fabricated steel and/or an equivalent amount of aluminum in a completely environmentally controlled facility. VT Halter Marine is no longer subjected to the constraints of the local environment when considering our ability to prep and coat our fabrications. Instead, we have a dedicated onsite facility that can accommodate up to four of our standard-size construction modules at a time or an entire tug hull if desired. Up to eight blasters and eight painters can work in their respective rooms of the same building simultaneously. We have also enhanced our pipe shop by installing a pipe bending machine that enables us to produce pipe spools up to 6-inch nominal pipe size (NPS) without the use of fittings. VT Halter Marine is currently in the process of completely reworking our panel line to both increase its efficiency and increase the sizes of materials that can be produced with this equipment.

Q: About what percentage of your work is government vs. commercial?

A: We maintain a good balance of customer types. We are actively pursuing both commercial and government projects.

Q: What’s the biggest contract you are currently working on?

A : In the commercial arena, we are working on the Q-LNG ATB unit for LNG bunkering (the world’s first ATB unit specifically constructed for Jones Act offshore bunkering of LNG). In the government arena, we are currently developing the engineering package for both the APL(S) Program (three barracks barges) and the T-AGS 67 (one oceanographic survey ship).

Metal Shark One Gulf Coast shipyard that found itself under financial pressure last year was Bayou La Batre, Ala.-based Horizon Shipbuilding.

Its assets, which include a 35-acre shipbuilding facility in the Mobile Bay region, have since been acquired by Jeanerette, La.-based Metal Shark.

Our first question to Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard was this: April 2019 // Marine Log 37

U.S. Shipbuilding Q: If the Horizon Shipbuilding acquisition opportunity hadn’t come up, would you have had to expand your existing shipyard facilities?

A: The Horizon opportunity came about primarily as a result of our desire to expand into new markets, and, serendipitously, the Alabama facility provided a perfect fit for our planned efforts. Early results of our expansion include the fleet of 120-foot steel inland towboats we’re now building; some other tugboat business we will soon announce; and also the extent to which we are now active in the refit, repair, and conversion business. Adding the steel capabilities of the Alabama yard to our already robust aluminum shipbuilding efforts allows us to far more quickly and competently expand into diverse new markets with larger vessels.

Q: About what percentage of your business is government vs. commercial?

A: It can vary, but it’s generally about 50/50.

Q: What do you see as the hottest market sector in the coming year?

A: It’s tough to pinpoint a single “hottest” market, because as a result of our diversification, we’re active in so many of them.

In the coming year, you’ll see Metal Shark announcing new projects for a wide range of

markets including U.S. and foreign militaries, law enforcement, fire rescue, pilot boats, towboats and tugs, passenger vessels, and expeditionary yachts. While we only ever announce some of our projects, we are active in all of these markets today and are seeing opportunities for additional growth in each of them. Beyond the individual markets, we’re seeing particular demand for autonomous technology, hybrid propulsion, and LNG-fueled propulsion.

Q: Is the market for autonomous vessels going to bring new orders any time soon, or is this a long-range opportunity?

A: Long-range, it’s an enormous opportunity, and one that will likely reshape our indust r y. We’re cur rently seeing interest in some level of autonomous technology, whether fully unmanned or autonomous-assisted technology for human load reduction, from virtually all markets.

However, this isn’t only a long-range play.

We’ve got autonomous vessels in production today, and we’ll be seeing more orders during the course of the year.

Mixed Order Books And Mixed Fortunes Elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, it’s a tale of

SINGLE MOORING WINCH

mixed order books … and mixed fortunes.

“2018 was a challeng ing year, particularly given the soft market for new construction projects,” said Johnny Conrad, Chairman and CEO of Morgan City, La., based Conrad Industries. “However, we experienced an improved market for our repair services and bid activity has been good in early 2019.”

