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Monthly Archives for December 2007

World Superyacht Award announced

Boat International, in association with The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), has introduced a new competition to finf the world’s best young superyacht designer. The competition is intended to provide a showcase for young designer to demostrate thier ability and talents, and to encourge the development and showcase the talent of the next generation of superyacht designers. The first award will be made in 2008.

The competition will be open to anyone who is studying for a degree or other qualification in a subject related to yacht or small craft design, or who graduated from such a course in two years of the closing date of the competition.

Young naval architects and yacht designers from all over the world have been called upon to enter the competiton via the extensive RINA global network. RINA has already had an amazingly positive response from universities from as far afield as New Zealand and China, to the UK and Italy.

The design should be different from any other yacht; it should be caple of operating in both Carribbean and Mediterranean, and carrying 12 passengers and appropriate crew; it should comply with all apprropriate international safety regulations; it should have the lowest posible carbo footprint; it should have all the recreational facilities which an owner and guests might expect on such a vessel; and it will be made available for charter. At this stage, the owner has not specified an upper cost.

For those interested, in submitting an entry, or would like more information, contact Giuseppe Gigantesco, The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, e-mail: ggigantesco@rina.org.uk

Written on 27 December 2007 by jefflynn under Marine Tech with 4 Comments

Fastest ever diesel powered vessels

The first of multi-purpose Auto Express 65m high-speed ferries, built for the Sultanate of Oman, was launched at the Austal Image Henderson shipbuilding facility in September. With top speed in excess of 50 knots, the vessels, it is thought, will the fastest diesel powered vehicle ferries ever built.

Scheduled for delivery in 2008, the two catamarans will provide a new tourism service to Oman’s Musandam Penisular and will be the falgship in the Sultanate’s expanded marine transport network. The first vessel will arrive in Oman early next year.

The ferries carry 208 pasenggers and 56 cars along an intended 180nm route. Pasenggers will experience comfort across three classes-tourist class, first class, and VIP. High quality seating and catering facilities are all located on a single deck, with seakeeping comfort enchanced by the Austal SEAState Motion Control System.

Onboard features also include a helicopter landing faclity suitable for medium-class helicopter, which will be capable of assisting in search and rescue and medivac operations.

Both vessels are powered by four Mtu 20 cyinder 1163 series diesel engines each producing 6500kW and driving Kamewa waterjets.  

Written on 27 December 2007 by jefflynn under Marine Tech with No Comments

Design & Operation of LPG Ship

The event will  held on 30-31 January 2008 at RINA HQ,London.

Following the success of the 2006 International conference on Design, Construction and Operation of Natural Gas Carriers and Offshore Systems, RINA will be holding a new conference in January 2008 relating to the Design and Operating of Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG) ships.

LPG vessels may have pressurised, semi-pressurised or fully refrigerated cargo systems, able to trade from both pressure and refrigerated storages. Fully-refrigerated will required a chiller to cool down LPG at the loadport or re-heater to warm LPG discharging into pressure storage. The problematic characteristics of LPG have made it a late developer.

With the geat changes expected in the LPG industry, this conference will provide a forum for dicussion and means of profesional development for those involved with the design, contruction and operation of LPG ships.

RINA invites papers on all aspects of the design and operation of LPG ships and associated systems, including the following topics:

  • Design of vessel, large capacity, Shortsea and Coastal vessels.
  • Design and Contruction of pressurised, semi-pressurised and refrigerated cargo systems.
  • Design pratice, contruction and materials selection.
  • Corrosion and fatigue management and control.
  • Stress and integrity anlysis.
  • Tank construction, welding and weld inspection.
  • Cargo handling systems, engineering and equipment.
  • Loading, unloading, operational developments.
  • Regulation and Operation.   
Written on 26 December 2007 by jefflynn under Marine Tech with No Comments

Christmas

Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. The date of the celebration is traditional, and is not considered to be his actual date of birth. Christmas festivities often combine the commemoration of Jesus’ birth with various secular customs, many of which have been influenced by earlier winter festivals.

The word Christmas originated as a contraction of “Christ’s mass”. It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038, compounded from Old English derivatives of the Greek christos and the Latin missa. In early Greek versions of the New Testament, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ. Since the mid-16th century Χ, or the similar Roman letter X, was used as an abbreviation for Christ. Hence, Xmas is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas.

Originating from Western culture, where the holiday is characterized by the exchange of gifts among friends and family members, some of the gifts are attributed to a character called Santa Claus (also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas or St. Nikolaus, Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Joulupukki, Weihnachtsmann, Saint Basil and Father Frost).

Christmas is typically the largest annual economic stimulus for many nations. Sales increase dramatically in almost all retail areas and shops introduce new products as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies. In the U.S., the “Christmas shopping season” generally begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, though many American stores begin selling Christmas items in October and early November.

Written on 24 December 2007 by jefflynn under General with 1 Comment