OCTOBER 2009 www.tankeroperator.

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TAKEROperator
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Goal-based standards
A long way to go
October 2009

TANKEROperator 01
Contents
Markets
Tonne-mile ratios could increase next year
Finance
Tanker assets sliding
German Report
KG collapse could stall investments
RWO awaits final ballast water approval
GLs revolutionary tanker design
Technology
24 Propulsors
Twin screw concepts examined
CPP with a feathering capability
Propeller efficiency - the key
Becker introduces duct
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42 Underwater maintenance
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Underwater services in MEG
45 Safety
ICS expresses concerns
ISM guide to be updated
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3D videos catching on
36 Satcoms
Tanker operators go with KVH
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p1: p1. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 09 Page 1
Although there are signs of a general improvement,
albeit small, it is a brave person who is willing to
predict a return to something like normal, whatever
that is.
However, the boys and girls at accountants and consultants Moore
Stephens have stuck their neck out.
In the latest Shipping Confidence Survey, the company said that
there was a continuing rise in overall confidence levels in the shipping
industry over the past three months.
There was, somewhat unsurprisingly, an increased awareness of the
impact of Chinas growth pattern on the shipping sector.
The average confidence level expressed by respondents, on a scale of
1 to 10, was 5.7, compared to 5.5 in the previous survey in May 2009.
Owners, managers, charterers and brokers all exhibited increased
confidence in the shipping markets in which they operate.
A number of people acknowledged that the start of a recovery was
under way, and also recognised the opportunity today to buy vessels at
historically low prices. The shipping market has started to pick up this
year after the effect of the global economic crises, noted one
respondent, while another commented, The recovery of the global
economy will result in strong demand for tonnage as delayed projects
get up and running again.
Less optimistic comments included predictions that excessive
tonnage oversupply would keep the lid on freight rates, and the catch-
all observation, Hoping for the best, getting ready for the worst.
Another respondent warned, Because two newbuildings are being
delivered for every vessel scrapped, the shipping market will not be
able to pick up over the next three-to-four years. And it may
deteriorate even further, with a number of owners forced into
bankruptcy.
China was on the minds of a number of respondents, one of whom
noted, China is now the producer, the consumer, the trader and the
transporter. It has got the cheapest and the most plentiful supply of
labour and it is possibly the richest country in the world. None of these
things can be good for the international shipping industry. Another
remarked, Chinas influence in the shipping markets is a risk which
has not yet been fully factored in. China will control a lot of cheap new
tonnage, with the result that a number of independent shipowners will
not have the opportunity to compete.
The survey revealed a slight increase in the number of respondents
expecting to make a major investment or significant development over
the next 12 months at 5.1 out of 10 overall. Charterers remained the
most confident, although they, together with managers, actually recorded
a drop in their expectation levels compared to the last survey. Owners
and brokers, meanwhile, were more confident of making a major
investment than they were three months ago.
For the third survey in succession, demand trends were identified as
the single most important factor likely to affect their business
performance over the coming year, followed by competition and the cost
and availability of finance.
There was a one percentage point fall overall, to 45%, in the number
of respondents who expected finance costs to rise over the coming year.
Having recorded a 13% point fall in this category to a level of 41% in
the previous survey, charterers appear to have had a rethink over the
past three months, with the result that 50% of them now expect finance
costs to rise over the coming year.
A number of respondents remarked on the hard-line attitude adopted
by the banks and by other lenders, while one made the succinct
observation that, High finance costs and reduced availability have been
the cause of many problems for many owners. Today, if you can buy a
ship for cash and let it out to a reliable charterer for, say, two years, at
least you are making a return on equity of between 10% and 15%,
which is better than the 1% you will get from the banks.
Tanker chartering
Turning to the tanker charter market, the picture was largely as before.
There was a marked difference of opinion, however, between the
numbers of owners (46%) and the numbers of charterers (35%)
predicting higher rates, the latter figure comparing with the 45%
recorded in the last survey.
Moore Stephens shipping partner, Richard Greiner said, Although
the overall confidence level of 5.7 revealed in the survey is low
compared to the 6.8 posted at the time of the first survey in May 2008,
it still represents an increase for the third successive quarter. In some
ways this mirrors what is happening in the global economy, where there
are now very real indications that a recovery is under way.
Remarking on finance opportunities, Greiner said; Shipping should
not despair. The process of lending has inevitably become more
selective, and the terms more onerous, yet there are still banks which are
lending money. Aspiring borrowers with realistic demands and with
well-written, easy-to-understand business plans which plot a clear path
to profitability will have the best chance of success.
COMMENT
Green-ish shoots of recovery seen coming through
TO
TANKEROperator

October 2009 02
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S
pecific data is available some
time after actual cargo
movements, which while
allowing for a higher accuracy,
causes some delay in data analysis.
Having updated our records with the
complete first half of 2009, we can now
decipher the gains/losses across the dirty
tanker sectors by import/export region. It is
of no surprise that demand for tankers is
down on a macro level, but the full picture
can only be gained by peeling back the
onion, McQuilling Services said in its
weekly report.
We blamed the unseasonable spikes of
2008 on supply constraints, which absorbed
significant tonnage and drove the spot
market to impressively high second quarter
levels, despite tanker demand exhibiting the
beginning of its decline.
However, the picture in 2009 is quite
different. Net fleet growth continues across
the sectors, unchecked by 2007-8s surge in
drybulk and heavy-lift conversions.
Table 1 illustrates the year-on-year change
in tonne-mile demand across most tanker
sectors, having dropped nearly 1.6% overall
versus 1H08. This is hardly surprising, and
easily attributed to the demand destruction
for crude oil since last year.
Furthermore, that the fleet has expanded
by 120 newbuildings this year adds insult to
injury when observing the tumbling act
freight rates have undergone.
Year-on-year demand for VLCCs is down
4.3% overall. Referring to Table 2, this is
largely driven by huge drops in tonne-mile
demand from the Caribbean & US out of the
Arabian Gulf and West Africa.
This was largely expected given the USs
decreased consumption of crude after last
years record price tag of $147 per barrel,
and would certainly explain why rates have
on TD1 (280,000 tonnes AG/US Gulf)
averaged a dismal WS 30.7 during 1H09.
Increased demand for VLCCs was seen
from Europe and India, largely attributed to
declining production output in the North Sea
for the former, and increased refinery
capacity for the latter; however, these
imports commanded only a 4% share of the
fleet, whereas nearly a 50% share of VLCCs
were needed for the AG/Far East trades.
One unexpected rise in demand has been
the 8.6% growth for dirty Panamaxes over
1H08 levels. We note that this fleet has seen
a slightly negative net supply growth.
However, we are reminded of the ambiguity
of this tally owing to LR1 (coated Panamax)
owners option to dirty up. Furthermore,
our database shows spot fixtures for this
sector are down by roughly 20% on a global
basis, which leaves this growth in tonne-
mile demand a bit puzzling.
Referring to Table 3, the largest increases
in demand for Panamaxes came from the
Caribbean & US (which coincidentally
experienced the largest drop in VLCC
demand as discussed above). This was
largely answered by short-haul exports from
the Caribbean, Central and South Americas,
though at the expense of long-haul cargoes
from the North Sea.
The largest decrease in tonne-mile demand
was seen ex-Arabian Gulf to the Far East
and India, though these trades only make up
a small share of Panamax business. With all
of these positive notes on the Panamax
sector, one begins to wonder why spot
earnings are down 59% year-on-year on TD
10 (50,000 tonnes Caribbean/US Atlantic).
We believe the answer may lie with an
increasing availability of tonnage in this
region, McQuilling said.
The Panamax trade within the Americas
already commanded a huge 23% share of the
fleets business in 2008. Increased tonne-
mile demand from this region in 2009 saw
this rise to over 28%. With so many ships
trading within this short-haul region, spot
tonnage availability has increased
significantly, leaving charterers with a large
fleet list to work from when coming into
the market.
INDUSTRY - MARKETS
TANKEROperator

October 2009 04
Hang on in there
Tanker demand is typically measured in tonne-miles, taking into account
not only the cargo being moved, but also the distance it travels.
Table 1: Year-on-Year Comparison: Dirty
Tonne-Mile Demand, 1H09 / 1H08.
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p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 3
We believe that this phenomenon has
contributed to the depressed rates
experienced in this sector despite its
increased demand.
The International Energy Agency (IEA)
has been pointing to decreasing oil demand
since the beginning of 2008. Given that the
dirty tanker demand is correlated to the
overall world oil demand, its lead could have
easily pointed to the downfall in tanker rates
since last year.
Accordingly, the first half of 2009
suffered a 1.59% decline in tonne-mile
demand atop a swelling supply of ships, as
well a declining demand for crude. This
combination has left spot earnings about
63% down since last year.
Whats next?
The latest forecast by the IEA calls for oil
demand to end 2009 averaging 83.2 mill
barrels per day, down 3% from 85.8 mill in
2008. But as the global outlook improves
amid signs of economic recovery, IEAs
forecast for 2010 is an increase to world oil
demand to 86.3 mill.
Additionally, changing distances between
oil producers and refiners, various supply
reduction factors (such as the impeding
single-hull phase out), possible pipeline
closures, among many other factors could
contribute to significant fluctuations in the
demand for tankers moving forward.
While we can confidently predict that
tonne-mile demand data for Q3 will
show a further fall from 1H09, there
remains a number of factors that could
reverse this trend into 2010. Regardless
the result, we look forward to the
opportunity to decipher our next batch of
tanker demand data, peeling back the next
proverbial layer of onion, McQuilling
concluded.
TO
INDUSTRY MARKETS
October 2009

TANKEROperator 05
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Table 2: Year-on-Year VLCC Comparison: Dirty Ton-Mile Demand, 1H09 / 1H08.
Table 3: Year-on-Year Panamax Comparison: Dirty Ton-Mile Demand, 1H09 / 1H08.
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 4
A
ny delays occurring on the
Panama, Suez Canals, or the
Bosporus would impact on supply
and demand by tying up tonnage
that would otherwise be on the open market.
Collectively, the Bosporus and Dardanelles
are known as the Turkish Straits and despite
being treacherous to navigate, due to tight 90
deg turns and varied visibility, they play host
to around 140 ships per day transiting- about
11% being tankers.
The geography and the sheer number of
vessels often have the shippers wondering
about the pipeline option. Bad weather
causes bottlenecks at either end, resulting in
large tankers being delayed, sometimes for
several days.
However, the attraction of the straits is that
some 130 mill tonnes of crude and petroleum
products are exported from the Black Sea
ports each year.
Having retained control of the Bosporus and
Dardanelles throughout its independence,
Turkey claims the right to regulate traffic
passing through. Both straits encompass some
30 km of Turkeys coastline on both sides and
are only 0.75 km wide at their narrowest point
in the centre of Istanbul and only allow a vessel
with a maximum draught of 15 m to transit.
Currently, Turkey does not enforce strict
control of the straits, nor does it levy tolls or
restrict trade. It only closes the waterways in
times of an environmental or security risk.
According to Turkish law, the straits could
be shut for economic, environmental, or
security crises.
To reduce the risk of pollution, following
several high profile incidents down the years,
Turkey has initiated a night time ban on all
vessels transiting of over 200 m in length. All
vessels of over 300 m are banned outright in the
Bosporus, except in special circumstances,
meaning that VLCC transits have been ruled out.
And of course, there is also an air draft restriction
due to the two bridges spanning the Bosporus.
During the winter period, fog and lost
daylight hours can cause chaos to large ship
transits, leading to delays of up to 20 days.
These criteria are often taken into
consideration when drafting a charterparty for
vessels needing to transit the area, especially
if time sensitivity is involved. Delays could
also occur in the future should terrorists
succeed in forcing the authorities to inspect
each vessel before starting a transit.
Export terminals
The Black Sea houses many major exporting
terminals, including Novorossiysk,
Constantza, Bourgas, Batumi, Supsa and
Odessa. Different grades of crude oil are
shipped, notably Kumkol, Tengiz and Azeri
light from Kazakhstan and Georgia, plus
Urals, CPC blend and Soviet Export blend
from Russia.
McQuilling said that it was important to
note the attractiveness of many of the Black
Sea crudes. For example, Azeri light can trade
at a premium to other types of crude, due to
its light/sweet attributes, which can produce
more attractive products after refining.
Although Russia diverted some of its oil
exports through Black Sea ports in 2006,
planned production increases from Azerbaijan
and Kazakhstan may push more oil products
through the straits in the future. However, at
present there is still a steady market for
Suezmax, Aframax and Panamax tonnage
needed to export crude from the region.
From January to April this year, Suezmaxes
carried about 9.45 mill tonnes crude per
month from the Black Sea/eastern
Mediterranean and North African region,
compared to 9.46 mill tonnes in the
corresponding period of 2008.
Interestingly, McQuilling said that January
totalled 10.5 mill tonnes only to fall to 8.4
mill tonnes by April. However, while figures
were not available thus far for May-August,
the consultancy said that it had noticed a
steady increase in TD 6 fixtures (135,000
tonne, Black Sea-Mediterranean).
The delays caused by bad weather affecting
the straits in winter, plus the lost daylight
hours for large ship transits, have been
diminishing since 2003. Nevertheless,
McQuilling found that since 2002, the
increase in transit times were coinciding with
rate hikes on the TD 6 route, except for winter
2008-2009.
This was because the recession had started to
take its toll, resulting in the growing supply of
tankers amidst a collapse in oil demand, left all
the tanker rates in free fall, regardless of delays
at the entrances of the Turkish straits.
Speculation is rife that we are coming to the
end of the recession. However, tonnage
available was still outweighing demand. With
Autumn approaching and a steady climb being
observed in the amount of tonnage picking up
oil cargoes in the Black Sea, the question is will
delays affect the spot market gain, or will the
spot market remain so unbalanced that delays
will have little affect on TD 6 earnings?
TANKEROperator

October 2009 06
TO
INDUSTRY - MARKETS
Turkish Straits-
major tanker artery
In the third in a trilogy of articles focusing on global choke points for shipping,
McQuilling Services took a look at the Bosporus and Dardanelles.
The Suezmax Aegean Horizon navigates through the narrowest part of the Bosporus.
Photo credit- Chris Brooks (ShipFoto).
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 5
October 2009

TANKEROperator 07
INDUSTRY - FINANCE
I
n the previous review on tanker asset
prices (March 2009, page 4), there were
fundamental issues within the financial
system that had rendered the credit
markets and world trade, and by association,
the shipping market almost un-functional.
However, at that time, the trade of crude oil
was holding up fairly well, given the
circumstances, and given the great differential
between the spot and the futures markets for
oil, there was an exacerbated state of contango
that had employed at that time more than 60
vessels as storage facilities.
Six months later, the reality for the tanker
markets is less promising. Although the
financial markets have slowly started thawing
and trade finance has becoming available, the
trade of oil, and thus tanker freight rates, has
dropped precipitously since then.
On the contrary,the drybulk market has
improved since March, despite the summers
slow steaming and soft correction. In order
to provide a frame of reference, in Graph A,
the Baltic Exchange freight indices are
Tanker asset prices
on a continuous
declining trend
Earlier in the year, the pages of the TAKEROperator hosted a brief overview
of tanker asset prices. It seems that a lot of time has passed in last six months
and a lot has changed during this time; once again, Basil M Karatzas presents
an updated review of the developments in the present tanker market.
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 6
depicted since January 2004; all indices
incorporate spot and period markets for the
major asset types that constitute each index,
and thus the indices can be assumed
representative of each market: The Baltic
Exchange Dry Index (BDI) covers the
drybulk markets (capesize, panamax,
supramax and handysize vessels); the Baltic
Dirty Tanker Index (BDTI) covers the crude
oil market (VLCC, Suezmax, Aframax and
Panamaxes in major trading routes), while
the Baltic Clean Tanker Index (BCTI)
constitutes clean Panamax, Handymax and
Handysize tankers.
The tanker indices, when compared to
drybulk markets, have been exhibiting much
lower volatility since 2004. However, one has
to note that while the drybulk markets have
staged an impressive recovery, as least when
viewed in percentage improvement terms from
the absolute bottom, tanker rates have
continued languishing and presently the tanker
indices are trading at approximately half their
value of March 2009. In quantitative terms,
the BDTI is down by 25% since March and
the BCTI is down by 32% since February,
while the drybulk markets have shown an
improvement of 36%, despite the recent
summer correction.
Different environment
During the boom years of the shipping cycle
and as late as in the Autumn of last year, any
decline in freight rates was not necessarily
reflected on asset prices as owners were
reluctant to lower their asking prices in an
otherwise very strong market environment
(robust world trade and growth, easy credit,
etc). However, the recent decline in tanker
freight rates, in a completely different macro
environment, has shown a different aspect
and has indicated a direct and significant
relationship on the value of tankers. There
has been a relative period of sale and
purchase inactivity for tankers in the first
five months of 2009, as very few buyers
were convinced enough to acquire tankers
(primarily with total equity due to lack of
debt financing) while sellers were holding
out for a freight rebound.
With a continuous and precipitous
deterioration of tanker freight rates to such
low levels as to be significantly below
operating cash flow break-even, with
consensus estimates that world economies will
not start improving at least until the end of
2010, at the very earliest, and with new
deliveries keep flooding an anemic market,
weak owners have started accepting bidding
prices that now establish a new lower plateau
and benchmark in the sector.
Many market observers have stated that it is
only a matter of time before the few
transactions thus far at such low levels will
become the new standard, and with market
pressures keep piling up, asset prices might
trend to even lower levels.
Sliding VLCCs
The four major tanker sectors are reviewed in
the next four graphs both in terms of asset
pricing and also one-year timecharter from
January 2004 until the end of August 2009.
The VLCC market in Graph 2, the most
macro-economically oriented tanker sector
and thus the most volatile, had been on a
positively slopping trend since 2005 when
five-year old vessels having appreciated from
about $75 mill in January 2004 to about $160
mill by December 2008, while presently are
valued at about $85 mill. Ten-year old
VLCCs seem to have made a full round trip
starting at about $55 mill in early 2004,
trading as high as $125 mill in December
2008 and presently back to the point of origin.
On the right-hand-scale of the same graph, the
one-year timecharter VLLC rate is depicted,
and presently such vessels are earning less
TANKEROperator

