Chula Vista Calif., headquartered Marine Group Boat Works (MGBW) recently completed a contract valued at more than $4.6 million for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. The work involved the service and repair of four San Francisco Bay area high speed, aluminum passenger ferries, the M/V Del Norte, M/V Mendocino, M/V Golden Gate and M/V Napa.
MGBW competed with an out-of-state yard to win the complex contract that required highly technical and unique experience and skills.
MGBW—one of the few remaining boatyards on the West coast with the facilities, resources, and skilled labor necessary for such a project—successfully hauled, serviced and launched all four U.S. Coast Guard-inspected vessels ahead of a very demanding schedule. This was accomplished, in part, by using its 665-ton mobile travelift, one of the most environmentally friendly of its kind in the world, with a CARB Tier 4 engine.
The Del Norte and Mendocino were serviced consecutively followed by the Golden Gate and Napa which were serviced simultaneously.
Each of the vessels was delivered by MGBW crew, including MGBW president Todd Roberts—a Cal Maritime graduate with a USCG license for vessels up to 1,600 tons — who brought the Napa among others down from San Francisco.
While all vessels received routine maintenance and inspections required by the USCG and upgrades to some of its systems, the Del Norte and Mendocino projects were considerably more extensive and complex.
The Del Norte was the first vessel to be serviced and took three months to complete. The scope of work involved a major removal and replacement of four MJP waterjet engines, updating communication systems, servicing shaft seals and seawater cooling systems, performed minor engine repair, and application of new paint to the hull. The vessel was launched in early 2021.
Work on Mendocino required removal of the superstructure from the catamaran hull
The Mendocino was completed in mid-December 2021 and took more than 20,000 labor hours to complete. The Mendocino had the most work done with major structural repairs that required MGBW to carefully remove the superstructure from the hull. This involved MGBW crew using the 665-ton travelift to lift the vessel and block it high off the ground. They then placed longitudinal beams and support stands under the superstructure. After unbolting all 100 raft mounts, they used the travelift to lower the hull away from the superstructure, separating them so that work could be performed between the two structures.
Golden Gate and Napa were the third and fourth vessels to arrive at MGBW and each took about four months to complete. These two vessels required the least amount of work with only routine maintenance and inspection from the U.S. Coast Guard. Golden Gate launched in mid-May 2022 while Napa launched at the end of June 2022.
MGBW has an impressive track record of servicing more than 275 passenger vessels in the last four years. Other passenger vessel companies it has serviced include the San Francisco Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), Catalina Express, Flagship Cruises, City Cruises (formerly Hornblower), Long Beach Cruises, Harbor Breeze Ferries and San Diego Maritime Museum.
The BunkerMetric acquisition will provide another key metric in StormGeo’s software-based voyage decision support services, based primarily on weather intelligence.
BunkerMetric’s procurement optimisation tool will now become a subscription service within StormGeo’s existing s-Suite, a service that includes voyage planning, route optimisation, and fleet performance management.
Software developed by BunkerMetric will enable fuel variables to be taken into account, including ports, prices, volumes, and fuel grades. Shipping companies will be able to minimise costs while considering other variables such as operational, commercial, and environmental factors, Alfa Laval said.
BunkerMetric CEO, Christian Plum, who set up the company five years ago, declared: “Combining BunkerMetric’s state-of-the-art optimisation algorithms and data platforms with StormGeo’s cutting-edge data science will mean valuable synergies for existing and future customers.”
Soeren Andersen, StormGeo CEO, commented: “BunkerMetric’s advanced procurement optimisation tool is a welcomed addition to our route advisory services, giving shipping customers timely data for choosing the best bunkering options. It will help optimise scheduling, fuel, and voyage performance.”
With Greece’s maritime history stretching back thousands of years, it seems fitting that the quote that comes to describe my experiences in naval architecture is from the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus; ‘Change is the only constant in life.’ In fact, embracing change for the future safety and efficiency of the maritime industry was an essential driver for the creation of RINA in 1860, and for its predecessor, the Society for the Improvement of Naval Architecture in 1791. Engineers succeed by applying learnings from the past so they become lessons about the future, assisted by healthy doses of curiosity and creativity. Today, RINA’s mission is ‘to promote and facilitate the exchange of technical and scientific information, thereby to improve the design of vessels’, and I really believe that it’s as relevant today as it was when the Institution was founded.
