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Profile Johan Inden
THORDON BEARINGS SIGNS MULTI-VESSEL AGREEMENT
Thordon Bearings has signed a deal that includes supply of water-lubricated and grease-free bearings for a fl eet of newbuilds
Supply is for several fl eet boats under construction at the FMT Shipyard & Repair facility in Louisiana, USA, for workboat owner Maritime Partners.
David DiSalvo, owner of DiSalvo Marine, independent contractor for Thordon Bearings, said: ”Maritime Partners has optimised its boat charter business by opting for two different engine packages on these new fleet boats. Both engine options meet the latest US EPA requirements.
“Now with the addition of the Thordon products, the company has upped their game with environmentally friendly vessels that will offer longevity and low maintenance that its customers will also value for many years.”
Green considerations
Twelve twin-screw push boats are scheduled to be delivered from the Louisiana-based yard with equipment that includes RiverTough tailshaft bearings, ThorPlas-Blue rudder bearings with Pucker Seals, ThorPlas-Blue steering linkage bushings, SXL thrust washers and TG100 tailshaft seals.
“As a leading provider of maritime assets and a founding member of the BlueSky Maritime Coalition, we have a commitment to and a responsibility for environmentallysustainable maritime operations. The application of technical solutions that deliver absolutely zero environmental risk is a no-brainer for us,” said Austin Sperry, co-founder and president, Maritime Partners.
While environmental considerations and the reduced OPEX associated with Thordon equipment were obvious deal makers, the determining factor came when Sperry learnt that Sandy Thomson, Thordon Bearings’ founder and innovator, was a recipient of the award given in the name of his great, great grandfather, the gyrocompass inventor, Elmer Sperry.
In 2019, George (Sandy) Thomson was presented with the Elmer A Sperry Award for Advancing the Art of Transportation, one of the highest accolades given for an individual’s contribution to transportation engineering.
Jim Bright, territory sales manager, Thordon Bearings, said: “It is fantastic to see this real, physical connection between the maritime industry, Elmer Sperry and the spirit of the award. When Austin met Sandy, it was a meeting of minds. They share the same environmental vision. They both recognise the role maritime industries have to play in finding tangible, meaningful solutions to the climate change problem.”
Founded in 2015, Maritime Partners owns a fleet of 1,600 inland river vessels operated under bareboat charter. The new vessels, however, will be the company’s first newbuilds to feature a complete portfolio of Thordon technology following the success of individual installations aboard existing tonnage.
8 Thordon’s
RiverTough tailshaft system
Keel-cooled engine unveiled at Nor-Shipping
A keel-cooling system launched at the NorShipping event last week obviates the need for salt water in the engine.
The C16 600 Keel Cooling system, by NPT Industrial and its partner and distributor Frydenbø Industri, is positioned along the keel or incorporated into the hull itself, which means it is always in contact with the water.
In this way the system can dissipate the engine’s heat and cool it without circulating salt water in the engine – which can corrode it and damage the seawater filter and impeller.
It is designed to cool engines that typically operate in sandy, muddy and shallow water.
The firms say the system is ideal for push and tug boats, ferries, dredgers and commercial fishing vessels that operate in brown waters, inland waterways and harbours.
“We aim to offer a wider customer base all the benefits of this solution that guarantees reduced downtime with clear financial and operational advantages to professionals working in particular operating areas,” said Fabio Rigon, FPT Industrial Vice President Europe.
8 C16 600 Keel Cooling from NPT Industrial
HYDRAMEC ASSISTS WITH SHACKLETON DISCOVERY
Lost for a century: Ernest Shackleton’s ship discovered on the Antarctic seabed
The expedition that discovered of explorer Ernest Shackleton’s long-lost Endurance in the Antarctic Ocean was helped along with winching equipment and controls from Hydramec and its supplier Scantrol, the fi rms say.
Ernest Shackleton’s ship sank in the Weddell Sea in the Antarctic in 1915. He and his crew abandoned ship, then survived for 20 months in the bitter cold of the Antarctic. Endurance lay undiscovered until March, when a team from the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust found it on an Endurance22 expedition.
Two 25,000m winches were provided to the expedition by
Hydramec, with 3.5mm fibre optic cable tethered to an autonomous unmanned vehicle (AUV) to gather real-time data while the wreck was being surveyed. It meant the images could be viewed by the crew without having to bring the AUV back to the Endurance22.
To withstand the temperature of the Weddell Sea, the winches had to be made out of aluminium, and together with their cables they had to weigh less than 1.5 tonnes in case they had to be helicoptered onto ice. The winches also had skis on the bottom in case they needed to be towed on the ice.
A special drive was set up on the level wind to allow continuous adjustable tension on the cable.
The researchers worked from the South African polar research and logistics vessel S.A. Agulhas II, owned by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. Saab’s Sabertooth hybrid underwater search vehicles were used to find the wreck, the team said.
There are no plans to raise Endurance from its icy grave. ”The wreck is protected as a Historic Site and Monument under the Antarctic Treaty, ensuring that whilst it is being surveyed and filmed it will not be disturbed in any way,” the team said. “We are overwhelmed by our good fortune in having located and captured images of Endurance,” said Mensun Bound, director of exploration on the expedition. ”This is by far the finest wooden shipwreck I have ever seen. It is upright, well proud of the seabed, intact, and in a brilliant state of preservation. You can even see “Endurance” arced across the stern, directly below the taffrail. This is a milestone in polar history.”
Shackleton died in 1922 on board Quest, while it was anchored off South Georgia.
8 Taff rail and ship’s wheel, aft well deck
Wärtsilä ordered to provide equipment for new RoRo
Wärtsilä is to supply the main and auxiliary engines, fuel storage tanks, gas handling equipment and electrical systems for a new RoRo being built for Australian operator SeaRoad Shipping.
The 210 metre vessel, primarily fuelled by LNG, is under construction at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) shipyard in Germany.
“We recognise Wärtsilä’s strong capabilities in LNG-related technologies, as well as their capabilities in electrical systems, and these solutions are an excellent fit for this vessel,” commented Philip Maracke, chief executive of FSG.
The vessel will be powered by two Wärtsilä 46DF dual-fuel main engines and
8 An impression of the new RoRo ferry
three Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines. The fuel gas handling system and LNG tanks are designed with the gas valve units integrated into the tank connection space, a solution said to be unique to Wärtsilä which reduces the amount of piping needed, making installation easier.
Wärtsilä will also deliver most electrical systems, including bridge consoles with integrated navigation, redundant dual-gyro compass systems, nautical sensors, external communication systems, power take-in and take-out shaft alternators with multi-drive technology, monitoring and control systems, switchboards, internal communication, and safety systems as well as lighting.
Electrical installation will commence in this year, whilst the bulk of Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard during the first half of 2023.
Expected to complete by the end of next year, the vessel will have 3,987 lane metres for various freight units and will sail on Bass Strait, between Melbourne, Victoria and Devonport on the Australian island state of Tasmania.