October 2009 08
INDUSTRY - FINANCE
Graph 1: The Baltic Indices - since 2004 - SEP 2009.
Graph 2: VLCC Asset & TC - since JAN2004 - VLCCs - SEP 2009.
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p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 7
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than the beginning of the super-cycle: from
about $42,000 per day to as high as $90,000
per day in December 2008 to the present level
of about $36,000 per day.
On to a still macro-economically oriented
tanker sector but at smaller scale and different
market dynamics, five-year-old Suezmaxes
had doubled in price from January 2004 to
December 2008 to about $100 mill before
falling back to about $55 mill region at
present (Graph 3). Ten-year old vessels have
fared much better in terms of relative
valuation as they had moved from about $25
mill to as high as about $80 mill last
December and presently valued at $45 mill,
still a significant premium over their valuation
in early 2004.
However, in terms of earnings, the present
market at $25,000 per day is well below the
$35,000 per day level obtainable at the
beginning of 2004 and the $55,000 per day
level achievable still in December 2008 for
one-year timecharters.
Moving on to the workhorse of the tanker
market (Graph 4), asset prices for five-year-
old Aframaxes had moved from just below
$40 mill to just below $80 mill from 2004 to
2008 and presently below $40 mill, while 10-
year vessels experienced a similar cycle from
just below $30 mill to above $60 mill and
presently below $30 mill. Similarly, one-year
timecharter levels had moved from $25,000
per day to about $43,000 per day in December
2008 but in a free fall since then to about
$17,000 per day currently.
In the last graph, Graph 5, products tankers
that trade in a refined petroleum products
market, unlike the previous tanker sectors
that trade in the crude oil markets, have
shown a similar path of high appreciation
between early 2004 and late 2008 (from $30
mill to $55 mill for five-year-olds and from
$20 mill to $45 mill, respectively) and a
parallel free fall since then to below $30 mill
for the five-year old and about $22 mill for
the 10 year old.
What is different, however, in the products
tanker market is that freight rates had peaked
much earlier than the crude oil tankers: one-
year timecharter had moved from below
$15,000 per day to about $30,000 per day in
two instances in the summers of 2005 and
2006 (think of Hurricanes Rita, Katrina and
spot rates of excess $100,000 per day), while
there is a gradual softening since then to about
$22,000 per day in the Autumn of 2008 and
$12,000 per day currently.
In reviewing the four tanker graphs, it is
clear that all major tanker sectors have, more
or less, followed the paths of parallel lives
with peaks and troughs generally
corresponding to each other, the nuisances
and specific timing within each sector
notwithstanding.
It is worth noting that in terms of asset
pricing, with the exception of Suezmaxes
that are comparatively higher at the end than
the beginning of the period under
examination, there is a full cycle with all
(very sizeable in each case) asset price
appreciation committed to the deep and the
seven seas.
At present, all four assets classes in the
tanker sector have been trading below their
corresponding average for five and 10-year-
old vessels by about 30%, with a 10-year old
Suezmax, at the one extreme of the range,
trading 28% below the average for such a
vessel, while a 10-year old Aframax, at the
other extreme, trading at 37% discount to the
corresponding average.
Narrowing price differential
Another observation worth mentioning is that
on average the price differential between a
five and 10-year old tanker within each asset
class between January 2004 and August 2009
has narrowed in both absolute and percentage
terms, with the most notable example of
Suezmaxes where the $27 mill price
differential has narrowed to $11 mill between
five and 10-year old vessels between January
2004 and August 2009. A corollary to this
observation, that price differentiation due to
age becomes in-elastic, is that differently
aged vessels will provide different profile
under investment valuations as going-
concerns or asset play, and therefore will
be investment targets by buyers with
different investment criteria.
The first eight months of this year have
been a lesson in history for many industries
and industry sectors. With shipping at the
epicenter of world trade and the financial
markets, the impact of the financial turmoil
has been especially amplified. While the
TANKEROperator

October 2009 10
INDUSTRY - FINANCE
Graph 3: S'max & TC - since JAN2004 - Suezmax - SEP 2009.
Graph 4: Aframax & TC - since JAN2004 - Aframax - SEP 2009.
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p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 9
INDUSTRY - FINANCE
October 2009

TANKEROperator 11
drybulk market went down fast by the bow in
short order upon the freezing of the financial
markets, the tanker market managed to
maintain an even keel until very late last year
and early 2009.
The fact that tanker owners and companies
are, in general, better capitalized and managed
than drybulk companies has not managed to
absolve the sector; on the contrary, the
strength of the tanker owners implicitly
ensures that the tanker orderbook will likely
be delivered in its entirety.
The contango effect on oil prices that at
certain points during the year had absorbed
more than 60 VLCCs (about 10% of the
world fleet) could not salvage the market.
The much anticipated single-hull tanker
mandatory phase-out in 2010 and the
estimated growth of the world economies in
late 2010 might be the next safe harbour for
the tanker market. But, again, shipping is
an industry of surprises
*Basil M Karatzis is managing director for
projects & finance with Compass Maritime
Services (CMS), based in ew Jersey. CMS
is a ship brokerage and maritime finance
arranger concern. He can be contacted
at bkaratzas@compassmar.com,+201 585
9999, or www.compassMar.com.
TO
Footnote: The data was derived from
the Compass Maritime Services (CMS)
database, from the Baltic Exchange
Sale and Purchase Assessment (BSPA)
on which CMS is a panel member, and
from Clarksons Research Services.
Graph 5: MR & TC- since JAN2004 - MR - SEP 2009.
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p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 10
TANKEROperator

October 2009 12
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
G
erman owners accounted for 424
tankers of 22.2 mill dwt of over
1,000 gt. Of course, several
more have entered the fleet this
year on the back of the recent newbuilding
boom.
Although the German tanker owners,
managers and operators are suffering in
todays climate of low returns, perhaps they
are better off than their containership
owner/manager counterparts, some of which
are having trouble in financing their huge
newbuilding portfolios.
The so called KG system is all but dead as
investors using this scheme would expect
around an 8% return on their investment,
which in todays market is virtually
impossible to achieve. Added to this, is the
banks negative attitude towards lending funds
for any investment project, least of all for
shipping funds, most of which need topping
up with fresh finance.
One leading owner/operator told
TAKEROperator that the German banks had
tightened up their vetting procedures and were
far more risk averse. The credit rating/risk
management departments now thoroughly
analyse a companys performance and modus
operandi when a request for financing is
presented.
Newly elected Chancellor Angela Merkels
incoming government will no doubt face
demands for help finance the massive
newbuilding projects by way of state loan
guarantees.
In general, German shipping banks face a
severe run on their equity from their loan
commitments, which has all but stopped them
going after new business.
Indeed, one of the largest, HSH Nordbank,
had to be bailed out by the states of Schleswig
Holstein and Hamburg. By 2012, the ship
finance divisions of Deutsche Schiffsbank,
Commerzbank and Dresdner Bank will be
consolidated under the banner of Schiffsbank,
once Commerzbank has completed its
takeover of the other two banks.
Most of the owners spoken with by
TAKEROperator in the chemical/products
sector were reasonably confident that rates
would stabilise or even rise towards the end of
this year, or the beginning of 2010 through
2011. Opinions were mixed as to whether it
was better to go for long term contracts, or
play the spot market in todays moribund
situation.
Many German-controlled vessels operate in
According to figures produced by LR Fairplay for the Verband Deutscher Reeder
(German Shipowners Association) at the end of last year,
Germany stood in fifth place in the worlds tanker league table.
Chemical/product
tankers at the vanguard
of German investment
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 11
pooling arrangements. Indeed new pools are
still springing up worldwide. Some are run
from Germany, most notably UPT and the
newly formed Seatramp Intermediate
Tanker Pool, which started operations earlier
this year.
The Seatramp pool is commercially
managed by Hellespont Tankers and thus far
has only one member. However, talks are
ongoing with other German and overseas
interests about participating. Hellesponts
three 13,000 dwt IMO II chemical tankers and
the first of the companys eight 17,000 dwt
IMO II chemical tankers Hellespont
Centurion - have already joined the pool.
The seven remaining newbuilding chemical
carriers will join the pool once they are
delivered from Sekwang Shipbuilding later
this year and through 2011. They will be
capable of lifting up to 15 different cargo
grades in their epoxy coated tanks.
Following her delivery from Sekwang,
Hellespont Centurion loaded palm oil in
Indonesia for Mediterranean discharge. This is
a cargo that needs heating, which helps to cure
the new coatings in the cargo tanks.
One of smaller intermediate tankers, the
13,000 dwt Hellespont Credo, was put under
the German flag, but a decision to register
another vessel in Germany was deferred due
to the extra costs involved and the lack of
suitable German speaking masters and chief
engineers.
Hellespont Hammonia undertakes the
technical management of the vessels and also
has crude and product tankers on its books.
All the larger tonnage is timechartered out to
Sanko who commercially operates the tankers,
which in turn creates a return for the KG
shareholders. One of the Sanko-chartered
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
October 2009

TANKEROperator 13
Hellespont Trader is long term chartered to Sanko.
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 12
tankers - Hellespont Trust - is due to enter
Heidmars Blue Fin Suezmax pool at the end
of this year, joining the Hellespont Triumph.
Seatramp is located in a separate office in
Hamburg to Hellespont in order to give the
pool its own identity and to show
transparency. It also uses different IT systems
to its parent.
Although 2009 has proved to be a bad year
for intermediate chemical/products tankers,
there are signs of a slow recovery taking
place. Seatramps current commercial strategy
is to fix member vessels on short timecharter
agreements. Other company vessels joining
the pool will be timechartered in on a variable
rate basis, and Hellespont Tankers will then
undertake their commercial management.
It is not the intention of the pools managers
to look for coas until a critical mass has been
attained of around 20-25 vessels, which the
company hopes to achieve by 2011. This
number of vessels will give the pool more
flexibility to move the tonnage around.
Charter business is being sought worldwide,
although northwest Europe is currently
offering better rates than elsewhere, despite a
lot of tonnage being available.
In a management shakeup, Phrixos B
Papachristidis was recently appointed
chairman of the executive board and
managing director of Hellespont AG & Co
KG, the parent company of the German-based
Hellespont shipmanagement and marine
services group.
His appointment followed the recent shock
resignation of Christian Freiherr von
Oldershausen, who had been CEO since 2007.
Meanwhile, other appointments at
Hellespont included, Christian Ramm,
managing director of Hellespont Hammonia
GmbH & Co KG, who joined Papachristidis
and Matthias Imreke on the executive board of
Hellespont AG & Co KG, and Christian
Stensaker, commercial director of Hellespont
Tankers AG & Co KG, who has become
managing director of that company.
In another move, Alexander Papachristidis-
Bove was appointed chairman of the board
and managing director of Hellespont
Steamship Corp, the Piraeus-based
shipmanagement and marine services
company, with effect from 1st October, 2009.
He replaces Dr Mike Kennedy, who
assumes the role of managing director of
Hellespont Consultants Corp and remains
responsible for the companys newbuilding
programme.
As part of a plan to streamline the
organisation, the Hellespont Groups entire
Piraeus-based staff will be consolidated under
Hellespont Steamship Corp, from which all
shipmanagement and other marine services
will be performed.
Other changes at Hellespont Steamship
Corp will see an enlarged board of directors
which, apart from Papachristidis and Dr
Kennedy, will include marine director Capt
John Kazazis, finance director George
Hadjigeorgiou and technical director Petros
Tsevas. All are long-standing members of
the organisation.
Although run from Limassol, another pool
member Interorient - has a significant
presence in Hamburg.
All of the 64 product carriers in
Interorients fleet operate in the Norient
Products Pool (NPP), which is run with
NORDEN and commercially operated out of
Copenhagen. Another 15 tankers will join
NPP during the coming two years.
NPP commercially manages Handysize
chemical/product carriers, MRs, LR1s and
LR2s. A number of the vessels are Ice Class
1A and 1B for Baltic operations and although
the pool originally concentrated on European
trading when it started operations in 2005,
now the charters take the vessels worldwide.
The majority lift clean product cargoes.
To help look after the fleet worldwide, NPP
offices have been opened in Singapore and in
Annapolis (Md).
Around 29 vessels are managed from
Interorients Hamburg office 25 tankers and
four containerships. The latest vessel
orient Scorpius - was delivered from the
Romanian shipyard of Santierul Naval
Constanta in May and is the last of a series of
four 41,000 dwt chemical/products tankers.
This series was based on a design by
Romanian tanker shipping concern
Histria/Icepronav, which has several sister
ships in service.
One advantage of being in Hamburg is that
following the credit crunch, Interorient can
gain quick access to the German banks and
KG fund managers as during the economic
crisis, some of the banks have merged and all
have considerably tightened up their vetting
procedures with the affect that risk
management has become a much more
important role within the banks.
This year the total Handysize/MR fleet is
due to grow by around 14%, but during 2010
this percentage will reduce and will become
almost zero in 2011 and maybe shrink
thereafter. Coupled with this is the prospect of
an increase in average tonne/miles, an
Interorient spokesman said.
As many owners have said to
TAKEROperator, next year could be a time
for opportunities for those holding cash or
credit lines on the back of falling newbuilding
and secondhand prices, plus distressed sales.
Tanker deliveries
Meanwhile, relative newcomer Offen
Tankers, an offshoot of the Claus-Peter Offen
group, has started taking delivery of the next
series of product tankers.
At the end of last year, Offen Tankers took
delivery of the eighth and last in a series of
36,000 dwt Ice class 1 A chemical/product
tanker CPO England. All eight are operated
together with another eight similar vessels in a
commercial co-operation agreement with
Brostrm, Paris, today part of the AP
Mller/Maersk group.
Following the delivery of the series of
smaller vessels, in June of this year, the first
of eight 52,000 dwt oil and product tankers
CPO Korea was delivered by Hyundai
Mipo. All eight will be commercially operated
by ST Shipping, Glencores shipping arm.
Offen Tankers head Stephan Polomsky
explained that the company always upgrades
the original good specification of the
Hyundai Mipo designs by a substantial
amount above the normal contract price on
these tanker types.
The enhancements and improvements
include the use of European equipment
manufacturers and extra features like Ice
Class, the fitting of bow thrusters, as well as
extra pumping, IG and tank cleaning
capacities. Polomsky explained that these
upgrades and improvements were aimed at
achieving faster turnaround times during cargo
operation, that is when loading, discharging
and tank cleaning.
TANKEROperator

October 2009 14
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
Phrixos B Papachristidis.
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 13
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p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 14
We are new, so we can think new and
future - orientated, he explained. Each tanker
is fitted with a dual ECDIS system and thus
no paper charts are carried. A network of
around 10 PCs is installed on each ship
utilising the management system Ulysses
Task Assistant compromising the function of
planned maintenance (PMS), purchasing and
quality management.
This is not only a quality management
system, it is user friendly and follows a
predefined workflow, which means that we are
virtually paperless, he explained. Everything
is integrated in one system on the ship and in
the office, double entries are avoided and all
steps/actions are traceable. He also said that
by using this system, QA audits and vetting
results are worked out much faster.
We use inspections to improve our
operation and performance. Due to the systems
installed, everybody is hooked up in the
workflow and communications channels. This
allows the company communicate feedback
and lessons to learn. We can develop very fast
and change very fast, Polomsky claimed.
When it came to vetting, an in-house
vetting inspector is always on board of the
inspected vessels. This move is not only
aimed at assisting the crew during the vetting,
but also one of the major concerns and
obligation to maintain safe operation during
discharge, Polomsky explained. From the
very beginning, he said, safe and quality
operation at the highest standard is our target.
There are presently 16 people sitting in
Offen Tankers office in Hamburg and due the
company being a subsidiary of a major
shipowner/manager, it is using the synergies
for some tasks, such as purchasing. Also for
the Polish officers employed on CP Offens
containerships and in the tanker division the
same agency is used.
When the last 52,000 dwt tanker will be
delivered in 2011 the Claus-Peter Offen group
will have built 36 vessels at Hyundai Mipo.
The first tankers ordered were converted
1,800 teu containerships and formed the
milestone for the new tanker activity.
Last year, Offen Tankers took delivery of
eight vessels in roughly seven months and
beside intensive supervision at the building
yard (up to 14 people) the crewing,
purchasing and technical management had to
be put in place very quickly. Operational
assistance with tank cleaning experience was
also needed and was implemented in parallel.
One of the companies highlights and main
focus was and is crew selection, training and
familiarisation. Therefore, an intensive
briefing/training period is held usually taking
the form of a five day session in the office.
Cadets are carried on board the tankers and
Offen Tankers employs a training master who
goes from ship-to-ship for hands-on training
and further education.
According to the entrance criteria at Offen
Tankers, all officers and crew should have spent
an adequate number of years serving on similar
tankers. On many trips an extra chief officer
and/or chief engineer is carried. All these efforts
together with the internal promotion scheme are
aimed at accelerating the qualification and
experience of the sea going personal.
Together with partner, Brostrm, Offen
Tankers has developed an intensive quality
reporting policy for near misses, etc and by
highlighting lessons to be learned, standards
and operational safety can be jointly
improved, Polomsky said.
Offen also runs a small competition to
encourage the seafarers and others to come
TANKEROperator