Lockport, La.-based Bollinger Shipyards, for example, continues to deliver Coast Guard Fast Response Cutters, while, demonstrating its versatility, other recent deliveries include the 55,000-barrel clean petroleum products barge B. No. 252 to long-time customer Bouchard Transportation. Vessels nearing completion include a Voith Schneider propelled ferry for the North Carolina DOT. Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Fla., has demonstrated its versatility as a builder of commercial vessels time after time. Now, despite being hit hard by Category 4 Hurricane Michael last October, it is in full swing on both commercial orders and on one of the biggest Coast Guard programs ever awarded, the building of up to 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters worth a potential $10.5 billion.

We’ll look at shipbuilding in other regions next month.

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Newsmakers

ClassNK Names Sakashita as New Senior Executive VP Hiroaki Sakashita has been appointed as Senior Executive Vice President and Executive Director of ClassNK, overseeing the expansion of the classification society’s business portfolio and digital transformation. He joined ClassNK in 2018 as Executive Consultant.

Crowley Maritime Corporation, Jacksonville, FL, has promoted Ira Douglas to Vice President of Labor Relations. He will lead the company’s relations, operating agreements and partnerships with the seven unions Crowley works with. The unions represent seafarers, terminal stevedores and truck drivers.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has

named Carlos Aguayo as General Manager of its San Diego shipyard where he will be responsible for the overall operation of the shipyard business.

Aguayo has a long history with the shipyard, working on the waterfront for 35 years and beginning as a 23-years leadman at the yard. His duties as General Manager will include strategy development and execution, customer relations, quality, production and resource management.

New York-based Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. has named Marsha Volgyi as Crewing Manager. Prior to joining Bouchard in November 2018, she had 12 years of experience in the cruise shipping sector managing crew ship crew members onshore.

RMK MerrillStevens Shipyard, Miami, FL, has named David Gratton to oversee and manage its new Electronic Systems Division. He has worked with the U.S. Air Force and Teledyne Systems Company. He has specialized in navigation, communications, and audio-visual, IT/ networking, and PLC systems for commercial and recreational vessels.

Hill Dickinson has hired Master Mariner Kevin Austin, Korean market specialist Beth Bradley, and transactional lawyer Sung Hwan Choi. Austin will take on the role of Legal Director at the firm’s London office. Bradley will join the firm’s London office as a Partner.

Choi has been named Partner in the Singapore office.

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April 2019 // Marine Log 39

TECH NEWS Furuno Electronics Help Towboat Meet Sub M Regs MV Bailey, the first of three 88 ft towboats built to Subchapter M requirements, recently completed by Main Iron Works in Houma, La., is set to enter service with Kirby Inland Marine.

The Subchapter M regulations, along with existing regs, stipulate minimum requirements for navigation and operational equipment, and Kirby looked to Furuno and electronics installer Inland Gulf Marine to fill these critical roles.

At the hear t of the elec tronics selec ted by Kirby and Inland Gulf Marine are two 12 kW Furuno FAR2117BB Radars. The FAR2117BB delivers Furuno’s unparalleled target detection and sophisticated signal processing techniques, developed over decades of experience and thousands of commercial marine applications. Furuno’s FA170 AIS and GP33 GPS Navigator feed position and AIS information to the ship’s navigation systems. The Furuno 235DT depth sensor provides precise information, and the RD33 Navigation Data Organizer can display this highaccuracy data along with other information sets.

MV Bailey has accommodations for up to eight and Subchapter M requires that additional safety measures be in place on vessels with over night accommodations and alternating watches when pulling, pushing or hauling.

Among these is a a pilothouse alerter system to detect when a master or mate becomes incapacitated, Kirby and Inland Gulf Marine chose the Furuno BR500 BNWAS to fill this need. If the pilot is unable to interact with the system within predefined periods of time, crew members will be notified, and appropriate actions can be taken to secure safe operation of the vessel.

www.furunousa.com

Big Name Containership Operators Start Biofuel Trials

Two landmark fuelings of containerships with sustainable biofuels were in the news last month. One, involving IKEA Transport & Logistics, is an indication that name brand shippers looking to lower their overall carbon footprint are adding impetus to efforts to decarbonize shipping.