Looking back at my first job, I realise that I witnessed the effects of rapid technological change at first hand. I served on a hydrographic vessel and really enjoyed draughting admiralty charts and manually working the echo sets, which were busy etching into carbon paper. It felt like one day I was collating oceanographic data for the hydrographic office, then overnight the process was automated and many aspects of my job were suddenly redundant. Further change was imminent, but at the time I was not concerned about Moore’s law, the digital revolution, or the advancement of autonomy, as I navigated my career path. I knew my experience was adaptable to new situations; I still believe there will always be a need for human intervention in the maritime industry, even if it may be in tandem with increased assistance from digital systems.
Now, we are taking remarkable steps towards sustainability and net-zero 2030/2050 targets and assessing the impacts of autonomy and AI. As engineers, we embrace the challenges ahead, as we have done in the past when developing construction materials, fuel, and propulsion systems. Our challenge is exciting, perhaps daunting; but that’s precisely why I decided on a career in naval architecture.
So, how can modern Naval Architects meet the challenge, and why do they need a professional body? RINA recognises that to tackle the challenges ahead, we must update our communication systems and digital tools, invest in people, training, and resources to proactively support everyone working in the wide variety of maritime sub-sectors, from Defence to Offshore Wind to Shipping to Yachts to STEM projects, and everything in between. Collectively, we understand the benefits of an independent knowledge centre providing the benchmark for research, debate, and learning. In addition, my focus is offering transparency, captivation, and engagement through a clear roadmap to demonstrate why an engineer should engage with the Institution.
Our committees and working groups are the place where the Institution fosters the relationship between industry and academic partners to discuss maritime safety, innovation and environmental issues with peers and fellow colleagues in an independent, open, and dynamic forum. There is something for everyone, either by engaging in training or technical seminars, presenting a paper, or getting involved in many of our programs. The benefits of continuous professional development and maintaining one’s career path, combined with networking, serve to improve communication, drive collaboration, and discuss the ideas we all must foster for our own innovation and thought leadership.
Some of the changes we see affecting our industry have been unpredictable. The Institution supports those who have struggled through the pandemic. We understand some students and younger engineers may have felt isolated, requiring the support of a mentor or ‘buddy’ system, and we have seen members step up to help.
Finally, what are the skills and capabilities of the modern Naval Architect? For me, the critical path remains the same. We must provide visioneering. Our inquisitive nature will drive innovation, but the speed of change is upon us. I consider myself a systems integrator, but I don’t feel that’s radically different from my work in some of the earlier roles in my career. As Naval Architects, it’s our responsibility to remain modern, up-to-date and forward-looking. The credibility of the maritime industry depends on it.
According to the latest Sea-Intelligence Global Liner Performance (GLP) report, reliability figures in June 2022 mark the first time since the start of the pandemic that schedule reliability has improved year-on-year, albeit by just 0.5%.
The latest figure compares to an all-time low of 30.4% in January 2022 and a recent high of 83.5% in June 2019.
As noted in its recent second quarter results, Maersk was the most reliable of the container lines with schedule reliability at 49.5%, followed by Hamburg Süd at 41.4% and ten carriers in the 30%-40% range. Yan Ming and Wan Hai both trailed at 24.8% and 29.2%, respectively.
The report also tracked average delays for late vessels another indicator which has improved in the course of the first six months. Average delays for late vessels were at their worst in January 2022 at 9.95 days, but recovered to 6.24 days in May 2022 and held at the same point into June; average delays for late vessels were an improvement on the 6.54 days recorded in June 2021.
The Sea-Intelligence figures are built from data across 34 different trade lanes and 60+ carriers.
Quoting Sea-Intelligence data, Xeneta said that in the three months to July 24, capacity between Asia and the US East Coast was up 18.9% on-year to an average of 210,000 teu.
“Compared to the average weekly capacity in the same period last year, this is the equivalent of adding four 8 750 teu ships a week,” said Xeneta.