October 2009 16
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
Protection of Metallic Surfaces
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 15
up with good suggestions for improving
vessel operations.
Last tanker delivered
One company that has finished its
newbuilding programme is Bremen-based
German Tanker Shipping (GTS).
The last vessel Seapike - was delivered
from the ill-fated Lindenau shipyard in July.
The products tanker differs from her earlier
sisters in that she is 10 m longer giving a
higher total deadweight of 43,000 tonnes,
some 3,000 dwt larger than her near sisters.
Seapike has a complement of 19, which is
the industry standard for this type of vessel.
She is the fifth and largest in a series of five
product tankers of over 40,000 dwt ordered to
a joint Lindenau and GTS design.
The other eight vessels in the GTS fleet are
of 32,250 dwt and were of an earlier vintage.
The first one delivered was the Seadevil in
1996 and was the first vessel to be managed
by the newly formed company. She was sold
to Thai interests at the end of 2007.
The larger ships were fitted with an extra
tank for carrying low sulphur fuel oil (lsfo).
Their main propulsion units are Augsburg-
built 4-stroke MAN Diesel 8L58/64 type
medium speed engines, developing 11,200 kW
at up to 428 rev/min. They are connected to
CPPs via reduction gear and the vessels have
also been fitted with Becker flap rudders for
better manoeuvrability.
Chugoku Samwha Paints phenolic epoxy
tank coating Epicon T800 was chosen for the
cargo tanks.
All the vessels are operated on the spot
market and are a custom-made design from the
Kiel shipyard. Being a champion of all things
German, the vessels are German built, fly the
German flag, are GL class, while the company
employs around 240 German seafarers and
operates its own training scheme.
GTS owns a mix of KG financed and
wholly owned vessels. Out of the 13 vessels
managed, 11 were financed under the KG
scheme, while the other two are fully owned.
All the vessels are technically operated in-
house using an integrated software
management system, namely GL ShipManager.
The vessels tend to operate at around 10-
15% slow steaming with the normal
operating speed being in the region of 13.5,
or up to 14 knots.
Intermediate owner
Another Bremen-based shipping company
to have come to the end of its intermediate
newbuilding tanker programme is Harren
& Partner.
Between 2004 and 2009, the management
company took delivery of eight ice class
16,700 dwt chemical/products tankers. All
eight were built at the Jiangnan Shipbuilding
yard in Shanghai.
Four are long term timechartered to Maersk,
while three are in the Marida pool, which is
operated by Womar Holdings a joint venture
between W-O and Heidmar. The eighth vessel
is currently on the spot market.
Harren & Partner has several other ship
types under management so a team of
superintendents, purchasing officers and
vessel operators tend to be responsible for
each different ship type.
Our quality measures are paying off,
Peter Gronwoldt, managing director of Harren
& Partner Ship Management told
TAKEROperator. All of our KPIs are in
place. We have our own HSE policy, which is
reflected in all of our masters and chief
engineers familiarisation courses.
Gronwoldt operates a policy whereby three
superintendents visit the ships each year. On
board training has also been introduced with
trainers rotating between the vessels. They
each visit the head office every 12 months for
an audit. In addition, an internal audit is held
for the entire crew of each ship.
Harren & Partner operates its tankers with a
crew of between 17 and 18. The accommodation
block was built to house 20 seafarers giving
the company room to employ cadets on board
as necessary.
On the bridge, each ship is fitted with a
dual ECDIS and paper charts as back up.
One design innovation is that no pipework
can be found on deck, except for the manifold
connections. All the pipes are contained in the
vessels trunks. The tankers cargo tanks are
coated with Hempels Hempadur 15,500
phenolic epoxy.
Training, planned maintenance, stores and
supplies requisition and other functions are
all integrated into one system. Touch screens
are employed, including the PCs in the
engine room.
The eight tankers are classed with DNV to Ice
Class 1A and fly the Maltese flag. They were
designed to trade in and out of the Baltic during
the winter period, hence the high ice class.
Gronwoldt thought that there will be an
increasing demand for intermediate IMO type
II/III chemical/products tankers and said that
we could see an upturn in the market by 2011.
Hamburg-based pool
One of the major pools operated out of
Hamburg is United Product Tankers (UPT).
Formed in 2003, UPT comprises three pools -
October 2009

TANKEROperator 17
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
GTS Seamullet seen anchored in the Thames estuary, was built in 2001 and is of 32,238 dwt.
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 16
1) UPT Handy Pool - looks after products
tankers in the 33,000 dwt to 40,000 dwt
range.
2) UPT Panamax Pool - as the name
suggests, this pool operates LR1s.
3) UPT Coastal Pool - another pool segment
for intermediate tankers of around 13,000
dwt, which was recently set up.
Today, UPT commercially manages vessels
technically operated and owned by interests
connected with Columbia Shipmanagement
(CSM)/Schoeller Holdings, Donnelly Tanker
Management/Hartmann, Conti Reederei,
Koenig & Cie and MPC Capital.
It was originally formed to commercially
handle two tranches of Handysize tankers
ordered by those interests connected with
CSM and Donnelly.
By 2010, when all the newbuildings have
been delivered, UPT expects to commercially
manage 51 vessels. These will include 11
LR1s, 34 Handysize vessels, one MR, plus
five intermediate tankers. All the vessels
have coated cargo tanks and are relatively
shallow draft.
Joint managing directors Stefan Ciegelski
and Flemming Carlsen told TAKEROperator
that as the oil majors were becoming larger, so
there was a need to have the necessary scale
to provide an efficient service.
Today, the market is very much driven by
traders involved in arbitrage worldwide, thus
creating the need for a spot market. The
advantages claimed are being able to supply
the increased demand for product
transportation by offering a ship up for a
charter almost anywhere in the world.
By having a critical mass of a certain ship
size, a pool can become more active in the
market and thus gets more exposure than a
small operation, which has less vessels to
play with.
Among the benefits is a lower risk of idle
days and also lowering the ballast days ratio,
which leads to better earnings. By delivering
efficiencies, a more environmentally sound
business practice can also be engendered,
UPT thought.
The broking network is used in nine out of
10 fixtures as UPT likes to be kept advised on
all business opportunities. However, the direct
contact route is also used in certain cases as
this is normally quicker than relying on the
broking system, which can become
cumbersome if more than one independent
broker is involved in a chain.
One of UPTs competitive advantages is
that it comes from a slightly different angle, in
that it was set up by tanker owners. The pools
growth is controlled by its members ability to
order tonnage. We are not getting tonnage
just for the sake of it, Ciegelski and Carlsen
said. There has to be a fit. By forming
pools, the shipowners/managers have
extended their commercial arms.
In the case of the six KG financed Conti
Reederei tankers, these were timechartered to
Product Marine Transport then sub-chartered
to the pool.
As for the Brussels focus on and review of
shipping pools, this is still on the agenda,
they said. Here a self-assessment process is
needed as is complete transparency. Dont
hide anything, they warned.
UPT is also active in the newbuilding and
project sectors by which shipowners and
TANKEROperator

October 2009 18
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
Donnellys LR1 Summit America is operating in the United Product Tankers (UPT) pool.
Harren & Partners eight chemical/product tankers are all Ice Class for Baltic operations.
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 17
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
October 2009

TANKEROperator 19
financial institutions can tap into the market
and contract expertise provided by the
experienced in-house team.
Newbuildings purchased
Bremen based Carl Bttner has purchased
two newbuilding IMO II tankers from TVK-
Shipyard in Izmit/Turkey.
They are of 15,000 dwt with their cargo
tanks coated with MarineLine.
The tankers formed part of a series of
newbuildings, which was started with three
deliveries in 2007 and 2008 respectively.
Bttners double hull vessels have modern
inert gas and redundant propulsion systems
fitted. Following the companys tradition the
new ships are named after butterflies. The first
Levana was delivered in March, while the
second Lemonia entered the fleet in August.
The company purchased the ships to replace
the 19 year old Hummel, which was sold to
Swedish buyers at the end of 2008.
Including the new acquisitions, Bttners
fleet consists of 11 chemical/product carriers
of between 13.500 dwt and 24.000 dwt. Three
vessels fly the German flag, whereas the
remainder of the fleet sails under British flag
with a homeport of Gibraltar.
Bttner has also sent three of its vessels to
the Lindenau shipyard for substantial repair
works.
The first vessel the tanker Aurelia arrived
at Kiel-Friedrichsort on 27th July. During the
vessels 10 day stay at the shipyard, she was
upgraded to IMO Class II. After the upgrade,
the vessel is allowed to transport biochemical
fuels, as well as most other chemicals.
She was followed by the tanker Libelle,
which was built at the shipyard 10 years ago.
After the recurring class works were
completed, the yard Lindenau installed an
inert gas system.
This Autumn, her sistership Hornisse built
by Lindenau in 1998 will also have a nitrogen
aggregate inert gas system installed.
The 15,300 dwt IMO II type Levana joined Karl Bttners fleet in March.
TO
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 18
TANKEROperator

October 2009 20
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
F
inal approval of chemical active
substances was granted at IMOs
MEPC meeting on 17th July for
RWOs CleanBallast system. This
approval was one of four steps needed to
obtain full type approval certificate for ballast
water systems.
As a first step, RWO received the basic
approval of chemical active substances in
October 2006 and subsequently finalised the
land-based type approval in 2007. With the
latest IMO final approval, the ongoing
shipboard type approval is now the last step
required to gain the type approval certificate.
Two of the required tests were recently
completed on board a containership and the
third and last test necessary to complete the
minimum six months shipboard trials was
scheduled to be carried out as
TAKEROperator went to press.
RWO hopes to be issued with the type
approval certificate for its CleanBallast
system by the German administration before
the year end.
CleanBallast is a modular system and the
company claims that its ballast water
treatment system can economically and
reliably remove organisms, sediments and
suspended solids in just two steps:
First, a DiskFilter system for mechanical
separation when taking in ballast water.
Second, RWOs advanced EctoSys
disinfection unit, which further reduces the
number of living organisms before
reaching the ballast water tanks.
The EctoSys disinfection system is used
again when de-ballasting at the destination
port, since organisms can regrow during the
voyage. In this way a disruption-free and
clean water cycle is ensured, from taking in to
pumping out regardless of whether in river,
brackish or seawater.
CleanBallast is a robust, easy to install
and operate ballast water treatment system
for any kind of ship and ballast water
pump capacity. It can easily be implemented
in newbuildings but also retrofitting
programme. The modular design concept
means that it can be configured to suit the
available space on board. It is fully
automated but with the possibility of both
local and remote operation.
The mechanical separation of particles
and organisms is undertaken by a special
disc filtration technology, which enables and
secures a good net ballast water production,
even in the case of high sediment loads. In
the second treatment step, the pre-cleaned
ballast water flows through an advanced
electrolysis (EctoSys), to eliminate
bacteria and organisms and cleans the
ballast water in an economical and
ecological friendly way. Besides the
system's extremely low need for power it
also stands out for fulfilling its function in
waters with higher salt content, meaning in
sea and brackish water, and especially also
in river water with low salt content,
whereby it differs greatly from standard
chlorine electrolysis.
System deliveries
As of September, a number of CleanBallast
systems had already been delivered from
the Bremen manufacturing base to shipyards
in China. Marketing of CleanBallast was
well underway during TAKEROperators
visit to the Bremen headquarters. Seminars
and exhibitions will form key platforms
for marketing the system. These include
Neva in St Petersburg, INMEX India in
Mumbai, Europort in Rotterdam,
Kormarine in Busan and Marintec China
in Shanghai.
The company has a network of more than
50 qualified sales/service stations
established throughout the world, ensuring
customer benefit from short communication
links and rapid response times. Some of the
sales and service stations will be able to
provide supervision of installation and
commissioning of the systems and training
to the crew.
RWO, part of Veolia Water Solutions &
A CleanBallast type approval certificate should be issued by the end of this year.
Bremen-based water and wastewater treatment company RWO was one of the six
companies to receive IMO approval for its ballast water treatment plant recently.
RWO gears up for
ballast water surge
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 25 Page 19
Technologies, also claims a significant
market penetration for its marine water
treatment plants. About 12,000 of its systems
are installed on worlds fleet and today the
company supplies plants to over 800 vessels
per year. It also is the world leader in oily
water separators and in the process of
gaining type approval for an additional
sewage treatment plant to fulfil the new
regulations in accordance with
MEPC.159(55).
For drinking water on board floating
facilities far from land, such as FPSOs, RWO
can supply a complete reverse osmosis plant
as illustrated on one of the worlds largest
FPSO Girassol.
Located about 150 km off the Angolan
coastline, the oil produced from the block is
serviced partly through the FPSO, which
has a storage capacity of 2 mill tonnes of
oil. Once fitted on board the FPSO
Girassol, RWOs desalination plant will
produce around 70,000 litres of good quality
drinking water per day. The system has a
very low maintenance threshold, the
company claimed.
RWO produces the full range of water
treatment equipment including waste
water treatment, ballast water treatment,
process water treatment and fresh water
treatment.
To cope with expanding sales, about two
years ago, the company moved to a larger
office and manufacturing site in Bremen. Due
to the expansion, the number of RWO
employees has jumped to around 66 up
10 from 2008 and double the number of
people in 2006.
TO
CleanBallast is claimed to be easy to install and maintain.
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
October 2009

TANKEROperator 21
Modular design.
Can be implemented in new ships as
well as retrofits.
Extremely low power consumption and
pressure loss.
Working in fresh and salt water.
High ballast production even at high
sediment loads.
o increase in corrosion or material
damage to the vessel.
Fully automated.
o danger for crew or ship and safe for
the environment.
CleanBallast
Advantages at a glance
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 26 Page 20
T
he study focuses on optimising the
main cargo area of an Aframax
class tanker to identify the best
performing designs in terms of
improving both environmental protection from
accidental oil outflow and economical
competitiveness.
For the design concept development stage, a
full parametric multi-objective design
optimisation platform was developed by using
genetic algorithms and taking into account
probabilistic oil outflow calculation methods
for side and bottom damages and a structural
design assessment (with corrugated or flat
bulkheads), according to GLs rules using the
scantling tool POSEIDON.
The resultant Pareto-optimal designs were
evaluated in terms of oil outflow
consequences, structural weight and cargo
capacity, design feasibility, ship
maintainability and ballast water capacity.
A variety of promising Aframax designs
were developed. Compared to a standard
reference Aframax double hull design (6 x 2
cargo tanks), which had been already
optimised by the shipyards, alternative 6 x 2,
6 x 3 and 7 x 2 cargo tank arrangements were
explored, with very promising features, both
in terms of cargo capacity and with respect to
the risk for oil outflow.
Other interesting features of optimised
designs are the increased double bottom
height and reduced size of tanks in the
forward part of the vessel, in direct response
to damage statistics. Therefore, both from the
economy and safety point of view, the
resulting designs appear attractive to the
shipping industry.
The research started within the EU funded
project SAFEDOR (2005-2009), but was later
extended to include structural design issues
through a bilateral GL-NTUA (National
Technical University of Athens) project
(2008-2009).
GLs Dr Pierre Sames, senior vice president,
strategic research and development explained
that oil tanker design has lately been driven by
shipyard production aspects only. New
Germanischer Lloyd (GL) is working on the development of innovative tanker designs
with optimised characteristics with respect to cargo transport efficiency and
environmental safety issues using a novel holistic tanker design procedure.
Optimisation of
tanker design for
efficiency and safety
TANKEROperator

October 2009 22
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
Economic Analysis
Reference design ew design gain (%)
Tank arrangement 6 x 2 6 x 3 -
Bulkhead type flat flat -
Cargo capacity (cu m) 126,765 135,950 +7.2%
Steel weight (tonnes) 11,077 11,013 -0.6%
Oil outflow index 0.01006 0.00942 -6.4%
The LPG carrier
Gaschem Nordsee
pushed GL over
the 80 mill gt
barrier of entered
tonnage earlier
this year.
p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 26 Page 21
INDUSTRY - FOCUS ON GERMANY
October 2009

