This month MR dives inside the $60 million refit of RV Roger Revelle, a project which leverages a treasure trove of ‘lessons learned’ from recent refits in the academic research vessel fleet and highlights the value of slimming the vendor list.Research Vessel (R/V) Roger Revelle is back at work after a midlife refit involving upgrades from top to bottom, bow to stern. The ship is owned by the Office of Naval Research and has been operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego since 1996. It is one of the largest ships in the U.S.
China passed a law on Friday that for the first time explicitly allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels, a move that could make the contested waters around China more choppy.China has maritime sovereignty disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and with several Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea. It has sent its coast guard to chase away fishing vessels from other countries, sometimes resulting in the sinking of these vessels.
Pete Buttigieg, President Joe Biden's nominee to head the U.S. Department of Transportation, has voiced his support for the Jones Act, a federal law that regulates maritime commerce in the United States.Buttigieg's comments came in response to questioning by Sen. Maria Cantwell (Dem.-Wash.) during a nearly three-hour confirmation hearing held by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Thursday."I am a big Jones Act supporter, and the state of Washington and the trade that we have related to the Jones Act to make sure that we have U.S.-flagged vessels," Cantwell said.
Ship data consumption is booming, and as digitalization and data trends increasingly drive the maritime world, Inmarsat celebrated a pair of milestones, hitting the 10,000 vessel mark on Fleet Xpress installations and launching its "Fleet Data Academy."Traffic DoublesAccording to Inmarsat, the growth in Fleet Xpress now includes the world’s leading container ship and tanker owners, such as MOL, K-Line and Hapag-Lloyd, offshore support giants like Bourbon, Tidewater and Maersk Supply, as well as growing numbers of yachts, passenger ships and fishing boats.
Classification society DNV GL said it has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE) for a new wing-sail auxiliary propulsion system for ships designed to help reduce shipping emissions and fuel burn.The wind-powered auxiliary propulsion system, designed for installation aboard many vessel types, is the result of a joint research project from KSOE, the shipbuilding holding company of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, and SK Shipping, to develop wind-powered eco-friendly propulsion solutions.
From 3D laser scanning to Computational Fluid Dynamics, an efficient and successful major mid-life refit such as the one completed on the RV Roger Revelle requires intricate advance design planning, an updated technical toolbelt, as well as the personal touch. Tim Leach, Principal, Naval Architect (Glosten), walks us through the process.Tim Leach, Principal, Naval Architect, Glosten. Image courtesy GlostenWhat work was completed by Glosten on the RV Roger Revelle midlife refit.Glosten has a long history of working with Scripps (SIO) and the Revelle.
Ship management company V.Group has announced the appointment of Bjoern Sprotte as chief executive officer, Ship Management.Based in Hamburg and reporting directly to V.Group CEO René Kofod-Olsen, Sprotte replaces Franck Kayser, who has requested to refocus his overall responsibilities and will be assuming leadership of the Group’s activities in Denmark.Sprotte joins V.Group from OSM Maritime Group, where he spent four years in a number of senior roles, including chief operating officer, president and, most recently, chief executive officer.
The Biden administration has temporarily suspended oil and gas leasing and permitting on federal lands and waters while it evaluates the legal and policy implications of the program, according to a Department of Interior memo.The move appears to be a first step in delivering on newly sworn-in President Joe Biden's campaign promise to ban all new federal drilling permits, part of his wider agenda to combat global climate change.
Greensea's open architecture technology on Remotely Operated Vehicles furthered by Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grantGreensea Systems, Inc. creator of OPENSEA, an open architecture robotics platform for the marine industry, won a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) ASAP grant totaling $1,100,000, with option for additional funding, for the continued development of Standoff Command and Control of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).
From his office overlooking Cherbourg docks, general manager Yannick Millet points to trailers destined for Ireland that belong to Amazon and FedEx, new customers and a signal of a potential big shift in post-Brexit trade.Confronted by red tape and delays after Britain’s messy exit from the European Union, Irish traders are shipping goods directly to and from European ports, shunning the once-speedier route through Britain.“You see the shift in supply chains right here,” he said.
Russian pipe-laying and other vessels are heading to Nord Stream 2 pipeline construction sites in the Baltic Sea, ship tracking data showed on Friday, amid U.S. pressure to scrap the project that aims to pump more Russian gas to Europe.Work on Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will land in Germany, was suspended in December 2019 when Swiss-Dutch company Allseas halted pipe laying because of U.S. threats to impose sanctions.Work resumed for a brief period last month on a 2.6-km (1.6-mile) stretch in German waters.
China's Sanlin Shipyard has built and delivered a new harbor tug for the Port of Shanghai.The Robert Allan Ltd.-designed workboat Hai Gang 501 will be used by Shanghai Harbor Fuxing Shipping Service Company for berthing and unberthing in harbor as well as coastal towing services and firefighting duties in China’s busiest port.The 498 gt tug is 32 meters long with a 12-meter molded beam and 5.29-meter maximum draft. Main propulsion for the 3,680 kW tug comprises a pair of Niigata 6L28HX main engines, each rated at 1,840 kW at 750 rpm