As part of a trial involving IKEA, shipowner CMA CGM, the GoodShipping Program and the Port of Rotterdam, the 5,095 TEU containership CMA CGM White Shark was successfully refueled with marine bio fuel oil in the Port of Rotterdam on Saturday, March 23.

The GoodShipping Program is an initiative launched by Netherlands based marine bio fuel pioneer GoodFuels.

The sustainable fuel oil was developed after undergoing three years of intensive testing with marine engine manufacturers.

GoodFuels says that its sustainable marine biofuels are “drop-in” fuels, functionally equivalent to petroleum-derived marine fuels with no modification required to engines or the fuel infrastructure.

“Having an HFO-equivalent solution in biofuel oil available with no engineering or operational changes required to our vessel offers a safe, manageable and innovative opportunity to facilitate shipping’s wider transition to new fuel solutions,” said Xavier Leclercq, Vice President, CMA Ships. www.goodfuels.com

Maersk To Pilot Shell Biofuel In a separate program. A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S is partnering with a group of Dutch 40 Marine Log // April 2019

multinationals, including Shell, in what will be the largest maritime biofuels pilot yet. It will see a giant Triple E containership sail 25,000 nautical miles from Rotterdam to Shanghai and back on biofuel blends alone.

The blend will use up to 20% sustainable second-generation biofuels, eliminating 1.5 million kg of CO2 and 20,000 kg of sulfur emissions.

The biofuel to be used in this pilot is called “second generation” in that it is produced from waste sources, in this case used cooking oil. Other sources for these fuels include forest residues, wood chip waste etc.

An attraction of biofuel is that it can replace or be blended with conventional (fossil) fuels, without having to make major technical adaptations to ships’ engines.

The fuel for the pilot program is being supplied by Shell which, along with the other partners in the project — FrieslandCampina, Heineken, Philips, DSM, and Unilever — is a member of the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (DSGC).

Sustainably sourced second-generation biofuels are just one possible solution for the decarbonization of ocean shipping, says Maersk. Longer term, breakthroughs in fuel and technical development (i.e. e-fuels) and the investment into commercial supply chains are needed to achieve significant emissions reductions.

“To reach our net zero CO2 target by 2050, in the next 10 years we need big breakthroughs,” said Søren Toft, Chief Operating Officer, A.P. Moller – Maersk. www.maersk.com

TECH NEWS

Voith Delivers First U.S.-made VSP Units Voith and the North Carolina Department of Transportation have teamed up to deliver the first two American-made Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP) units for a new, 38-vehicle river-class ferry, the Rodanthe, currently under construction at Bollinger Shipyards in Amelia, La. The VSP propulsion systems were built and tested in Voith’s York, Pa., facility.

After assembly of the VSP units was complete in November 2018, the propellers were delivered to Bollinger Shipyards for installation into the Rodanthe.

In May 2019, the ferry will be delivered to the NCDOT Shipyard in Manns Harbor, North Carolina, and it is expected to go into service in the summer of 2019 on the Outer Banks.

“With the new VSP units installed, the Rodanthe will offer years of smooth, efficient service to the islands. By linking steering and propulsion together, the VSP allows for fast response and precision movement in even the roughest of waters. This helps the operators pilot their ferry better while also keeping passengers and cargo safe thanks to the VSP’s superior handling in comparison to other propulsion systems available on the market,” said Ivo Beu, Head of Marine Business Americas for Voith.

Commissioned by NCDOT, the VSP propulsion systems were built and tested in Voith’s York, facility to meet the unique specifications required for the island-hopping ferries.

“These are the first VSP units ever built in the U.S., and they are being used to extend the NCDOT fleet of ferries utilizing this innovative propulsion system,” said Beu. “This is an important step to fulfill

manufacturing requirements for government entities and businesses that want to support American workers. Likewise, by producing the VSP in Pennsylvania our North American production team expands its marine production expertise and capabilities to better serve our regional customers.” www.voith.com

Enhanced UV BWTS Cuts Required Ballast Holding Time France’s Bio-UV Group has successfully tested an enhanced Bio-Sea ballast water treatment system designed to reduce the time that treated water has to be held onboard ship prior to discharge overboard.