TANKEROperator 23
designs only marginally improved economics
and safety, he said.
GL teamed up with NTUA to optimise a
tanker design aimed at efficiency and safety.
Basically, the aim of the study was to
minimise oil outflow in an accident, to
produce less emissions, maximise cargo
volume, minimise lightship weight, offering
lower operating costs by way of fuel and
maintenance.
When developing a parametric model for
the cargo block area, the main geometric
boundary conditions were a fixed hull form,
fixed cargo area length and a double hull
design. Additional constraints were the
SOLAS and MARPOL requirements.
The internal arrangements in the parametric
model were based on one or two longitudinal
bulkheads in the cargo tank area, a variable
number of transverse bulkheads in the same
area, either flat or corrugated bulkheads, while
the inner hull side walls and double bottom
maybe parallel to the centre plane and bottom,
inclined or stepped.
As for the design variables, the parameters
included the layout (either double hull or
segregated ballast tanks), number of tanks
running in a longitudinal direction. Also to
be considered were the number of transverse
cargo tanks, the maximum centre tank width
and the type of bulkhead, either flat or
corrugated.
For each cargo tank, the following variables
were used; -
Double bottom height.
Double hull clearance, or side tank
breadth.
Tank length as a fraction of the total cargo
space length.
Purpose of side tank and centre tank (zero-
ballast water, one cargo).
There were also 21 structural design
parameters to be considered.
A structural model was generated using the
software POSEIDON for all the design
variants. The total number of variables was 41
and the total number of designs examined
came in at around 17,000.
Also, five different cargo oil tank design
scenarios were examined, including
arrangements for 6 x 2, 6 x 3 and 7 x 2 cargo
tanks with either flat or corrugated bulkheads.
GL said that the expected changes in
investment included an increase in P/V valves;
tank radars; tank washing equipment;
stripping, inert gas and venting pipes. There
would also be about a 7.5% increase in the
coating area and an increase in the hull
construction costs, due to the sloped double
bottom, but a decrease in the hulls steel
weight of 0.6%.
Operationally, GL found that the cargo
discharge operation was unchanged, but that
there was an increase in the cost of maintenance
for the extra equipment needed and an increase
in slops from tank washing by about 24.3%.
In addition, there was the possibility of an
increase in time of stripping, depending on the
cargo unloading sequence.
With the classification of the LPG carrier
Gaschem Nordsee earlier this year, GL
passed the 80 mill gt threshold.
More than 6,870 ships are currently surveyed on a regular
basis by GL. As a result, the fleet in service under GL
class has grown by 10 mill gt since September 2007.
The German flag Gaschem ordsee was delivered in
late March by Meyer shipyard in Papenburg. The
LPG/ethylene tanker is the first of four gas tankers of the
same hull design to be built in Germany and delivered by
2010 by the Meyer shipyard and its sister company
Neptun Shipyard.
Of 13,878 gt, the vessel has a capacity of up to 17,000
cu m of liquefied gas. Besides LPG, the tanker is also
designed for the transport of liquefied ethylene gas (LEG),
used in the petrochemical industry.
She measures 154.95 m in length and 22.70 m in width,
with a maximum depth of 10.60 m and a speed of 17
knots. Gaschem ordsee is initially being deployed by
Japan's Marubeni Group to transport liquefied gas to Asia.
Commercial and technical shipmanagement for the
Gaschem ordsee is handled jointly by Harpain Reederei
GmbH & Co KG, a joint venture of Harpain Shipping and
Hansa Hamburg Shipping International, and NSB
Niederelbe Schifffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co KG.
GL passes a milestone
TO
Economic Analysis
Reference ew Difference
Vessel Design (%)
Cargo capacity (cu m) 126,765 135,950 7.25%
Steel weight (tonnes) 11,077 11,013 -0.58
ewbuilding costs (mill$) 65 66.95 3.00
Annual capital costs 5.64 5.81 3.01
(20 years, 7%)
Fuel costs ($300 per tonne)* 4.7 4.8 2.13
Other operating costs 2.9 3.03 4.48
(Manning, stores, admin) 2.1 2.1 0.00
(Maintenance and repair) 0.6 0.72 20.00
(Port costs) 0.2 0.21 5.00
Total annual costs 13.24 13.64 3.02
Cargo transported
(mill tonnes per annum) 1.268 1.360 7.25
Cost of transport
($ per tonne) 10.44 10.03 -3.94
*With 7.25% more cargo, an increase of 0.9 m draft is estimated, leading
to a 2% increase in fuel costs at 13 knots.
...oil tanker design has lately been driven
by shipyard production aspects only.
New designs only marginally improved
economics and safety...

p2- 23: p2- 7. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 26 Page 22

TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
TANKEROperator

October 2009 24
W
ith a multi-, or usually, twin-
screw propulsion system, the
propulsion efficiency can
become higher when
compared to a single screw propulsion system.
To take advantage of this higher propulsive
efficiency the hull should be designed to
account for the two propellers by having a
twin skeg aft body.
The twin skeg is used to direct the boundary
layer from the hull into the propeller, giving
higher hull efficiency as well as higher overall
efficiency, as compared with a single skeg hull
with a twin screw propulsion system.
Comparing a single screw with a twin
screw vessel can be slightly more
complicated but a simple attempt will be
made here. Efficiency is not the only
important factor when discussing single
screw versus twin screw propulsion systems.
Other factors need to be considered, such as
the flexibility of the vessel.
On a vessel with a single propeller the
speed can only be lowered by decreasing the
power from the engine. For a fix pitch
propeller this is performed by lowering the
rate of the propellers revolution and for a
controllable pitch it is performed by either
only lowering the pitch, or by combining a
lower pitch with a lower rate of revolution,
called combinatory mode.
When the speed is reduced by using this
method both engine and the propeller are
working in an off design condition and the
overall efficiency of the propulsion system
can be reduced significantly. In a twin screw
propulsion system the speed of the vessel can
be reduced in a different way, by closing one
unit, allowing the remaining propeller to drive
the ship.
The closed unit can be treated in two
different ways. One is to lock the propeller
shaft and the other is to let the propeller rotate
freely. If the propeller shaft is locked, a break
is needed on the shaft line to have it fixed. If
on the other hand the shaft is rotated freely a
clutch is needed to disconnect the propeller
from the engine. This clutch is usually located
on the gear box, or as a shaft clutch, which is
a more complicated exercise.
If the shaft line cannot be locked or
clutched out, it is not possible to propel the
ship and the only possibility to reduce the
speed is to lower the engine (s) power and
allowing both propellers to drive the ship.
Both of these options, locked or clutched out
propeller, are in principle possible to perform
with both fixed pitch (FP) and controllable
pitch (CP) propellers fitted.
There is an advantage with the CP propeller
since the pitch can be adjusted for the lowest
possible resistance. Usually, a CP propeller
has a pitch range from full ahead of about 30
deg, which is somewhat higher than that of a
fix pitch propeller - about -25 deg full astern.
A third alternative also exists and this
occurs when the CP hub allows the feathering
of the blades, that is, the blades can be set at
90 deg pitch being parallel to the flow. Not all
CP hubs have this possibility and only very
few have this possibility included in a
standard hydraulic hub.
Having this CP-propeller, with or without
the possibility to feather the blades, turned off
in a twin screw setup, its highest resistance
would be when the blades are in zero pitch
position, as the projected area becomes the
largest. The lowest resistance will be
discussed further on in this article.
Computational settings
To investigate the differences of driving the
ship in these alternative configurations, a
principle ship is used. It is a typical ship
where this type of setup could be of interest
and possibly be of use.
It is a 100 m tanker with 3.6 dia propeller
driven by a 3,200 kW power plant. This tanker
has either a single screw propulsion system
with a single skeg aft body, or a twin-screw
propulsion system with twin skeg aft body.
The power, for simplicity as described later,
is produced using two engines each of 1,600
kW. This type of ship would typically have a
maximum speed of 13 kn at 3,200 kW and by
using a simple approximation that the power
relates to the speed as P = k V
4
s
where in
this case, k 0.112kW/knot
4
, this vessel
would run at around 10.9 kn at 1,600 kW.
The computations are only performed for
the propeller not used, the running propeller is
assumed to drive the ship at the correct speed
and is not influencing the simulated propeller.
The blades have a medium skew of about 30
deg and an expanded blade area ratio (EAR)
of about 0.4. The propeller is located in the
wake of the ship and the speed of the water
approaching the propeller is V
A
= w V
s
. For
a twin skeg tanker hull, such as the example
used here, the wake fraction is assumed to be
w = 0.22 giving V
A
8.5 knots.
The computation is performed in open
water using steady Reynolds Averaged Navier
Stokes (RANS) and Multiple Reference Frame
(MRF). The RANS equations are solved using
the open source library OpenFOAM, using a
realisable k-epsilon model and a blended
scheme, using about 80% second order and
20% first order numeric. The mesh is fully
tetrahedral with a prism layer around the wall
boundaries containing about 5 mill cells for
the full propeller.
The y+ value of the first cell is about 100
and consequently a wall handling technique is
used based on the law of the wall. The pitch
of the blades is set in two conditions, one is
Today, many ships are equipped with a single screw propulsion system,
but as the demands on high efficiency, as well as increased flexibility and
redundancy becomes stronger, many designers and shipowners
are looking towards multi-screw propulsion systems*.
The flexibility of twin
screw vessels with various
propulsion concepts
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 31 Page 1
October 2009

TANKEROperator 25
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
feathered and the other is in the design
condition pitch, corresponding to 80% of full
ahead pitch for a non-feathered hub. Two
computations are made with the propeller
locked, one for each pitch setting and one
with the propeller rotating and the pitch in
design condition. The rotating case is referred
to as self milling condition when the
momentum from the water on the propeller
levels the losses in the shaft line and the gear
box and another is called driven milling when
the thrust from the propeller is zero.
Results
A basic principle of propulsion theory is that
the propellers efficiency will be increased if
the diameter is increased and the rate of
revolution is decreased. The same principle
appears when the propellers diameter is kept
constant and the power to the propeller is
decreased, as is the case when the power is
divided over two propellers instead of a single
propeller.
Splitting the power over two propellers will
imply that the loading on the propeller will be
lower and consequently the blade area can be
reduced without increasing the risk of erosive
cavitation. In Figure 1, the open water
propulsion efficiency of a single screw
relative to a twin screw vessel is compared.
For the single screw vessel a wake fraction of
w = 0.27 is assumed and for the twin screw
tanker the wake fraction is assumed to be
w = 0.22. Using the same cavitation margin
[1] and varying the rate of revolution to find
the optimum efficiency of the propeller, based
on the Wagningen b-screw series [1] with a
full scale correction of 3%, it is found that the
difference in open water propulsion efficiency
between a single and twin screw propulsion
system is about 10% for the 3.6 m propeller,

o single
, = 0.53
o twin
= 0.63 for twin screw
(see Figure 1).
The propulsion efficiency is, however, not
the only efficiency affecting the ship, as the
total consists of open water propeller
efficiency
o
, the relative rotative efficiency

r
and the hull efficiency
h
. By assuming

r
to be 1 and calculating
h
using a thrust
deduction factor and the wake fraction as
h
,
single
= (1 t) / (1 w) where the wake
fraction w and the thrust deduction factor t is
assumed based on experience, the total or
quasi propulsive efficiency is finally
calculated as

D
,single =
o
,
single

h
,
single

r
(see Table 1).
Based on these assumptions, this implies
that driving this particular ship in design
condition will be about 4% more efficient
with a twin screw setup as compared to a
single screw setup.
Next feature to be analysed is the possibility
to reduce the vessels speed.
Most ships engines are optimised to have
high efficiency on a single driving mode,
consistent of a narrow band in rate of
revolution and power. Leaving this
optimised driving mode usually implies
decreased engine efficiency. However,
specialised engines exist having high
efficiency over several different driving
modes. For the sake of simplicity, it is
considered that an engine works best at a
single driving mode and that the efficiency
of the engine is decreased drastically on for
example, half power, which is a reasonable
assumption for most vessels engines.
Lowering speed in double engine
configurations occurs when one engine is
turned off. Either both engines are connected
to the same shaft line through the gear box in
a single screw setup, or each engine is
connected to one shaft line in a twin screw
setup. Here, the power to the propulsion
system can be lowered to 50% without losses
on the engine side. By lowering the power by
50%, speed will be around 10.9 knots instead
of 13 knots as outlined above.
Again the Wagningen Bscrew series can be
consulted and the open water efficiency of the
two propulsion cases can be estimated.
There are two different scenarios that need
to be considered, one where the propulsion
system is working on combinatory drive, that
is both pitch and engine rev/min is varied to
find highest possible efficiency, and the other
is where the engine is working on fixed
rev/min, usually when for example, a shaft
generator is connected to the gearbox.
The thrust deduction also needs to be
revised. On a single screw ship the thrust
deduction factor can be considered to be
constant when the speed is lowered, but on the
twin screw ship, the total thrust deduction
should be considerably reduced when the
vessel is driven on a single propeller only.
Only half the hull will be subjected to thrust
deduction, while the other half is not affected
by any thrust deduction. Consequently, a
simple formula for the thrust deduction on a
twin screw ship only driven by a single
propeller will be T
single twin
= T
twin twin
/ 2.
The wake fraction and the relative rotative
efficiency are considered to remain constant
when the speed is lowered (see Table 2,
overleaf).
What is left to be estimated is the
propellers induced drag that is not in use in
the twin screw setup.
By using CFD the influence of the different
alternatives described earlier can be estimated
and efficiency losses can be calculated by

app
= P
app
/ P
D
where
app
is the
efficiency loss due to the propeller not in use
and Papp is the power needed to drive the
dormant propeller through the water.
The appended resistance is calculated for a
locked propeller in feathered position, as well
Figure 1. Open water efficiency, expanded blade area ratio (EAR) and rate of revolution for
twin and single screw propellers.
P
r
o
p
e
l
l
e
r

e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(

0
)
/
E
A
R
R
P
M
Table 1. Principle comparison between the efficiencies of single and twin screw vessels.
w t
r

D
Single screw 0.27 0.2 1 0.53 1.10 0.58
Twin screw 0.22 0.23 1 0.63 0.99 0.62
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 31 Page 2
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
TANKEROperator

October 2009 26
as in a design position, corresponding to about
80% of full pitch.
The self milling and driven milling
conditions are considered by varying the
propellers revolution rate until it levels the
losses in the shaft line and the gear box,
corresponding to a selfmilling propeller and
zero thrust, plus corresponding to a driven
milling propeller, are found. The losses that
need to be matched by the propeller in the self
milling case is assumed to be 3% of full
power, ie 47 kW. These calculated values can
now be compared to the power needed to
drive the ship by multiplying the propellers
resistance with the speed of the advancing
water. The efficiency loss can be found by
dividing this appendage power with the
delivered power. The result can be found in
Table 3.
Table 3 shows that the efficiency loss due to
the propeller being not in use varies between
2% and 16%, where the feathered propeller as
expected has a much higher efficiency, as
compared to the other cases.
The only difference in these cases is that the
driven milling case has zero resistance, but on
the other hand, the shaft is driven by a
specific power to achieve the propellers zero
resistance.
The torque and thrust to the propeller can be
seen in Figure 2, showing that the driven and
self milling points are located very close to each
other. In this graph, zero rev/min corresponds
to the locked design condition, while 136
rev/min corresponds to the design condition and
the computed thrust and torque corresponded
rather well with the thrust and torque computed
from the Wagningen B screw series.
To check that the calculated values were
reasonable, some measurements were
performed on a ro-ro. Although a different
type of vessel, at least some principles could
be found during the simple tests.
The vessel is driven by two propellers,
which are connected to four engines rated at
5,670 kW each, giving a total 22,680 kW. In
normal conditions, only two engines are used
at 85% maximum continuous rate (MCR).
One engine is connected to each shaft line and
a shaft generator of about 700 kW to one of
the gear boxes.
In these conditions, the ro-ro operates at
about 18.5 knots. Using the simple
approximation introduced earlier would imply
that the speed would scale as P = 0.087Vs4 ,
where the power P in kW and the speed Vs is
given in knots. The tests were performed
using one, two and three engines, with the
shaft generator running.
The ro-ros propeller is larger compared to
the principle propeller used in the earlier
example.
For example, the diameter is about 1.7
times higher and the blade area is about 1.5
times larger. This implies that forces and
powers presented in Table 3 should be
increased by 1.5 1.72 4.2 times.
Using only one propeller, with one engine
at 85% MCR and the shaft generator and
selfmill the other propeller, the vessel
performed at about 13.5 knots. As described
above, the vessel performed at 18.5 knots
using two propellers with two engines at 85%
MCR and the shaft generator. By including a
third engine at 85% MCR, the vessel travelled
at about 20.5 knots.
Using these points, together with the zero
point and maximum speed of the vessel at full
power of about 23 knots, gives a fourth order
curve only slightly deviating from the simple
approximation used in the assumptions
principle ship (See Figure 3).
On this full scale test, it was also shown
that the highest rate of revolution of the self
milling propeller was found at about 50%
pitch, giving about 75% of the normal rate of
revolution at constant rev/min mode.
However, the lowest resistance of the self
milling propeller, ie when the ship was doing
the highest speed, was at about 70% pitch
when the propeller was driven by the water
at about 50% of the normal, constant rev/min
mode. At a lower pitch the rate of revolution
went down and the vibration and noise
increased significantly due to heavy
cavitation.
If the blades were set to zero pitch with zero
rev/min, the vessel would lose about 2 knots as
Table 2. Principle comparison between the efficiencies of single and twin screw vessels
driven on half power using a single engine at design condition and one propeller in all cases.
w t
r