Asia-US West Coast capacity eased over the period, but remained the larger trade by far. In the same three-month period, Asia-West Coast capacity averaged 310,000 teu, down 1.7%.
The shift between the coasts was driven by significant delays and queues at US West Coast ports, but the problem was not solved, it just moved. Schedule reliability fell on the US East Coast with just 18.7% of services running on time in June with average delays of nine days for those arriving late, while on the West Coast, reliability improved to 24.8% in June with average delays of 9.9 days.
The latest data confirms that of the McCown report in July, which noted an Eastward shift in queues and delays on the US international container trades.
The shift of capacity means that 61.3% of Asia-US boxes came by the West Coast in the 12 weeks to July 24 2022, down from 66.1% at the end of the same period in 2021.
Data from May 2022 showed US East Coast imports up 11.9% year to date compared to 2021, and up 7.3% in May alone.
“As many of these containers have been moved away from the West Coast to the East Coast, there has been a corresponding drop in volumes imported through the US West Coast from the Far East. These are down 8.0% year to date and were down by 12.8% in May alone compared to May 2021. Total imports from the Far East to North America have risen 0.9% year to date,” said Xeneta.
A port facility security assessment is underway in Port Louis, Mauritius (1-5 August) led by a team of IMO experts. The assessment is being carried out under IMO’s EU-funded Port Security Project with a view to preparing port facility security plans.
During the five-day mission, staff of the Port Authority – specifically, Port Facility Security Officers of Mauritius – are being assisted in the assessment of the port’s compliance with IMO’s ISPS Code requirements. Officers will be supported in conducting ISPS Code port facility security assessments and reviewing current assessment approaches; and they will receive expert advice on any necessary improvements going forward.
CMA CGM’s 16,285 TEU container ship named Zephyr is the vessel with the largest capacity (in terms of cargo) to ever sail via the Panama Canal.
The box ship completed a return trip via the expanded Panama Canal’s Neopanamax Locks on 1 July, after calling at US-based ports of Savannah and New York. The Zephyr sailed back via the canal southbound to the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic, en route to Qingdao in China.
The Zephyr is now the largest cargo capacity to transit the waterway, but Evergreen’s Triton (measuring 369 meters in length and 51.2 meters in its beam) is the largest vessel by dimension.
In 2016, this canal was expanded with a third lane, and the Neopanamax Locks were expected to serve ships with 12,600 TEUs (at max). However, the threshold has been surpassed significantly as experiences in operating the locks increased.
Image for representation purpose only
Implementing different water conservation efforts with increased rainfall in the watershed has permitted the canal to offer a 15.24-meters draft since May. The highest allowed for vessels that transit the Neopanamax Locks.
The Panama Canal’s data reflects that in 2021, the waterway contributed to a reduction of about 16 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, compared to the most prudent alternate channels.
In 2020, the canal saved about 3 million tons of C02. The savings are reportedly equivalent to the amount produced by about 3.2 million passenger vehicles driven in one year.
The Panama Canal’s CO2 Emissions Savings Dashboard calculated the annual data that keeps track of CO2 emissions vessels reportedly save by passing through the canal.
Per the canal authority, 180 maritime channels converge via the canal and link 1,920 ports across almost 170 countries. Container vessels are the leading users of the third set of locks and contribute 45% of all kinds of transits.
The world’s first vessel, Neo Orbis, will be powered by a solid form of hydrogen — said to be much easier and safer to store than liquid or compressed forms of H2 — and is expected to get into operational trials at the Port of Amsterdam in June 2023.
The vessel — designed to sail in Amsterdam’s canals and the channel between the North Sea and the city — will be running on hydrogen produced from a salt named sodium borohydride (NaBH4).
This solid chemical is mixed with pure water and a stabilizer to produce a liquid fuel (non-combustible) with the dissolved form of NaBH4. It then reacts with a catalyst to produce hydrogen used to operate a fuel cell.
The Neo Orbis will be built by Next Generation Shipyards, a Dutch shipbuilder. It reportedly won a tender from the Port of Amsterdam and an H2Ships assignment co-funded by the EU.
The advantage of the hydrogen carrier is its high-energy density. It can be bunkered safely in several places. The vessel will pave the way for scaling up this technology for short-sea and inland shipping.
