The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Helly Hansen have recently announced a new strategic partnership that will support the lifesaving charity’s aim of defeating drowning. Helly Hansen, the global technical sailing brand founded in Norway in 1877, has committed to supporting the RNLI for the next five years through a variety of life-saving activities. These include delivering drowning prevention messages to their customers, generating income, supporting fundraising and safety campaigns, product innovation and supplying the very best kit to the RNLI’s lifesavers. Combining almost 350 years of rich heritage, innovation and expertise at sea, the RNLI and Helly Hansen share core br

Dualog, one of the world’s leading providers of ship-to-shore data communications services, has won a major contract to install and upgrade email capability on 160 Teekay vessels worldwide. Work has already started on the project with over 100 vessels being equipped in just three months while installation work on the remainder is underway. A key benefit for Teekay moving to a modern email platform is improved cyber security and increased uptime. Dualog’s high focus on operations, security and stability enables the company to deliver service uptime of 99,98%. Thomas Heide, International Sales Manager at Dualog, said the contract was significant not least because of the speed to which the work

Zwanny Ltd were recently called on for providing a waste management application. Barrels of hydraulic oil came loose from a vehicle when the boat hit bad North Sea weather and the contents spilled over the weather deck of the vessel. Zwanny Ltd received a telephone call late morning to inform them the vessel would arrive from Europe at 7pm in the UK and they would be required to clean the weather deck prior to the vessel departing at 1am - 6 hours later! Needless to say, Zwanny Ltd did the job in the time frame with a jetter crew and one of their partners vacuum trucks. The spill was cleaned up with the removal of nearly 4 tonnes of waste from the vessel. If you have any quick and demanding

Further class approval for Drone inspection of confined spaces for RIMS from KRS expands options for shipowners RIMS (Robotics In Maintenance Strategies) have secured a further class approval from Korean Register of Shipping (KRS) for the use of Remote Inspection Techniques (drones) during surveys of enclosed spaces. The KRS certification for the use of Remote Inspection Techniques (drones) during surveys of enclosed spaces, adds to the now highly impressive portfolio of class approvals RIMS have achieved in such a short period of time. This further certification means that even more shipowners and managers can now reap benefits which this new technology offers during class surveys. The use

World-leading coating manufacturer Hempel launches its high performance, chemical resistant, two component epoxy coating – Hempadur 15600 – to the offshore industry. Designed specifically for Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) cargo tank protection, Hempadur 15600 is International Maritime Organization (IMO) Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC) cargo oil tank compliant. It provides excellent resistance to continuous immersion in hydrocarbons, including crude oil up to 90˚C/194˚F. Maurice Steijger, Group Offshore Manager, Hempel A/S says: "Hempadur 15600 is an important part of Hempel’s range of high-performance coatings for cargo tank protection within the offsh

Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine has received an order to deliver a battery-powered energy system for six offshore vessels (PSV’s) which have been built by the yard Cosco Guangdong in China. The delivery includes the Energy Storage Container System (ESSU); an upgrade of the existing Rolls-Royce ship design engineering package to match the new features; an upgrade of the Dynamic Positioning system (DP) and the ACON control system; and the new Rolls-Royce Energy Monitoring system, which will provide a complete overview of energy usage onboard. Recently SEACOR Marine Holding announced that they have entered a Joint Venture with China Cosco Shipping Group. The new venture, SEACOSCO, has taken over

UK based workboat specialists Water Witch are leading designers in specialist trash retrieval and waterway cleanup craft for Ports and Marinas. Designed to be manoeuvrable in hard to reach areas, these shallow draft boats feature a removable catchment basket which collects and filters debris and plastics through it’s inverted ‘mouth’ in the same way as a plankton feeder would do in the natural world. These aluminium boats are specifically designed to efficiently collect smaller plastic items such as coffee cups, plastic bottles, food wrappers, styrofoam and plastic bags. Drinks bottles are one of the most common types of plastics found in our marine environment – some 480 billion plastic bot

Shearwater Marine Services have been awarded internationally recognised accreditations for environmental protection and health and safety management. These OHAS 18001:2007 and ISO 14001:2008 awards are the result of the company’s ongoing efforts to deliver services in a safe and responsible manner, with a commitment to protecting the environment and to ensuring the safety of all persons that are affected by their working activities. Both accreditations were issued following a rigorous onsite audit of Shearwater’s policies and practices by QMS International. This process included detailed workplace inspections, interviews and samples of operations to ensure that robust procedures are followed

More than just gears - full life-cycle support, keeping your working vessels at sea. MIT, the driveline experts are pleased to announce a new member to the team, Keith Stevenson based in Northern Ireland, who will be responsible for the entire region. The appointment of a dedicated Irish sales engineer allows MIT to increase their support to existing customers, whilst increasing market awareness of the full MIT product portfolio intended for the commercial work and fishing boat markets. With over 40 years of industry experience, MIT offer full life vessel support, ensuring that your business downtime is kept to a minimum. More than just transmission’s, MIT support critical components both be

Smaller Troika tug means bigger business opportunities through France’s narrow Canal du Nord. Some may know a “troika” as a traditional Russian sleigh, whose team of three horses provides a powerful, fast ride along snowpacked roads. But Christian Cnudde’s Troika is a transformed pusher tug, maneuvering through the narrow inland waterways of northern Europe with a robust, unusual design and a new John Deere PowerTech™ 6135AFM85 engine. Cnudde is passionate about his profession but knows the risks. “You need an agile, responsive vessel, proper care, and good navigation to ensure goods arrive safely, on time, and within budget,” he explains. A vessel fit to purpose With a clear vision of what