D n (rpm)
Single fix rpm 0.27 0.2 1 0.50 1.10 0.55 185
Single combinatory 0.27 0.2 1 0.55 1.10 0.61 150
Twin fix rpm 0.22 0.115 1 0.56 1.13 0.63 141
Twin combinatory 0.22 0.115 1 0.56 1.13 0.63 150
Table 3. Added resistance and efficiency loss for the propeller not in use on the twin screw
vessel at half power, computed with CFD. Shaft corresponds to losses in shaft line for the
driven milling case.
R M n Vs Shaft Power
app
(k) (km) (rpm) (kts) (kW) (kW)
Driven Milling 0 7 64 10 47 95 0.06
Self Milling 27 0 55 10 0 139 0.09
Locked-Feathered 5 0 0 10 0 25.5 0.015
Locked-design 51 0 0 10 0 262 0.16
Figure 2. Propeller thrust and torque at varying propeller rpm, zero torque gives self
milling condition and zero thrust gives driven milling condition, computed with CFD.
Rotational speed [rev/min]
T
o
r
q
u
e

[
k
N
m
]
T
h
r
u
s
t

[
k
N
m
]
Thrust
Torque
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 3
are different and a big gain for one vessel type
can be a loss for another type.
But the CFD computations are very
important tools with which to perform these
types of investigations, since the possibility to
change geometries are much more flexible
compared to experiments and it is not always
the exact values which are required, but rather
the trends.
*This paper was written by Tobias
Huuva and Magnus Pettersson, Berg
Propulsion Technology AB and given at
the 12th umerical Towing Tank
Symposium (uTTS 09) Cortona, Italy,
4th 6th October, 2009
TO
October 2009

TANKEROperator 27
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
compared to the optimum pitch setting.
Following the trend line this corresponds to
power needed to drive the propeller through
the water of 1,500 kW at this speed, while the
remaining power, needed to drive the vessel,
would be around 2,500 kW.
It was not possible to test the driven milling
concept, since the gearbox did not have a
powertake in (PTI) device and it was not
possible to test the propeller when in a locked
position at feathered and 80% pitch condition,
since the blades could not be feathered and the
shaft did not have a brake.
The results presented here were very
preliminary and more work needs to be
performed to have all the assumptions
verified. It is however very hard to make
computations, which will give the total answer
of how much can be gained and how big the
losses are, since all propellers and hull forms
Figure 3. Full scale test on STENA ro-ro comparison between estimated curve and true
speed curve, One engine -pr means that the self milling propeller is deducted from
total power.
P

(
k
W
)
Vs (knots)
References
[1] Charlton J , Marine Propellers
and Propulsion, Oxford 2007:
Butterworth-Heinemann.
- measuring the ocean surface
Miros AS, Solbrveien 32, P.O. Box 364, NO-1372 Asker, Norway
Tel: (+47) 66 98 75 00, Fax: (+47) 66 90 41 70,
E-mail: ofce@miros.no, Web site: www.miros.no
WAVE RADARS
DIRECTIONAL WAVE AND CURRENT MONITORING WITH EITHER OF
TWO MIROS SYSTEMS:
t SM-050 WAVE AND CURRENT RADAR
Microwave Doppler radar of high accuracy.
t WAVEX
Wave and Current extractor for marine radars. Type approved by DNV.
DIRECTIONAL WAVE AND CURRENT RADARS ARE WELL SUITED FOR:
t Offshore Structures and Vessels.
t Catamarans and High Speed Vessels.
t Naval and Merchant Vessels.
t Research and Service Vessels.
t Shore Installations for Ports and Coastal Stations.
NON-DIRECTIONAL WAVE MONITORING MIROS RANGE FINDER:
t Wave prole and air gap from vessels and offshore structures.
t Sea level and tide measurements, water level in ports and canals etc.
t Bridge clearance monitoring.
t 10, 20, 50 and 85 meter range.
t No inuence by fog, rain or water spray.
y = 0.1503x4-3.4681x3+ 39.483x2-12.063x + 2E-08
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 4
S
eparate orders were received for
its installation on board two 100 m
chemical tankers under
construction at the Dingheng
(Jiangsu) Shipbuilding Co, in China, and an
85.5 m long ferry being built at Eastern
Shipbuilding Group, of Panama City, Florida.
The inherent flexibility, redundancy and
better manoeuvrability offered by twin screw
operations when compared to single screw
solutions have increasingly been accepted
across the shipping industry. A single engine
driving a single propeller achieves maximum
efficiency at a fixed level in the design
condition. At lower power, whether working
in combination with fixed pitch (FP) or
controllable pitch propellers (CPP), engine
working pressure decreases and engine
efficiency is lost.
Greater flexibility can be achieved by
operating two smaller engines driving two
propellers because, at lower speeds, the ships
master has the option to operate on one engine
alone, working at its optimum efficiency.
Furthermore, the greater propulsion area
covered by two smaller propellers is reckoned
to equate to about a 10% efficiency gain when
compared to a single screw solution.
The concept of feathering one of two
propellers at lower speeds, so that the other
can run at higher output, closer to optimum
efficiency, is by no means new. Developed as
a more efficient alternative to locking or
clutching out an unneeded shaft line,
feathering sees the propeller blades rotated
through 90 deg so that they are in parallel to
flow. Putting a propeller in the feathered
position during an emergency or at low speed
minimises drag, with consequent fuel savings.
However, feathering techniques to date have
featured a complex and often cumbersome
mechanical solution, or hubs that cannot offer
astern pitch due to their internal mechanical
limits. Thus the attractions of feathered hubs
have been limited to ships operating within
complicated mission profiles.
Patent pending
Berg claimed that its new BCP design offers
the capability to feather propeller blades
within its standard hydraulic hub. The result
is an expansion in the propellers operating
pitch range. A patent application on this aspect
of the design is currently pending.
We saw it as critical that we developed a
solution that could match Bergs hub core
standards for performance, efficiency and
reliability, said Linus Ideskog, Berg
Propulsion Technology product manager.
Using the Berg BCP feathering hub means
that pitch can range from full astern, via full
ahead, to full feathering. For the shipowner,
this means that the feathering concept can fit
in with any type of ship operating with more
than one propeller that demands flexibility in
the driving mode, while also bringing fuel
savings and environmental benefits.
Both the Dingheng-built tankers will be
constructed to GL Ice Class E3, and will
feature two 3,600 mm diameter, BCP950
propellers each, driven by 1,600 kW engines
at 136.1 rev/min. Meanwhile, the US-built
ferry will be built to LR Ice Class 1D, and
will incorporate larger 2,600 mm, BCP760
propellers, driven by 2,240 kW engines
operating at 277.7 rev/min.
Berg Propulsion said that the feathering
option is now available across its complete
range of BCP hubs.
Feathered propellers have existed for a
relatively long time either in a mechanical
hub, called a link hub, or as a hydraulic hub
without astern pitch. This made the feathered
hub only attractive for ships with very
complicated mission profiles and for ships
with alternative powering devices, for
example sailing ships.
More interest
But with the development of more convenient
feathering capabilities included in standard
hydraulic hubs with a pitch range going from
full astern to full feathering, the concept is
becoming of interest for all ship types with
more than one propeller or powering device,
which need some sort of flexibility in the
driving mode.
A normal vessel with a single propeller and
a single engine has a single optimum driving
mode, that is, it can only drive in a single
speed at optimum performance. When the
power needs to be lowered the working
pressure in the engine will go down and
consequently also the efficiency of the engine.
This is especially true if the propeller is of the
FP type, since then the engine rev/min has to
follow the propeller curve - both working
pressure and rev/min is going down.
For a CPP the engine rev/min can stay fixed
or follow the combinatory curve, but the
working pressure will go down and
consequently the efficiency. Another risk of
lowering the power to the engine, apart from
the lower efficiency, is increased emissions of
NOx and SOx, since the working pressure is
off the design point. The engine can be
modified to have relatively high efficiency
and low emission at lower than for example
85% MCR, by degrading, but then there is a
risk that the engine efficiency is lowered at
the design point.
Another option is to use twin engine
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
TANKEROperator

October 2009 28
Berg claimed that its new BCP design
offers the capability to feather propeller
blades within its standard hydraulic hub.
The result is an expansion in the propellers
operating pitch range. A patent application on
this aspect of the design is currently pending.

Berg Propulsion is set to deliver the first examples of the newly launched
Berg controllable pitch propeller (BCP) with a feathering capability.
Feather in the cap
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 5
consequently the loading in the gear box will
be in the right direction. For propulsion
efficiency, the disconnected propeller will be
optimum since it can be made to give zero
resistance.
A locked propeller will be a resistance and a
propeller in use will be a thruster. By
matching the thrust with the resistance the
effect of the propeller will be zero and the
only cost will be power needed to slightly
increase the rate of revolution from the self
milling state. The efficiency of this driven
milling mode is slightly better as compared to
the self milling mode, but not as good as for
the feathered condition.
Consequently, if a ship has any need for
flexibility, that is the driving conditions
change in any way, or the speed needs to be
varied, for example for variable route
planning, a CP propeller has a lot of
advantages over a FP propeller. If the speed
variation needs to be performed with
somewhat constant efficiency the engine
should be divided into two, with equal power,
or in a father-and-son configuration.
If the efficiency is of great importance,
which it should be for most shipowners, due to
the risk of oil price fluctuations, especially
increases, a twin screw setup should be
considered. This configuration delivers higher
efficiency at the full speed design point and
gives full redundancy in the propulsion system.
The twin screw propulsion system has much
higher manoeuvrability when compared to a
single screw vessel and offers high efficiency
in several driving modes if fitted with
feathered propellers.
Subsequently, all ships using a twin screw
propulsion system and needing any kind of
flexibility, should be fitted with feathered
propellers.
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
TO
October 2009

TANKEROperator 29
configuration connected to the single shaft
through the gear box. Here, there are several
options. If the engines have equal power, the
power can be reduced by 50% by clutching
one engine out thus only driving the propeller
on half the power using a single engine.
Another option is to have a so called
father-and-son configuration where one
engine has higher power and this will give
three possible driving modes with high
engine efficiency. Using these methods will
maintain the overall efficiency of the engine,
however the propeller will still be in an off
design condition.
Both a FP, due to the higher design pitch,
and a CPP, due the changed pitch distribution,
will have sub-optimal efficiency at a lower
power than the design point. Another option is
to use a twin screw vessel, where propulsion
redundancy can be made complete. In this
configuration each propeller can be connected
to one engine and as in the twin engine
configuration the driving power can be
lowered by switching one engine off.
The difference in this configuration is that
both the engine and the operating propeller
will work almost in a design configuration.
The propeller is slightly off the design point
since the ship speed is lowered, but this effect
is relatively small as compared to the effects
of lowering the power by 50%.
Disconnected prop
The question now is how to handle the
disconnected propeller. Generally, there are
three alternatives, lock or break the propeller
shaft, let the propeller shaft rotate freely, or
drive the propeller with a low power. The
locked propeller shaft alternative has a great
advantage in that the life time of the
equipment is extended since there are no
moving parts and also the crew has full
freedom to perform maintenance of the system
during operation. However, the limiting factor
is the pitch of the blades.
If the pitch is in the design condition, as on
an FP, or at maximum pitch on a normal CP
propeller, the propulsive efficiency will be
very low, since the resistance of the propeller
is very high. If the CP propeller blades on the
other hand can be feathered, the resistance of
the locked propeller will be very low and
consequently the efficiency of propulsion
system will remain high.
Higher efficiency
In the self milling alternative, when the
propeller shaft is clutched out and the water
stream is driving the disconnected propeller,
the efficiency becomes relatively much higher
as compared to a propeller in a locked design
condition, but also relatively much lower
efficiency as compared to the locked feathered
propeller. In this condition the life time of the
propeller shaft and the shaft bearings will be
lowered, especially as the lubrication of the
bearings is controlled by the self milling
condition and not the control system. The
lubrication is driven by the revolution rate of
the propeller shaft and should this rate be too
low the lubrication will be poor. Also the gear
box will be driven by the propeller and in this
condition the loading will be reversed, which
disturbs the lubrication procedure in the gear
box thus the risk of wear in the gearbox
mechanisms are large.
The final alternative is to drive the shaft on
a relatively low power, preferably just
matching the driven milling point of the
propeller. In this condition the propellers rate
of revolution is in control of the engineers,
since the shaft is driven by an engine, and
Bergs BCP seen in the ahead, astern and feathered modes.
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 6
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October 2009 30
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
S
hipbuilders, equipment suppliers,
operators and even classification
societies have all put forward
strategies to reduce bunker
consumption.
This paper* addresses the contributions to
fuel saving which lie within the control of the
propeller, its designer and its operator. These
are considered in terms of increasing
complexity and cost to enable the operator to
evaluate the options available for the most
cost effective solution in any particular case.
Fuel saving measures
The following measures are identified and
discussed;
Slow steaming.
Maintenance.
Design layout.
Add-on devices.
Economy propellers, both conventional
and unconventional.
Slow steaming
The simplest and lowest cost option is to
operate a vessel at a lower speed. No capital
cost is involved and the benefits of slow
steaming are well known and understood. To
illustrate this, typical power speed curves for a
110,000 dwt tanker is shown in Figure 1. It
can be readily be seen that reducing the
operating speed by just one knot below the
designed operating condition can cut the
power requirement very significantly.
In the case of the tanker the power
reduction equates to more than 17%. A
corresponding reduction in fuel consumption
is immediately achieved, assuming that the
engine specific consumption remains sensibly
constant over this power range.
In practice, however, there is some variation
in the specific fuel consumption against
power. For relatively modest reductions in
power the variation may be favourable,
although for more extreme reductions in
power output, it may become adverse.
Depending upon the reduction in power
adopted and the engine model, it might be
necessary to operate the main engine at
higher powers for short intervals, which will
detract slightly from the theoretically
achievable fuel savings.
Slow steaming is the most common fuel
saving measure which can be readily put into
effect by the operator subject to service
scheduling. It is extremely simple to apply,
has no cost implication, and can just as
quickly be reversed as and when conditions
change for the better.
Maintenance
Because the propeller is out of sight and
difficult to access, the importance of
maintaining it in good order can sometimes be
overlooked. Yet worthwhile savings in
performance and fuel consumption can be
achieved at modest cost by implementing and
following a planned programme of propeller
maintenance specifically aimed at economy.
There are three major aspects to consider:
Roughness.
Fouling.
Damage.
Roughness
The subject of surface roughness can be rather
confusing for the non specialist mainly due to
the various ways in which surface texture can
Propellers for fuel
economy
Against a background of depressed shipping demand, coupled with high fuel oil prices and
increasing environmental legislation and despite a recent drop in fuel prices, there is still a
pressing need to reduce fuel consumption for both economic and environmental reasons.
Figure 1. Typical performance characteristics for a
110,000 dwt tanker.
Figure 2. Effects of roughness on propeller efficiency.
Outside 0.75R
affected
Entire surface
SURFACE FINISH MICRONS Ra
affected
%

F
U
E
L

I
N
C
R
E
A
S
E
8
6
4
2
20 40 60 80 100
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Vs (KNOTS)
70.3% MCR
85.0% MCR
P
B
1
4
.
2
8
100.0%
MCR
1
5
.
2
8
S
E
R
V
I
C
E