Shipowners with short sea shipping routes are directly affected by holding times in their operations, hence Bio-UV Group’s focus on optimizing Bio-Sea to reduce this important operating parameter. Treatment technologies that have not been certified for reduced holding time can delay ship operations, costing shipowners dearly.

“This is of great importance for ships sailing in U.S. waters, especially in the Great Lakes where the time between ballasting and de ballasting is short and where shipowners always ask for greater operational flexibility. But it will also be true everywhere else in the world with the coming new G8 requirements from 2020,” said Benoît Gillmann, Bio-UV Group’s President and CEO. Technical advances in UV-C technology by Bio-UV have enabled the reduction in holding time, cutting minimum holding time down to zero hours for fresh water, 20 hours for brackish water, 24 hours for marine water, at flowrate, according to Xavier Deval, Business Director, Bio-Sea, who added “This is by far the lowest hold time on the market for UV-based BWTS.” The testing protocol for UV systems requires a holding time between treatments at water uptake and discharge to ensure that microorganisms are fully inactivated.

“A technology certified to reduce holding time provides unequivocal proof of efficiency,” said Deval. www.ballast-water-treatment.com April 2019 // Marine Log 41

TECH NEWS

DNV GL Classed Vessels Can Now Use Remote Surveys All DNV GL classed vessels will now be able to use remote surveys for some inspections through DNV GL’s Veracity data platform, eliminating the need for a surveyor to travel to the vessel. Instead, by using an online connection or video streaming link, remote surveyors will be able to provide support to vessels anywhere in the world with documentation, images, video — either streaming or video recordings — and input provided by the customer and crew.

“This is another big step forward in using the power of digitalization and increased

connectivity to deliver smarter and more efficient services,” said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL - Maritime. “Remote surveys allow us to free up time for our customers, while delivering our services with unparalleled response time. In addition, cutting down on unnecessary travel can result in lower costs, less waiting, and more operational up-time. We’ve had a great response from our customers and support from major flag states, and we are deeply appreciative of the feedback provided to us to make this project a great success.”

More than 1,000 remote surveys were

completed in the pilot and scaling up phase by the Direct Access to Technical Experts (DATE) units based in the Maritime Operational Center in Høvik, Norway, alongside units in Hamburg, Singapore, Houston and Piraeus.

Technology testing began in 2017, with the first production pilots in June 2018.

Now the entire DNV GL fleet is able to take advantage of the service.

The remote survey regime has been constructed to ensure that the level of assurance is equivalent to an onboard survey. www.dnvgl.com

Navy Shipyard Partners with Sarcos Robotics Robotic system specialist Sarcos Robotics is taking steps to redefine and revolutionize safety and productiving in the maritime industry. Sarcos has partnered

42 Marine Log // April 2019

with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (IMF) to evaluate and deploy robotic technologies, including full-body, powered exoskeletons and man-portable inspection robots, for use in naval shipyards. PSNS & IMF employs 14,000 sailors and civilian personnel who help maintain, modernize and retire the U.S. Navy’s fleet.

The goal, said Ben Wolff, Chairman and CEO of Sarcos Robotics, is to develop “robots that enhance human productivity, while increasing worker safety.”

Under the agreement, the parties will evaluate Sarcos’ Guardian XO battery-powered full-body exoskeleton—which enables a human operator to safely lift and manipulate

up to 200 pounds for extended work sessions—and its Guardian S inspection robot.

The technologies will be used across a variety of work environments and performing challenging tasks, including inspection of confined spaces, the use of power tools and the manipulation of heavy items.