The 151-metre, self-propelled, DP2 jack-up rig Seafox 5 has left the Damen Verolme Rotterdam (DVR) shipyard following a fourmonth refit in which the boom of its main crane was lengthened to prepare it for a new contract, along with a range of maintenance and other upgrade works. Seafox 5 is now equipped to undertake offshore wind projects involving the next generation of larger wind turbines in water depths of up to 65 metres. Delivered in 2012, Seafox 5 is owned and operated by jack-up specialist Seafox BV; the world´s largest offshore jack-up ASV/ offshore support company. 151 metres long and with a breadth of 50 metres, she is the largest vessel in the Seafox fleet and has a 1,200 tonne m

Subsea construction often requires specialised and expensive equipment to be safely lowered to the seabed and accurately positioned for installation in a reliable and cost effective way. Over the years there have been many incidents involving hooks in the offshore industry. The two most common incidents are snagging of hooks and unintentional release of the rigging from the hooks, also known as shedding. The new RUD ROV Hook has been designed to offer a product that not only meets the operational safety standards but also the speed of use requirements the industry faces, thus reducing time penalties and increased costs. The RUD ROV Hook is a completely new design that has never been seen acr

Astilleros Armon has recently delivered one Azimuth Tractor Tug for Namibian Ports Authority (NAMPORT). Armon had won an International bidding procedure for the supply of two Twin Tractor Tugs and C-790 ‘Onduli’ is the first of its series. Designed and developed by Armon at their headquarters in Navia, Asturias. The Tug was delivered in November 2017. The Onduli has a great maneuverability thanks to the forward position of its propellers, a main characteristic of this kind of tug. Onduli is configured to accommodate ten people, divided between six cabins on two decks. On the main deck there are four cabins, each one having its own bathroom, These cabins can be divided into one of two types -

Dorchester based, Tritex NDT have launched a new ultrasonic metal thickness gauge specifically designed for mounting onto drones for high level inspections. The gauge uses multiple echo to completely ignore coatings up to 20mm thick and the single crystal probe ensures accurate readings on curved surfaces, such as storage tanks and pipelines. Remaining metal thickness and corrosion levels can be quickly and more easily checked without the need for scaffolding or rope access. The Multigauge 6000 Drone Thickness Gauge OEM transmits real time measurements wirelessly up to a distance of 500 metres using its integrated RF transmitter. The readings are displayed and stored on dedicated Communicato

Large manufacturers are keen to support and supply large orders but often the smaller ones attract less effort. SML Marine Paints are the largest distributor of Jotun Marine paints in the UK and pride themselves on offering the same level of service and discounts on every order - not just the ones for big projects. SML is unique in only supplying paints and coatings from the one manufacturer “We focus on the Jotun brand because we believe it to not only be the best quality paint but also the best value for money paint in the market today. Concentrating on the one brand also means we carry extensive stocks, get the best prices and know the Jotun products inside out”, says Malcom Johnston, Own

SMS is completing refit work on a major Solent car ferry in the port of Southampton. Isle of Wight ferry operator Red Funnel is investing £3m on a major refurbishment of its ro-pax ferry Red Eagle in a project similar to the new look given to their Red Falcon and Red Osprey in 2014 and 2015. The contract was awarded to SMS with interior fitout by Trimline and aluminium fabrication work contracted to Wight Shipyard Co in East Cowes. The lounge modules presented a unusual sight on 31 January as they crossed the Solent from the Isle of Wight to Southampton on Williams Shipping barges. Work on Red Eagle will be completed in time for the summer timetable which starts on 29 March. The project will

Aberdeen Harbour Board welcomes Michelle Handforth, who has officially taken over the role as Chief Executive. This comes after an extensive recruitment process, when Michelle, who has 20 years of board and leadership experience in global, multi-site businesses, was recruited to succeed Colin Parker as Chief Executive. Alistair Mackenzie, Chairman of Aberdeen Harbour Board, welcomed Michelle’s appointment to the role. “ Michelle is joining Aberdeen Harbour at an incredibly important time for the organisation. Construction works are well under way at the Aberdeen South Harbour site, whilst we continue to focus on providing second-tonone services and facilities for our customers in the existin

Public safety diving is conducted by law enforcement, fire rescue, and search & rescue/recovery dive teams. These dedicated teams are called to action for a variety of missions from drowning victims to location of missing evidence. Public safety divers respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and may be required to dive in the middle of the night, during inclement weather, in zero visibility or through polluted waters. These selfless men and women are often given very little to time to plan a search and rely solely on their team members, training and specialized search equipment. JW Fishers is proud to serve as an extension of these teams by providing the right tools for the job

Sales to the EU have increased significantly for South Shields based Solar Solve Marine for some reason, in spite of all the BREXIT hoo-ha. However, the Far East continues to be the area of the world where the vast majority of new ships and other types of sea-going vessels are built. It’s just over 5,500 miles from Tyneside to Busan, Osaka and Shanghai but they have been at the hub of global ship construction for the last quarter century and consequently continue to be the destinations for over 50% of Solar Solve Marine’s Type Approved, brand leading products, every month. Whilst they are far away, they are not too far for the well-established business that has built up an enviable reputatio

Blyth awoke to a new feature on its skyline recently as a mammoth offshore energy vessel slipped into the Port of Blyth at sunrise. Officially the largest ship to visit the harbour in the history of the Port, the Norwegian owned Albatross is a 34,700 tonne heavy transport vessel typically used to move huge pieces of equipment and even other vessels. The 204 metre Albatross is in Blyth as part of a project led by international offshore support company Gulf Marine Services and is carrying GMS Evolution, a 6366 tonne light displacement jack up barge that will be supporting the installation of offshore wind turbines. Martin Lawlor, Chief Executive of Port of Blyth, said: "Receiving the Albatross