S
P
E
E
D
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 7
October 2009

TANKEROperator 31
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
be defined. In general there are two main
methods of roughness measurement: peak to
valley average (PVA) and centre line average
(CLA or Ra), either of which can be employed
successfully provided that they are clearly
identified and can be readily converted.
Unfortunately the latter is not the case, however,
an approximate equivalence can be established
by using a factor of about 4 or 5, which should
be acceptable for engineering purposes.
For propellers, the uncertainties increase
because the effects of surface roughness are
difficult to measure in isolation. Yet it is clear
that the surface roughness of a propeller will
affect its frictional drag, which as a
component of the torque will affect its
performance. The problem is to quantify this
effect, since upon the solution of this will
depend the necessity of servicing in practice.
The effects of propeller roughness have
periodically been investigated and the data
given in References 1 and 2 remain as valid as
any. Investigations to date have either been
by model experiments or theoretical
calculations. Full scale correlation of these
data is virtually impossible to achieve due to
the difficulty in isolating the effects of
propeller roughness from other factors
affecting the ship/propeller combination.
Experimental work undertaken in the past at
model scale, for example, References 3 and 4,
implies that the effect of propeller roughness
alone is considerable, the magnitude in terms
of power requirement being up to 10% for
typical roughness values as given in Table 2.
Possibly, as suggested by Reference 1, this is
because the simulation of blade roughness by
means of the application to small propellers of
sand grains of various sizes may not be
considered representative of the type of
roughness found in practice.
In the authors opinion, this order of effect is
probably more applicable to heavily fouled
propeller blades than blades roughened by the
corrosive and impingement action of seawater.
Theoretical work would appear to indicate an
effect for simple roughening that is less than
that found by experiment, and this should be
evident from Figure 2. This figure, which
shows the calculated effect upon fuel
consumption of the blade finish, has been
obtained by relating the surface finish of the
blades to an appropriate drag coefficient, which
is used as input to vortex theory calculations.
The diagram in Figure 2 is considered typical
and applicable for all large propellers.
Referring to Figure 2, two important points
emerge. First, that it is the initial roughening
of the blades that has the most effect; and,
second, that it is the outer regions of the
blade where the roughness effect is greatest.
The clear conclusion from this is that the
propeller blades should be polished between
dockings at intervals dependent upon the
particular rate of roughening experienced, and
that special attention should be given to the
outer blade region.
Nowadays there are many contractors
offering underwater polishing of blades and
many owners regularly using their services. It
must, however, be emphasised that propeller
blade polishing should be carried out by
experienced, skilled labour since more harm
than good can result from the careless or
unsympathetic application of harsh abrasive
devices to the section profiles.
The normal finish of a propeller to ISO 484
standards is given in Table 1. It is interesting
to note that when the old ISO 484 1966
figures are converted from m PVA to m Ra,
the current ISO 484 document specifies a
more liberal requirement than its predecessor.
It is difficult to rationalise this apparently
retrograde step particularly since the normal
finishing procedures for a propeller should
achieve 2m Ra without difficulty. As a
result, therefore, it is recommended that
manufacture of merchant propellers to suit
ISO 484 1981 should be specified to meet
Class 1 dimensional tolerances, as is normal,
but with a Class S standard of finish. The
difference this represents from the diagram
shown in Figure 2 is about 0.5% on fuel
consumption, or efficiency.
From this, taking into account that the
blades outer region are the most important,
reference to Figure 2 indicates an effect upon
fuel consumption of about 2%. This, however,
does not take into account any effect of hull
roughness and fouling upon the propeller
efficiency, which would further increase the
above figure.
The figures in Table 2 are designated
typical and cases exist where, after 12 months
in service, roughness measurements of 30m
Ra have been recorded, which would indicate
an effect of about 4% on fuel consumption.
Since it is a relatively simple and inexpensive
operation to polish the blades, the contribution
to fuel saving from such attention, given
regularly, is clearly beneficial.
From a practical point of view the
measurement of blade roughness in the
drydock can be inconvenient, since it requires
a suitable instrument for measurement then
reference to a diagram such as Figure 2 in
order to make the necessary decision on
polishing. While the author would strongly
advocate that propeller blades be properly
polished regularly, it is appreciated that the
superintendent engineer requires some
yardstick for this purpose.
With this in mind, a simple roughness gauge
comparator, the Rubert Gauge, which includes
six surface examples varying in roughness from
1 to 25 m Ra is available. When using such a
device it is the intention that blade roughness
values found equivalent to 8 m Ra or more
should be treated by polishing.
Fouling
The effect of propeller fouling is very much
more considerable than that of roughness.
However, this is dependent upon whether the
fouling remains attached to the blades since
under the action of the propeller, particularly
if cavitation is present, marine fouling will
normally be removed from the more critical
outer sections.
In recent years, a great deal of effort has
gone into researching the feasibility of coating
propellers to delay the onset of fouling and
roughening. It is certainly the case that the
adherence of marine organisms can be reduced
greatly by the application of coatings although
the development of slime may still occur.
To date no coating has been shown to resist
the attack of aggressive cavitation and the
concern must exist that exposure of relatively
small areas of parent metal will bring about an
increased rate of electrolytic corrosion.
There are also other practical concerns over
blade coating. First, the preparation of the
Table 1: ISO standard roughness.
Class S Class 1 Units
ISO R484 1966 3 9 m PVA
ISO 484/1 ) 1981 3 6 m Ra
ISO 484/2 )
Table 2: Typical measurements on 5 m dia propellers after 12-24
months service.
Region Roughness Units
0.8R-Tip 20 m Ra
0.5R-0.8R 10 m Ra
0.5R-Root 3 m Ra
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 8
TANKEROperator

October 2009 32
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
efficiency would be additional to the savings
from the reduced power output.
Retrofitting of so called economy propellers
and major modifications of main engines
obviously involve significant expenditure, to
be determined on a case by case basis. With
the demand for lower fuel consumption
serious commercial appraisals of such options
should however be considered
In previous applications, some of which
involved significant modifications of the
vessels propulsion system, payback periods
generally of less than two years were
demonstrated.
One further consideration with regard to
propeller layout is whether or not the propeller
is actually achieving its intended
power/revolutions relationship. It is not
uncommon for the older vessels propellers to
impose too high a torque load on the
machinery. This could be due to an
insufficient revolutions margin being specified
or achieved at the time of newbuild, or to the
effects of roughening and fouling of
underwater surfaces over the years.
In such cases a simple modification to the
propeller, usually by means of a reforming the
blade trailing edges, will remedy the situation.
In more serious cases of overloading it may be
necessary to also make some reduction in the
propeller diameter, this can lead to a small
loss in efficiency but with careful design of
the modification this can be limited to less
than 1%.
Modifications of this type are routinely
carried out at modest cost with significant
benefit to the operation of the vessel. Once
again it is worth emphasising that the design
work and the actual blade modification
should only be carried out by skilled and
experienced personnel.
Add on devices
There are a number of organisations offering
ducts and/or fins, which can be positioned on
the hull, the rudder horn, or indeed on the
fairing cone with the intention of improving
inflow conditions or recovering energy losses.
There are certainly instances where such
devices have been shown to benefit the
propulsive efficiency of the vessel, although
perhaps not always to the extent sometimes
claimed. Ideally any device, which affects the
flow either into or out of the propeller should
be specified at the time of build so that the
propeller design may be properly optimised for
the modified flow regime. Notwithstanding
this, flow controlling devices have been
successfully installed as retrofit items in
association with the original propeller.
blade surfaces and the application of the
coatings must be carefully controlled to ensure
good adhesion. Suitable control might be
difficult to achieve in repair yards where
perhaps minor welded repairs, or hot work
have been carried out on the propeller and the
coating needs to be replaced or repaired.
Second, the presence of a coating precludes
the dye penetrant checking of high stress areas
of the blades routinely included in drydock
specifications by some owners.
Damage
With its exposed position, the propeller is
susceptible to damage of mechanical, erosive
and corrosive type. Such damages can, and
will, affect the efficient operation of the
propeller.
Mechanical damage from physical contact
can have two main effects. Normally such
damage occurs at the blade edges and its
effect is dependent upon whether the leading
or trailing edge is affected.
Leading edge damage mainly affects the
cavitation performance, the resulting
distortions of the section profile promoting a
suction peak in the adjacent region of the
blade with a consequent high risk of causing
erosion of the blade material. Erosion results
in very considerable roughness and in the
event that the affected region is at the tips,
which is usually the case, and is relatively
large, the resulting effect upon the fuel
consumption will be very much more
significant than the above figures given for the
effect of simple blade roughness.
Trailing edge damage will also affect the
power absorption characteristics of the
propeller, any significant bending to the outer
trailing edges will have the effect of
increasing or reducing the effective pitch of
the blades, dependent upon whether the
distortion is towards or away from the
pressure face.
This consequence, which can be
demonstrated from aerofoil theory, can be
considerable, resulting in the propeller
operating at revolutions that will change the
loading characteristics of the machinery,
which can lead to an overload condition and
deterioration of its efficient operation.
It is therefore important that any propeller
damage should be rectified at the earliest
possible opportunity. Dependent upon the
nature and extent of damage, repairs may be
undertaken with the propeller on the shaft,
possibly with the ship still afloat, though it is
usually preferable to remove the propeller to
facilitate major remedial work.
Damage by corrosion is a further factor
which should be attended to at an early stage.
Corrosion attack generally affects a very large
portion of the blade and almost always the
blade tips, resulting in a washed appearance
and considerable roughness. Advanced cases
can result in a significant overall removal of
material, eventually leading to extremely thin
blade edges. The solution to this particular
problem is preventative maintenance by
means of an adequate system of cathodic
protection
In the event that a propeller is in an
advanced stage of corrosive attack, it should
be removed to a workshop for complete
reconditioning. This is usually achieved by
means of a small reduction in diameter and
blade widths allowing the edges to be
reformed and the blades reground and
polished to an as new condition. Usually,
propeller blade thicknesses have sufficient
margin to allow this type of repair and the
resulting improvement in performance will
very quickly recover the cost involved. At the
same time, adoption of a suitable cathodic
protection system as outlined above should
ensure that the problem will not recur.
Design layout
When operating at reduced power, further
savings can be achieved if it is possible to
change the torque rating of the prime mover to
enable a larger, slower turning propeller to be
fitted. In former times of high oil prices some
dramatic savings were made by re-configuring
steam turbines and reduction gears, see
Reference 5.
Today even with the almost universal
application of slow speed diesels it might still
be possible to achieve similar results with
modification of turbo charging and the
replacement of certain engine components. If
for example the main engine of the tanker
considered in figure 1 was to be permanently
derated from its original 13,560 kW PB at 105
rev/min to 8,000 kW PB at 80 rev/min the
effects on ship speed, propeller design,
propeller efficiency would be as illustrated in
table 3. The saving in fuel consumption
associated with the increased propeller
Table 3: Benefits of a conventional
economy propeller.
MCR (kW PB) 13560 8000
RPM 105.0 80.0
Service Speed (knots) 16.04 14.01
Propeller Diameter (mm) 7140 7660
Propeller BAR 0.586 0.449
Propeller Efficiency Basis +6.2%
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 9
October 2009

TANKEROperator 33
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
Ducts and fins achieve their greatest
improvements in full form vessels with strong
pressure gradients over the aft body, and are
probably more associated with reducing hull
resistance rather than improving propeller
efficiency. It could be argued that the need
for these devices can be avoided by more
careful hull design.
The application of these devices should be
factored into any study into improving vessel
performance, particularly in the case of full
form hulls with heavily thrust loaded
propellers.
Unconventional propeller designs
If new propellers are to be retrofitted, or if
propellers are to be specified for
newbuildings, then economic and
environmental pressures can reinforce the case
for adopting one of the newer non-
conventional propeller types now available.
There are currently three types of
unconventional propeller finding application
in the mainstream commercial market. Two
of these unconventional designs seek to
improve efficiency by making radical changes
to the tip geometry and radial loading
distributions, while the third has a
conventional tip geometry but incorporates a
form of aerofoil section profile differing
markedly from those adopted by other
designers.
The CLT propeller has evolved from the
HEFA and TVF propellers originally
developed in Spain. This propeller is
characterised by having a large finite width at
the tip with a plate projecting from the tip
section on the pressure surface. The tip plate
inhibits the pressure equalising flow from
pressure to suction surface thereby suppressing
the tip vortex. This feature enables the
designer to adopt an almost constant
distribution of circulation from mid radius on
the blade to the tip. There is also some re-
distribution of lift generating forces from the
suction surface to the pressure surface.
Various claims have been made for the
increase in efficiency which can be achieved
by using the CLT type propeller. It is now
widely accepted that improvements of the
order of 4% over a well designed wake
adapted propeller are achievable.
The Kappel propeller was developed in
Denmark by Kappel Marine Concept and was
the subject of a major EU funded study
culminating in full-scale sea trials in 2002,
see Reference 6. Embracing the technology
applied to the design of modern aircraft
wings, the Kappel propeller incorporates
winglets on the suction side which
effectively increase the aspect ratio of the
blades reducing the induced drag and the
strength of the tip vortex. Again the
improvement in efficiency confirmed by
carefully controlled full scale measurements
is typically about 4%, compared with a well
designed conventional propeller.
The third unconventional propeller design
considered here was developed in Japan and
UK and is now known as the NPT type
propeller. In this case the originator
concentrated on identifying a New Profile
Type for the blade aerofoil section which
generates a proportionally greater part of its
thrust from increased pressure on the pressure
surface and which minimises the suction peak
in way of the leading edge.
The reduced cavitation loading on the
suction side can be supported by a smaller
blade surface area which cuts down on
profile drag thereby improving the efficiency
of the device. The changed weighting of
suction and pressure characteristics also has
the effect of reducing the optimum diameter
of the NPT propeller compared with the
conventional propeller. This, together with
the lower blade surface area, results in
reduced weight and inertia to the benefit of
the shaft and bearing design.
Numerous full scale applications have
shown that with NPT propellers gains in
efficiency similar to those with the CLT and
Kappel propeller are available. The improved
cavitation performance and larger tip
clearances mean that hull excitation forces are
generally lower than those for the equivalent
conventional propeller, see Reference 7.
One other very significant advantage of the
NPT propeller is that there are no
complications in the manufacturing processes.
In contrast, the non planar tips of the other
two devices are not compatible with either
industry standard geometry definition or
tolerancing and require special attention in the
foundry and finishing shop, adding to their
first cost.
The fuel savings from these high efficiency
propellers would be additional to those
derived from a careful selection or re-selection
of main engine rating and would thus have a
beneficial effect on any investment appraisal
of a derating project.
The more widespread adoption of these
devices has been hampered by the fact that
current extrapolation procedures for model
test results do not properly demonstrate the
benefits available. It is to be hoped that this
issue will be given priority treatment by the
model basins and ITTC.
Conclusions & recommendations
In conclusion, the propeller has a critical role
to play in both the economic and
environmental dimensions of ship operating.
Careful attention must be given to these
considerations when specifying propeller
layout points and propeller types in newbuild
contracts. Long term changes in propeller
technology, oil prices and environmental
legislation occurring during the lifetime of the
vessel may require the original selections to
be revised.
Throughout the ships life the propeller
should be inspected and polished at regular
intervals and any damages rectified at the
earliest possible opportunity. When assessing
the possibilities for improving ship
performance the application of unconventional
propeller technologies should be fully
investigated.
*This paper was written by Eur Ing Lyn
Bodger, Bsc C Eng FRIA, technical
director, Stone Marine Propulsion and given
at the Motorship Propulsion and Emissions
Conference held in Copenhagen 26-27th
May this year.
References
1. Grigson CWB - Propeller Roughness,
its nature and its effect on the drag
coefficients of blades and ship power -
The aval Architect, RIA Journal
1982.
2. Townsin RL, Spencer DS, Mosaad M,
Patience G - Rough Propeller Penalties
- SAME 1985.
3. Emerson A - Roughness and Scale
Effect on Propellers. ISP Vol 5 1958.
4. Schmierschalski H - Experimental
Study on the Influence of Propeller
Roughness carried out on the harbour
launch Fritz Gadjens - HSVA
Report o 1046 1955.
5. Hawdon L, Patience G - Propeller
Design for Economy - SMM Technical
Paper 20 1982.
6. Kappel JJ, Andersen P - Kappel
Propeller. Development of a Marine
Propeller with on Planar Lifting
Surfaces. - Motorship Conference
Copenhagen 2002.
7. Sasaki , Patience G - Evolution of
High Efficiency Propeller with ew
Blade Section, Motorship Conference,
Bilbao, 2005.
TO
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 10
TANKEROperator