“This partnership provides and exciting opportunity for the shipyard to develop innovative solutions to improve our work while providing a safer more ergonomic work environment for our employees,” said Capt. Howard Markle, Commander of PSNS & IMF. The agreement follows a recent collaboration between Sarcos as the U.S. Air Force. www.sarcos.com/

TECH NEWS

ABB Expands CP6000 Platform Expanding on its current CP6000 platform, ABB has introduced a new control panel portfolio, providing premium HMI for high-end applications and challenging installations. The CP6000-Pro is designed for applications that require true glass touch screens and can be used in extreme temperatures, ranging from -4 degrees to 140 degrees fahrenheit.

“The CP600-Pro is an important addition our control panel portfolio, offering

our customers an option for a vast range for harsh environment applications that is fully prepared for new communication standards,” said ABB Product Manage, Randy Holterman. “ABB’s control panel product portfolio gives machine builders and system integrators the peace-of-mind to know that future requirements will be covered.”

The units will be available in a variety of screen sizes: 5, 7, 10.1, 15.6 and 21.5 inch screens; and its front frames will be made of strong aluminum, ensuring IP66 protection.

The CP600-Pro is fully compatible with ABB’s AC500 and AC500-eCo PLCS, and include all standard HMI functions. Among them, alarm management, schedulers, recipes, trends, data acquisition, gateway function and user management. The integrated Panel Builder 600 programming tool will enable a number of configuration options enabling easy design of tailor-made user interfaces. www.abb.com

New SI Ferries to Benefit from Sims Pumps Hoboken, N.J., based Sims Pump Valve Company, Inc. has been awarded the contract to construct and supply a series of SIMSITE Structural Composite Pumps for the new Ollis Class Staten Island Ferries being built at Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama, FL. The vessels in the class will carry 4,500 passengers each across New York Harbor.

The Sims pumps are different from standard pumps in that they are 100% precision machined on the inside and outside, as opposed to being cast or molded. This allows the rotating parts to have perfect balance, both mechanically and hydraulically throughout the pump’s lifecycle.

The balance also eliminates shaft deflection, radial and axial movement and balance related issues, resulting in an improvement in performance and efficiency, as well as reduction in operating and repair costs.

The pumps will never corode in seawater, wastewater, river water, sewage or chlorinated water and are compatible with most chemicals.

This isn’t the first time SIMS Pump has been tapped for Staten Island Ferries. Previously, the company provided the replace upgrades for general service pumps and fire pumps.

Simsite.com

Wärtsilä Demonstrates AI Assisted Troubleshooting

Wärtsilä has announced the recent succes s f ul tes ting of it s remote guidance system. The service provides ship operators with real-time troubleshooting and technical advice assistance.

The voice-controlled Augmented Reality (AR ) wearable and remote guidance technology enables the ship’s crew, engineers, and shipyard personnel to communicate in realtime with shore-based experts anywhere in the world.

Testing of the system was carried out onboard T T- Lines’ rollo n / r o ll - o f f f e r r y H u c k l e b e r r y Finn. Simulated remote guidance ser vice situations were perf o r m e d o n t h e f e r r y ’s n a v i g a tion equipment on the bridge, on the shaf t line seals, and bearings in the engine room, while exper t Wär tsilä personnel in Gothenburg and Hamburg monitored the situation. The testing occurred while the ferry was sailing on the Baltic Sea bet ween Trelleborg, Sweden and Travemünde, Germany.

Wärtsilä says the tests verified the effectiveness of the AR wearables as a means of communication. “The overall evaluation of this testing program endorses Wärtsilä’s strong capabilities in remote guidance service.

Regardless of where the equipment is located on the vessel, it shows that we can provide rapid troubleshooting and technical advice, thus saving the customer both time and costs.

It’s like having a Wärtsilä service engineer onboard 24/7,” said Thomas Pauly, Future Technologies Product Manager, Seals & Bearings, Wärtsilä Marine.

www.wartsila.com

April 2019 // Marine Log 43

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environment

Biofouling: The Next Big Compliance Issue

W

hile IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention aims to stop, the transportation of invasive marine species in ships’ ballast tanks, they can also hitchhike on ships’ hulls. So the next big environmental compliance issue likely to face the maritime industry could well be biofouling. This one is no real surprise as regulations and legislation are already on the books in some jurisdictions and in 2017 both New Zealand and Fiji barred entry to the bulker DL Marigold for being rife with hull biofouling.