Per Galaxy FCT, a Malaysian firm that works on NaBH4 solutions, the stable solid can be stored at ambient pressures and temperatures and release 126kg of hydrogen per cubic meter — compared to 71kgH2/m3 for liquid hydrogen that needs to be stored below minus 253°C or 42kgH2/m3 for compressed hydrogen.
A long-term goal of the project is to form a closed-loop system wherein heat produced by the catalytic process can warm the Neo Orbis’ interior. At the same time, the water gets recycled, and the residual material or sodium metaborate (NaBO2) is transformed into new sodium borohydride fuel when in contact with water and any reducing agent like magnesium.
Sean Michael McDonald (39) was found guilty of two cases of manslaughter and one of endangering life in connection to a severe night-time boat crash near the Harbour House channel in the North Sound three years back.
Manuel “Manny” Brown (49) was a police officer from George Town. John Turner (70) and his business partner were aboard the Godfrey Hurricane. Both were killed in the incident. Shamilla Wright, who was on the boat, also suffered severe injuries.
Justice Cheryll Richards found that McDonald was responsible for the collision. She mentioned that he was driving too fast, not maintaining a proper lookout, and did not take evasive actions.
In a judge-alone trial she presided over in March 2022, Justice Richards gave her verdict on Tuesday and stated why she found McDonald “rash and negligent” while operating the boat to the extent that he was both responsible and guilty of manslaughter and endangering lives.
Image for representation purpose only
Even though the perpetrator’s passport has been seized, McDonald was permitted to continue on bail until sentencing, which is not expected to occur until November 2022, owing to multiple court-requested reports and the availability of attorneys.
Reading out a portion of the judgment over 100 pages, she explained how she was sure that McDonald’s was responsible for the collision. He initially denied the charges but failed to take the stand during his trial. However, his interview with police after the crash was provided as evidence, and a witness gave evidence on his behalf to refute a report on the reconstruction of the collision and other details produced by the crown’s technical specialist.
Neal observed that the Pepper Jelly reportedly struck the front of the smaller boat, mounted on it, and then hit the helm, rolling over the Godfrey Hurricane before capsizing. On being hit, reportedly, the Godfrey Hurricane moved in the water. It then smashed into a seawall. The evidence revealed that the Pepper Jelly was at throttle when the crash occurred, while the smaller boat’s throttle was placed at one-third to a half.
Crawford suggested that as there was no speed limit where the crash reportedly occurred, the speed issue was down to the captain’s judgment.
In his statement to the police, McDonald claimed he was doing no more than 20 to 25 miles per hour. However, the GPS recorded that the boat accelerated to 50mph before the collision.
McDonald admitted that driving his boat at more than 40mph gets scary, demonstrating that he was aware that this speed would present dangers to others, a point observed by Justice Richards.
McDonald had mentioned that he had observed no lights of any other ships as he approached the Harbour House Marina. He also did not see the Godfrey Hurricane until before the collision, when it was five feet away.
Whether the Godfrey Hurricane was improperly lit or otherwise formed a significant part of McDonald’s defence. CCTV footage from Harbour House Marina caught the crash on video, and even though it was impossible to see the collision completely clearly, it reflected a bright light on the Godfrey Hurricane. McDonald argued that it wasn’t necessarily visible to all on the Pepper Jelly.
Justice Richards, however, said that if McDonald maintained a “proper lookout”, as he claimed to the police, he would have been able to see the Godfrey Hurricane approaching even if the Hurricane’s lights were difficult to see.
McDonald, the owner of the firm that owns the boat, was an experienced ship captain and knew the North Sound quite well. The judge said that, given his experience and knowledge, approaching the channel at an unsafe speed at night and not keeping a proper lookout was breaching his duty of care to a criminal extent.
Bulk carrier IRVINE BAY ran aground in Napoli Port area while approaching berth, on arrival from Santana Brazil with cargo of grain, at around 1200 UTC Aug 4. She was refloated with high tide at around 0230 UTC Aug 5 with tugs assistance, and berthed. No damages, no leak reported, the ship reportedly rested on a sandy bottom.
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