October 2009 34
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
T
he companys latest innovation
the patented Mewis Duct was
launched at last years Hamburg
SMM exhibition.
Beckers research found that the wake field
of full form vessels, such as tankers, reduces
the propellers propulsion efficiency. The
water flow velocity has such an unfavourable
characteristic that the propeller does not
receive a uniform water flow.
The Mewis Duct harmonises and
stabilises the flow and generates a consistent
load distribution on the propeller systems,
Becker claimed. It is essentially a duct with
integrated fins meant to be installed just in
front of the propeller.
The individual placed fins have a stator effect
by generating a pre-swirl in the counter
direction of the propellers operation, recovering
the rotational energy from the propellers
slipstream. The speed, plus the amount of the
water stream towards the propeller, greatly
enhances the efficiency of both the propeller
and the rudder, Becker claimed.
Consequent propulsion improvement can
only be achieved if several aspects of
hydrodynamic performance are taken into
account. For example, the combination of a
Mewis Duct with a Becker Rudder
dramatically increases the efficiency of the
system by means of wake field optimisation
and less rudder resistance with improved
manoeuvring performance, the company said.
Reliable and sturdy
Becker claimed that the Mewis Duct is a
reliable and sturdy concept with fuel savings
guarantee up to 9% for large, slow vessels
with a high block coefficient (CB) and a high
propeller thrust loading coefficient (CTH),
which includes tanker, drybulk and multi-
purpose vessel sectors. By saving fuel, the
system also offers environmental benefits by
reducing NOx and CO2 emissions.
The system has no moving parts and is ideal
for both the newbuilding and retrofit markets,
managing director Dirk Lehmann said. The
system is tailor made, so the computational
fluid dynamic (CFD) calculations and tank
tests need to be carried out each time.
One of the first vessels to fit a Mewis
Duct was a 47,000 dwt bulker. It was found
that the original power requirement of 9,300
kW could be reduced to 8,742 kW to maintain
the same speed of 16 knots. This represented a
fuel saving of 6%, or $215,000 per year,
depending on the bunker price.
Taking a chemical tanker as a case study, a
7.5% fuel reduction will save around $235,000
per year. This particular tanker case study has a
CB of 0.795 and a CTH of 1.9 and her
propulsion unit develops 6,900 kW at 14.3 kn.
Another operational example was the fitting
of a Mewis Duct on board Laurin
Maritimes 45,000 dwt tanker Tambourin. It
will be retrofitted during a scheduled five-day
drydocking in Poland during October of this
year. The first calculations made be Becker
forecast a power reduction of 7.5%.
Lehmann expected more retrofit orders in
the near future but admitted that newbuildings
had almost come to a halt.
Mewis Duct is named after its inventor -
Friedrich Mewis - who spent nearly 40 years as
a researcher at the SVA towing tank in Potsdam
and HSVA in Hamburg. Upon his retirement, he
became a consultant with Becker.
Becker is arguably more famous for its
rudder systems and has been working on
several new rudder systems, including for
manoeuvring in ice. These studies have mainly
involved tankers, offshore supply vessels,
icebreakers and Polar research vessels.
Overall, for the past couple of years the
tanker sector has been one of the main areas of
focus for Beckers sales teams and this sector
will remain a major focal point in the future for
enhanced rudder systems. Lehmann explained.
In 2002, Becker acquired the patented
Schilling Rudder technology and business
from Hamworthy. By using the latest CFD
and finite element method (FEM) software
and confirming the results in test tanks, plus
later in actual operation, the Schilling Rudder
technology was optimised, resulting in the
new generation of rudders incorporating a
number of improvements.
The lift/drag ratio of the new Schilling
profile has been improved substantially
compared to the old Schilling shape, resulting
in the Schilling profile developing a gap with
regard to propulsion efficiency, compared to a
Striving for greater
efficiency
Hamburg-based Becker Marine Systems has been developing manoeuvring systems
aimed at greater efficiency for more than 60 years.
Fuel consumption (85% MCR) 33.1t/day
Fuel cost per tonne $430/t
Fuel consumption
if sailing 220 days 7,282t
Fuel cost per year $3,131,260
COT study calculation
The combination of a Mewis Duct with a Becker Rudder increases the efficiency of
the system.
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 11
standard rudder profile.
However, most important, following the hydrodynamic improvement,
was that the new profile allowed Becker to redesign the complete
rudder mounting and now allows the king support rudder (KSR)
bearing support arrangement to be fitted.
The KSR design superseded the traditional Mariner type semi-
spade rudder, which needed large and heavy castings plus a longer
installation time.
This new patented Schilling KSR, a combination of both the new
Schilling profile and the KSR arrangement, offers a better performance
having smaller moveable rudder areas and less rudder hunting and is
available up to an unlimited size. Even VLCCs can be fitted with this
optimised full spade rudder, Becker claimed.
Becker announced that a pair of 105,000 dwt Knutsen OAS shuttle
tankers building at COSCO Nantong will be fitted with optimised 50.4
sq m KSRs. They are both due to be delivered next year.
The company has had a long relationship with Knutsen, illustrated by
the 22-year old 129,000 dwt Anna Knutsen, which was fitted with twin
FKSR flap rudders. This type of rudder is claimed to be ideal for working
in harsh conditions, offering good manoeuvrability at low speeds.
Beckers service team regularly surveys the rudders and has found
them to be in good condition, despite being in operation for 22 years.
Another tanker owner to order flap rudders is Hamburg-based John T
Essberger. The company has ordered 13 sq m flap rudders for two
8,500 dwt chemical tankers on order in China.
Lehmann said that overall the Schilling KSR system improves safety
as it is lighter, but much more rigid and easier to install. The cost is much
the same as that for a more traditional rudder system and fuel savings of
between 1-2% can be gained with a good system, he claimed.
Becker Marine Services offers a worldwide service network regardless
of a rudder systems manufacturer. Any rudder equipment can be
supplied and today, Beckers orderbook is in the region of 500 rudders,
while the companys annual manufacturing capacity runs at around 350.
Becker offers supervision and pre-docking checks for rudder damage.
Inspections are offered as part of the companys service network and
repairs can be undertaken to a whole fleet if necessary.
Today in a cold layup situation, the bearings need inspecting as there
may be a leakage occurring. The whole steering gear needs to be checked
to ensure it is in a working condition, while the vessel is in layup.
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSORS
October 2009

TANKEROperator
TO
The Schilling KSR system offers a better performance than its
predecessor.
closed gauging
The HERMetic
UTImeter Gtex is
a portable elec-
tronic level gauge
for closed gas tight
operation resulting in
increased safety and efciency.
The unit is used for custody transfer,
inventory control measurement and
free water detection on marine vessels.
Connected to a HERMetic vapour
control valve, the UTImeter Gtex avoids
any gas release during operation and
enables 3, optionally 4 measurements
in one single operation, Ullage,
Temperature, Oil-water interface level
and Innage. By increasing safety and
efciency, Honeywell Tanksystem
helps customers improve business
performance.
For more information visit our website
www.tanksystem.com or call +41 26 919 15 00
2009 Honeywell International, Inc. All rights reserved
p24- 35: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 32 Page 12
TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service are the primary
satellite communications solution on board Simonsens tankers, supporting
both business operations and crew communications.
Simonsen and Clipper
choose KVH TracPhone V7
TECHNOLOGY - SATCOMS
TANKEROperator

October 2009 36
F
aced with a growing need for
reliable connections to shore and
increased control over variable and
increasingly expensive
communications costs, MH Simonsen ApS, of
Denmark, recently adopted the TracPhone
V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband
sm
service
from KVH Industries, as its primary
communications solution on six ice class
oil/chemical tankers.
The Simonsen vessels are now enjoying
reduced service costs, increased bandwidth,
and improved crew morale thanks to the
resulting broadband data connections, VoIP
telephone service, fixed-rate pricing and a Ku-
band network that is expanding to offer global
coverage. KVH claimed.
The investment is turning out to be a
successful one in terms of long-term
affordability, as well. Simonsens primary
concern when installing satellite
communications equipment on board its tankers
was monthly airtime cost. While the hardware
and installation cost is a one-time investment, it
was crucial to have a known monthly airtime
rate without surprises, explained Ulrik
Madsen, Simonsens marine superintendent.
We studied all of the satellite communications
options available to this market, and KVH was
the only vendor able to offer a fixed monthly
airtime rate, which was our main reason for
choosing mini-VSAT Broadband.
Communications capabilities are also
important factors in strengthening the
competitive position for commercial shipping
companies through the Ship Inspection Report
Programme (SIRE), which tracks safety and
quality in the shipping industry and helps
fleets with high scores to secure the most
lucrative contracts.
Simonsen claimed to be performing well in
several important SIRE ranking categories,
thanks to mini-VSAT Broadband. Crew
morale is key, explained Madsen, which is
clear from the response we have received from
crews on board the vessels that have the
TracPhone V7 installed. We also have regular
visits by third-party inspectors in connection
with vetting, loading, and unloading. These
people benefit significantly from the system, as
it helps them with the execution of the tasks
theyve come on board to complete, he said.
The mini-VSAT Broadband service, along
with the KVH TracPhone V7 antenna,
comprise the first end-to-end 26-inch VSAT
hardware, service, and support package
available for maritime communications and
offers Voice over IP phone service and Internet
access as fast as 512 Kbps (upload) and 2
Mbps (download) at fixed monthly rates.
Lighter and smaller
The compact TracPhone V7, which is 75%
KVHs solution is 75% lighter and 85% smaller by volume than traditional 1 m VSAT antennas.
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 1
LEADER IN MOBILE BROADBAND
Find out how KVH TracPhone V7 can change your business at:
www.kvh.com/tanker
An end-to-end communications
solution with a compact 60 cm
antenna and a fully integrated
control unit and modem.
Dramatically cut your airtime costs
and improve your ships operations
with KVHs mini-VSAT Broadband
SM

the most affordable service for
broadband Internet, e-mail, and
VoIP telephone!
Fast, low-cost Internet at sea
Rely on broadband Internet with speeds as
fast as 2 Mbps down and 512 Kbps up while
saving up to 80% versus other solutions.
Crystal-clear telephone calls
Make calls whenever and wherever you want
with two integrated enhanced VoIP telephone
lines tailored to maritime customers.
Easy to install and setup
ViaSats exclusive ArcLight

spread spectrum
technology enables a small 60 cm antenna
with dramatically superior performance, easy
installation and activation in as little as 1 day!
Seamless global coverage
Mini-VSAT Broadband is a rapidly expanding
Ku-band global network with totally automatic
satellite switching between regions.
What broadband at sea was
meant to be
SM
TracPhone

V7.
We were particularly impressed with the
TracPhone V7s small size and affordable
airtime. We are excited to have a new
solution for day-to-day shipboard satellite
communications that is both affordable and
easy to install alongside our existing
Inmarsat and GSM systems. This helps to
keep our business operations efficient, and
allows the crew to use the services to stay
in touch with their loved ones. This is
especially important, because in our
industry retaining quality crew and officers
is essential.

Coverage
expands again!
Asia-Pacic
Persian Gulf
New Zealand
Australia
mini-

B R O A D B A N DSM
- Runar Gaarder, ICT Manager for Mowinckel
Ship Management
kVh 0rope AlS kokkeda| |od0str|park 28 2980 kokkeda| 0eomark
Te|: +45 45 160 180 Fax: +45 45 160 181 -ma||: |oIo@kvh.dk
2009 KVH Industries, Inc. KVH, TracPhone, and the unique light-colored dome with dark contrasting baseplate are registered trademarks of KVH Industries, Inc. 09_V7miniVSAT_Comm_Tanker
What broadband at sea was meant to be and mini-VSAT Broadband are service marks of KVH Industries, Inc.
ArcLight is a registered trademark of ViaSat, Inc.; all other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Patents Pending.
Meet us at Marintec China,
Eletek Technology Booth No. 1L31
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 2
lighter and 85% smaller by volume than
traditional 1 m VSAT antennas, brings a
blend of the economy and speed of VSAT
communications with lower costs and easier
installation, making the system exceptionally
well suited for commercial oil and gas,
shipping, and government vessels, KVH
claimed.
We are very excited that Simonsen chose
the TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband
service as their primary satellite
communications solution on these six
tankers, said Svend Lykke Larsen, managing
director for KVH Europe. We see these
results on commercial fleets all the time.
KVHs end-to-end solution actually helps
fleets to cut communications costs and
increase operational performance while adding
great value to many key areas, including crew
welfare and regulatory compliance, which can
increase SIRE scores and help with securing
the best contracts.
Simonsen worked with Polaris Electronics
A/S, KVHs certified Danish distributor, to
equip the six Simonsen ships with TracPhone
V7 systems.
The installation of the TracPhone V7
antennas and below decks hardware was done
quite smoothly by our own electrician. In
addition to that, we installed Wi-Fi networks
on board all of our vessels, making service
available in more areas, explained Madsen,
The network installation was actually more
time-consuming than the installation of the
hardware!
According to Madsen, Simonsens crews
are excited about their new communications
tool, with one crew member declaring, the
Internet service makes it feel like getting a
pay increase because of all the money we save
on communications costs!
Simonsens tankers travel through different
satellite service coverage areas about five
times per month. They now enjoy seamless
regional roaming among these areas with the
mini-VSAT service, saving costly technician
visits. When travelling through international
waters - thereby crossing different mini-VSAT
coverage areas - the automatic regional
roaming with integrated GPS and automatic
skew control saves costly and time-consuming
technician visits, Madsen said
Weve received continuous support from
Polaris and KVH throughout the project.
Whenever we needed it, we had excellent
support and follow-up. We are fully satisfied
with the performance of the TracPhone V7
and it remains our number one choice for
satellite communications, he concluded.
Clipper signs up
Another Danish company operating several
tankers has also signed up with KVH.
In the coming months, Clipper Marine
Services of Copenhagen, Denmark, will equip
22 tankers with KVH's 24-inch (60 cm)
TracPhone V7 antenna along with multiple
voice service lines and broadband Internet, e-
mail, and data access throughout the mini-
VSAT Broadband network's expanding global
coverage area.
The decision by Clipper to shift to KVH's
mini-VSAT Broadband solution was spurred on
by a desire to expand access without expanding
costs. "Prior to installing the TracPhone V7, we
TECHNOLOGY - SATCOMS
TANKEROperator

October 2009 38
Simonsen chemical tanker crews will benefit from cheaper call charges.
KVH TracPhone FleetBroadband introduces emergency
call service
On 1st October, 2009, a new
safety service for seafarers
505 Emergency Calling was
launched worldwide by
Inmarsat for all
FleetBroadband users.
Owners of Inmarsat FleetBroadband-
compatible TracPhone satcoms systems
provided by KVH Industries are now able
to take advantage of this new service as
KVHs Inmarsat FleetBroadband systems
are 100% compatible with the new, no-
charge 505 service.
Users only need to dial 505 from their
TracPhone telephones to activate the 24-
hour service, which routes calls directly to
Coast Guard rescue centres worldwide.
The new 505 service is a fantastic
enhancement for our TracPhone
FleetBroadband customers, said Jim
Dodez, KVHs vice president of marketing
and strategic planning. Particularly for
smaller vessels that do not carry a
GMDSS-compliant system, 505 is ideal.
Its easy to remember because of its
similarity to SOS, and connects mariners
directly to emergency services wherever
they are even when out of reach of
shore-based VHF radio. Of course, its a
great backup for larger commercial
vessels, as well.
There is no subscription, or call charge
for the 505 emergency service and it can
be activated immediately just by dialing
505 from a KVH TracPhone
FleetBroadband system. After dialing 505,
voice calls will be connected via Inmarsat
directly to a 24-hour operational Coast
Guard Rescue Co-ordination Centre
located strategically around the world, so
they can speak to the right person if they
have an emergency on board.
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 3
From 1st October, 2009 seafarers
using the Inmarsat
FleetBroadband service are able
to enjoy cheap phone calls home.
This was due to the introduction of Enhanced
Super Quiet Time (ESQT) low-cost calling,
which was intended for FleetBroadband
users only.
The Enhanced SQT offer from Inmarsat
applies across all three FleetBroadband
variants, FB 500, FB 250 and the latest low
cost entry terminal, FB150 and is available all
year round, at any time of day or night.
The positive link between contact with
family for seafarers and morale boost is well
known and now an established fact, prompting
Inmarsat to bring in its low cost service.
It has evolved down the years, starting from
being a few hours per day when initially
launched to being extended to 12 hours on
weekdays and 24 hours per day during
weekends and special promotions.
The SQT offering for users of Inmarsat
B, Mini-M, and Fleet (33, 55 and 77) is
available 12 hours per day on weekdays
and 24 hours per day on weekends and
special promotions.
Crew morale boost
Commenting at the launch of this new
initiative, Inmarsats maritime marketing
manager, Kartik Sinha said: This is our way
of giving something back to the industry,
especially in a time when the shipping
industry is suffering from the effects of the
economic downturn. We know that cheaper
cost calls make a significant contribution in
improving crew morale and we hope that this
offering will help shipping companies in their
crew retention strategy.
With our Enhanced SQT, mariners will be
able to take advantage of low-cost calls to
friends and family 24/7, 365 days a year
using FleetBroadband. This evolution in our
SQT offering is a big step and once again
goes to emphasise Inmarsats commitment to
crew welfare.
The launch of Enhanced SQT is claimed to
be particularly significant, given the
impending release of International Labour
Organisation (ILO) guidelines, due for
publication in the coming months, which will
have a strong focus on the importance of crew
welfare, Inmarsat said.
TECHNOLOGY - SATCOMS
Seafarers get cheap phone calls
October 2009