Current IMO guidelines on dealing with biofouling can be found in Resolution MEPC 207(62). While IMO’s Anti-fouling Systems Convention (AFS Convention) is concerned with prohibiting the use of things like organotin (TBT) in anti-fouling systems, MEPC 207(62) deals with how owners and operators take action against the transport of invasive aquatic species on vessels’ hulls.

Biofouling means the accumulation of aquatic organisms such as micro-organisms, plants, and animals on surfaces and structures immersed in or exposed to the aquatic environment. Biofouling can include microfouling and macrofouling. The accumulation of such organisms on the hull are a factor of the shape of the hull, type of antifouling coating used, amount of time at the dock, speed at which a vessel transits, and areas of the world transited.

To combat these organisms every vessel will be required to have a Biofouling Management Plan. This plan can either be a 48 Marine Log // April 2019

stand alone document or incorporated in to other shipboard manuals. Annex 26 to Resolution MEPC 207.62 provides an example of a Biofouling Management Plan.

Several parts of this plan will require the owner to do an in depth look at vessel operations. The plan calls for the owner or operator to specify the trading routes of the vessel as well as transit speeds.

There must also be contingency planning

Invasive species can hitchhike on hulls as well as in ballast tanks

for those times when the vessel is operating outside of its specified trading area or operating specifications.

Where the owner will truly require the help of experts in this field is in identifying areas of the hull that are more prone to biofouling than others. Some of these areas will be niches on the hull that are protected from full water flow, coolant water intakes, ballast uptakes, etc. A ship’s plan must be included in the Biofouling Management Plan documentation and mayinclude systems such as fire fighting systems, that if a

ship is in layup for a while, may accumulate growth in the piping which can clog nozzles if not properly flushed.

This analysis will require an in depth look at how long the vessel will remain in the water between dry dockings and how often the vessel’s hull will be cleaned. Verification of hull biofouling will become important by means of periodic underwater hull inspections, and cleanings if necessary.

Vessels will no longer be allowed to enter many ports with a dirty hull. Australia has recently conducted a study and enacted legislation similar to that of New Zealand and Fiji. The State of California is also taking this matter very seriously and has enacted state regulations accepting and incorporating portions of the IMO Biofouling Regulations in to the state.

The New Zealand agency responsible for biofouling regulation enforcement mandates that vessels must apply one of the following measures to meet its “Clean Hull” requirement: a) Cleaning before arrival (or immediately on arrival in an approved facility or by an approved system All biofouling must be removed from all parts of the hull and this must be carried out less than 30 days before arrival to New Zealand or within 24 hours after time of arrival. b) Continual Maintenance using best practice, including: application of appropriate antifouling coatings; operation of marine growth prevention systems on sea-chests; and in-water inspections with biofouling removal as required. c) Application of Approved Treatments.

If such regional regulations were to become widespread, the IMO Biofouling guidelines would have a major impact on the industr y even without further IMO actions.

Under the guidelines, vessels will also be required to carry a Biofouling Record Book.

This book, like nearly all others must begin with the vessel particulars. The record book will, among other things, require records of hull coatings in addition to maintenance and cleaning.

Matthew Bonvento A licensed deck officer and Assistant Professor of Nautical Science

A CRUISE SHIP THAT MOVES THOUSANDS OF PASSENGERS And a large-scale project where we were on board from the beginning Why does the world-renowned Meyer Werft shipyard team up with Viega time and again for numerous projects of this scale? In addition to the extremely reliable piping systems made from copper, copper alloys or plastic materials, Viega also supplies the know-how to go with them.

Viega. Connected in quality.

Meyer Werft shipyard, Papenburg, Germany

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