TANKEROperator 39
were using an F77 antenna and Inmarsat Fleet
service," said Michael Mark, vessel IT manager
for Clipper Group. "We chose to switch to
mini-VSAT Broadband because it is a more
affordable solution and also offers us more
advantages for support and crew retention."
Clipper will continue to benefit from its
Inmarsat systems and service, however,
thanks to the TracPhone V7's full
compatibility with Dualog software. This
solution makes it easy for Clipper crew
members to use a wide variety of applications
in a cost effective manner, with an ideal
balance of the mini-VSAT Broadband and
Inmarsat services, KVH claimed.
By using mini-VSAT Broadband whenever
possible, Clipper saves nearly enough in
service charges each month to cover the cost
of the TracPhone V7 hardware lease. To
increase savings and ensure that installation
expenses remain as low as possible, Clipper
initiated a field testing programme with
special installation training for their vessel IT
employees, provided by Polaris Electronics
A/S, KVH's Danish distributor. Clipper
employees then created their own installation
guides, which the crew on board will use to
perform TracPhone V7 hardware installations
going forward. The vessel IT employees will
follow each installation remotely, installing
the Dualog software once the system is online.
"We are excited to field the mini-VSAT
Broadband service on Clipper Tankers
following an extensive and successful field
testing programme. These vessels travel among
ports worldwide, carrying a wide range of
materials, and require dependable, affordable
satellite communications in order to function at
their best," said Larsen. "The TracPhone V7
and mini-VSAT Broadband provide these
services at such an affordable cost that Clipper
is now able to use communications as a crew
retention tool, a critical benefit in an
increasingly competitive industry. And, thanks
to their choice to deploy Dualog software to
integrate mini-VSAT Broadband service with
existing on board systems, Clipper's satellite
communications solution is not only more
affordable than other options, it's more
convenient and efficient as well!"
Earlier, KVH announced a significant
expansion of mini-VSAT Broadband coverage
in the Atlantic Ocean.
Where the service was previously available
only in the North Atlantic shipping lanes
between Europe and North America, the new
coverage area brings broadband Internet and
voice service as far north as Greenland and
Northern Europe and extends south to support
vessels traveling to the Mediterranean,
northwestern Africa, and approaching the
northern coast of Brazil. This new service area
is fully operational and available to all
existing and new mini-VSAT Broadband
service users.
KVHs coverage of the Australia and New
Zealand region went live in August 2009,
following the successful completion of service
testing on the Intelsat IS-2 satellite. The new
coverage area provides the first significant
support for mini-VSAT Broadband service in
the southern hemisphere.
Together with our coverage for Asian
waters and the Indian Ocean, the addition of
services for Australia and New Zealand
represents a significant expansion of our
increasingly popular mini-VSAT Broadband
Internet and voice service to a major
commercial and recreational maritime region,
explained Brent Bruun, KVHs vice president
of sales and business development.
Airtime trade in
In another move, KVH is offering $500 of
airtime as a trade-in allowance when upgrading
to Inmarsat FleetBroadband service and the
Inmarsat-compatible TracPhone system.
This upgrade offer can be used by
customers interested in trading in their old
Globalstar, Iridium, or AMSC/MSV, or other
regional or low earth orbit (LEO) satellite
systems for the next generation in maritime
satellite communications.
Inmarsats new FleetBroadband service is
provided by a trio of new satellites known as
the Inmarsat I-4s. Three of the most powerful
and sophisticated communications satellites
ever launched, the I-4s blanket the globe with
broadband service, providing Inmarsats
reliability and data rates as high as 432 Kbps
well into the 2020s.
KVH was offering an introductory Inmarsat
FleetBroadband airtime plan for as low as $59
per month. For regular users of maritime
satellite service, KVHs Inmarsat voice rates
were as low as $0.79 per minute. Data
services include a metered always on IP
service that is billed by the amount of data
transferred, or a streaming service with a
guaranteed data rate up to 256 Kbps.
The limited time $500 free airtime
promotion runs through 31st December, 2009,
or for the first 100 trade-in activations,
whichever comes first.
TO
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 4
TECHNOLOGY - SATCOMS
World-Link Communications has
launched ShipSat service, a
broadband IP solution that
integrates Ku VSAT and
Inmarsat's L band services.
For a flat monthly fee, ShipSat will delivers
global IP access, least-cost-routing (LCR) and
switching capabilities among Inmarsat FBB,
Ku VSAT and other wireless broadband
technologies including OpenPort, 3G, WiFi,
and WiMax.
Integrating these technologies is the ShipSat
Gatekeeper that performs switching, security,
routing and LCR services. ShipSat targets
vessels in the high end of merchant shipping
that are currently looking for a global, reliable
and controlled IP solution.
ShipSat always on connectivity utilises a
mini-VSAT antenna of 60 cm with auto
switching and includes an FBB 150, or
Iridium OpenPort system to be used as a back
up in areas where VSAT coverage is marginal.
It is delivered as a complete integrated
solution including Satcom antennas, below
deck equipment, Gatekeeper box, airtime, and
World-Link value added services including
split billing, crew mail, crew internet, plus
other maritime applications.
Service rates are tiered to accommodate
ships that already have FBB and Fleet systems
on board but are looking to add VSAT
capabilities. ShipSat plans start at $1,850 per
month and include a VSAT 256K/128K
service, plus an FBB 150 or an OpenPort with
a 36-month contract.
Gatekeeper
Central to the ShipSat system is the Gatekeeper
box. Designed and developed from the ground
up by World-Link, it provides a number of
critical functions including a firewall that limits
access based on users and available networks,
FastLink compression of up to 80%, black and
white lists of web sites, advertising blocking on
web browsing, switching and routing between
different QoS services.
Gatekeeper acts as a central hub on board that
links the ship to the shore network via secure
encrypted tunnels and provides for accurate
billing for the different services on board,
including email and crew internet access.
"We saw that our customers are demanding
flat fee broadband access that is offered today
by Ku VSAT; shipping also requires global
reliability of the Inmarsat system. ShipSat
marries VSAT and Inmarsat in a cost efficient
solution that delivers reliability and cost
predictability to the merchant shipping
community. We are confident that shipowners
and managers are primed to enhance their
vessel operations by the opportunities
presented by ShipSats broadband reliable
capabilities.
Whether it is enhanced data security, crew
welfare and retention, or regulatory
compliance, all are applications that have
become more increasingly dependent on
broadband. We are looking to succeed in
helping our client shipping companies to
become more competitive while preparing for
the economic upturn" said Asad Salameh,
president of World-Link Communications.
ShipSat launched by World-Link
TANKEROperator

October 2009 40
Last August, Radio Holland (RH)
signed an agreement for the VSAT
Ku-band footprint Telstar 11N.
With this new footprint, RH significantly
improved its network for VSAT, the
company said.
Telstar 11N is designed to be a Ku-band
satellite with an Atlantic Ocean beam.
D Slager, RH group roup ceo said: While
Radio Holland traditionally is known as a
supplier of navigation and communication
equipment, our strategic focus now and in the
future is directed towards services such as
providing connectivity and managed services
agreements. It allows us to provide a total,
efficient and effective solution. More and
more Radio Holland becomes one point of
contact for the shipowner, for a whole
package of systems and services.
With the addition of the Ku-band footprint,
RH can provide seamless coverage at all major
shipping routes around the world. With
Connector by Radio Holland RH can offer a
total connectivity solution - hardware,
installation, service and airtime, which includes
always-on unlimited broadband internet access,
low cost voice over IP (VoIP) calls, email, GSM
on board and other value added services.
Service and maintenance is undertaken via
the global network of more than 60 offices,
located along strategic shipping routes.
In 2006, RH introduced the always-on
maritime VSAT connection for shipowners
and branded this service Connector by
Radio Holland.
This service offers RH customers global
coverage at a flat monthly fee. The company
delivers a global footprint on C-band and a
multi-regional footprint on KU-band. The
RH VSAT footprint is claimed to be unique
in the industry.
Radio Holland adds Ku-band footprint
Radio Holland has added Altantic VSAT coverage.
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 5
DigitalShip
www.apmaritime.com/DigitalShip
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 6
A
s a result, the vessels new owner
asked Hydrex to remove the old
rope guard and replace it with a
new one while the ship was at
anchorage in Limassol.
A team of Hydrex diver-technicians was
immediately sent to Cyprus together with their
basic equipment.
Upon arrival at Limassol, the team met up
with the Hydrex local support base, which had
already arranged for a new rope guard to be
made at a local workshop. The workshop also
provided additional equipment required for
this specific operation.
After arrival on site and the installation of a
monitoring station, a full inspection of the
rope guard was performed to take the exact
measurements required to modify the new
rope guard in order to allow underwater
installment. These measurements were then
passed on to the workshop.
Because the old rope guard was so severely
damaged, it needed to be cut up before it
could be removed and brought ashore. By this
time the new one had arrived and was lowered
into the water where it was brought into
position with the help of chain blocks. Next
the divers welded it, concluding the repair.
Working together with the Hydrex local
support base, the team performed the
replacement in two days. This helped to
ensure that the chemical tankers new owner
could continue the vessels sailing schedule
and avoid any further off-hire time.
TECHNOLOGY UNDERWATER MAINTENANCE
TANKEROperator

October 2009 42
TO
Rope guard
replacement in
Limassol
An inspection on a 183 m chemical tanker revealed that
the rope guard had been severely damaged by an anchor chain.
Hydrex sent a team of diver technicians to Limassol.
Chain blocks were used to lower the new rope guard in pace.
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 7
H
ydrex provides a comprehen-
sive range of underwater main-
tenance and repair services to the
ship owner and offshore industry.
Saving significant amounts of time,
trouble and expense thanks to in-situ
work, the offered services range from
an inspection of an external condition
and any required maintenance or
cleaning work all the way through to
highly technical major repairs or repla-
cements of a ships external under-
water equipment and machinery.
Repairs to thrusters, propellers,
rudders, stern tube seals, damaged
or corroded hulls and all other under-
water services are carried out by
professional teams trained and qua-
lified to perform complex technical
tasks underwater while the vessel is
in-situ. Working closely together with
owners, managers and supervisors, all
used methods are fully approved by all
major classification societies.
Hydrex is renowned for bringing
drydock like conditions to the vessel
and offshore unit. This helps owners to
extend their vessels drydock interval
and gets rid of the loss of time and
production docking brings about.
Headquarters
Hydrex nv
Phone: +32 3 213 53 00
Fax: +32 3 213 53 21
E-mail: info@hydrex.be
Web: www.hydrex.be
US Office
Hydrex LLC
Phone: +1 727 443 3900
Fax: +1 727 443 3990
E-mail: info@hydrex.us
Web: www.hydrex.us
Strait of Gibraltar office
Hydrex Spain S.L.
Phone: +34 956 675 049
Fax: +34 956 921 914
E-mail: info@hydrex.es
Web: www.hydrex.es
HYDREX WORLDWIDE UNDERWATER
REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES
Lloyds List Global Awards 2009 Winner
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 8
T
opazs fully equipped team of
divers can join vessels and
installations at short notice
anywhere in the Gulf of Oman or
in the Arabian Gulf to carry out all types of
underwater work.
The company offers a wide range of
underwater services, such as underwater hull
cleaning of vessels, propeller polishing, wet
docking and reporting, blanking of intakes and
outlets, inspection and survey, underwater wet
welding, anchor search and recovery from the
sea bed and salvage and wreck removal.
Its subsidiary Nico is certified to carry out
underwater surveys by all the leading
classification societies such as ABS, LR,
NKK, BV, GL and DNV.
Underwater hull cleaning forms a major
part of the marine repair services offered by
Topaz. There are two main advantages of
keeping the hydrodynamic lines of the hull
clean - first to increase fuel efficiency and
second to increase velocity. Furthermore, a
smoother surface on the propeller blades along
with a good anti-corrosion protection system
and a well painted hull helps to increase the
life of a vessel.
Topaz uses the latest technology cleaning
equipment and materials to undertake all
underwater hull cleaning and propeller
polishing. Investments are constantly being
made in order to renew and replace outdated
diving, hydraulic and electronic equipment.
New diving equipment, sidescan, CCTV
systems and brushkarts are continually being
purchased.
In support of its diving operations, Topaz
has purpose-built a high speed catamaran
aluminium workboat emo, a diving support
vessel used to carry out daily routine diving
operations.
The diving team in Fujairah includes 25
experienced and qualified personnel who are
trained according to the International Marine
Contractors Association (IMCA) standards. This
year the team has recovered 14 lost anchors and
chains, some of them weighing 140 tonnes,
from depths of between 94 m to 135 m. All
were successful redelivered to their owners.
Topaz Energy and Marine through its
subsidiary Nico International Hydrospace
recently signed a one year contract with Vopak
Horizon Fujairah Limited to provide
underwater services for pre-berthing
inspection and back to back berthing of
vessels at Vopaks facilities.
Over the course of the contract Topaz will
provide a team of qualified and experienced
divers for the pre-berthing inspections. The
divers will carry out a detailed inspection of
the floating and submarine hose string and all
mooring accessories and will also provide
other services until berthing is completed.
Topaz Energy and Marine is today one of
the worlds leading marine services and oil &
gas fabrication companies with over 35 years
of experience in the Middle East. The
company is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Renaissance Services SAOG, a publicly traded
concern on the Muscat Securities Market.
Operating throughout the Middle East and
the Caspian Sea and with vessel operations in
North Africa and Southeast Asia, Topaz
employs over 6,000 people. With its
operational headquarters in Dubai, Topaz
operates under two business divisions Topaz
Marine and Topaz Engineering.
Topaz Marine is the offshore support
vessels division comprising Nico Middle East,
Doha Marine Services, Topaz Marine Saudi
Arabia, BUE Caspian, BUE Kazakhstan &
BUE Turkmenistan. Topaz Engineering
comprises Adyard (Abu Dhabi) and Nico
International.
TECHNOLOGY - UNDERWATER MAINTENANCE
TANKEROperator

October 2009 44
CleanHull, Schat-Harding's
environmentally-friendly hull
cleaning system, has widened
its operation to include many
different types of vessels,
including tankers, as owners
from different shipping sectors
look to keep fuel use down, thus
saving costs.
In Algeciras, the 160,383 dwt crude oil
tanker Tenerife Spirit was recently cleaned.
Following this operation, leading tanker
operator Teekay is now evaluating the results
with a view to applying underwater cleaning
to its entire fleet.
The University of Cadiz has been
conducting water sampling tests during the
hull cleaning operations in Algeciras. The
results were claimed to be very positive,
showing no, or only minimal contamination
when the ROV is in operation.
CleanHull said that it expects to be able to
provide hull cleans alongside in Algeciras,
saving even more time for vessel operators.
Similar tests are also underway in
Southampton on behalf of the port authority
(ABP), where alongside cleaning could also
be offered.
CleanHull said that the message it was
trying to convey was - based on bunker costs
$430 per tonne and a daily consumption rate
of 30 tonnes for a tanker, hull cleaning
would save around 5% of the bunker costs.
This equates to a saving of around $645
per day, or $130,000 per annum, CleanHull
claimed. The company also claimed that the
cost of the hull cleaning exercise was small
money, compared with the overall savings
possible on fuel costs.
The company also said that these
calculations were a conservative estimate
and that the real saving could be even more.
TO
CleanHull widens vessel range
Fujairah, situated on the Gulf of Oman, near the mouth of the Arabian Gulf, has been
the base for Topazs underwater services in the Middle East since 1981.
Underwater expert
in the Gulf
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 9
October 2009

TANKEROperator 45
TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY
H
e outlined three concerns
lifeboats, ECDIS and the
extension of SOLAS inert gas
requirements.
At MSC 86 earlier this year, the approved
amendments to the LSA code read The
mechanism shall be designed so that the hook
and locking mechanism remains fully closed
under any operational conditions until it is
deliberately caused to open by means of the
operating mechanism.
Lifeboat onload release hooks have been
mandated at the IMO for many years, but still
accidents are occurring. Recently, MSC 86
approved the amendments to the LSA Code.
Conflicting views between Norway and the
ICS on the amendments mandation were
hindering its progression. One problem is the
agreement on a worldwide service and
inspections routine. Who carries this out? The
manufacturers (OEMS) have said they have a
mandate to undertake this task, but others
claimed that shipboard personnel should be
trained to do it.
Recently, leading lifeboat manufacturer
Schat-Harding said that some shipowners
were complaining that complying with MSC
edicts can be both costly and complex, as it
requires that all LSA equipment be serviced
by engineers authorised by the OEMs.
An approved MSC circular also said that
there is no requirement for crew to be in the
lifeboat while undergoing a drill.
To discuss these problems and others, an
Industry Lifeboat Group (ILG) has been formed
to provide this sector of the industry with a co-
ordinated voice at the IMO and elsewhere. This
grouping includes the ICS, OCIMF,
INTERTANKO, ITF, P&I clubs, CLIA, training
institutions, regulators, accident investigators
and equipment suppliers (ILAMA).
Guidelines have also been issued for the
fitting and use of fall preventer devices (FPD),
until proper hooks are fitted
Work is being undertaken on the FPDs as
an interim measure until safety hooks are
provided. A database is being put together
collating accident information. Lifeboat
equipment standardisation is another area
under scrutiny. The IMO has accepted that a
redesign of the safety hook is necessary.
At the recent International Chamber of Shipping conference,
John Murray outlined some of the current issues being examined
by various organisations and in particular the ICS.
ICS weighs up safety issues
MIRACLE Tank Cleaning Guide
provides tank cleaning guidance and detailed information for about
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MIRACLE contains physical/chemical properties, adjacent
cargo coating and FOSFA-compatibility check, IBC requirements,
emergency response info and compatible Draeger tubes.
Some 200 customers, having MIRACLE in use on more than 1000 ships
report less tank rejections, decreased cleaning time and
cost reduction as a benet.
MIRACLE is available as
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info@chemserve-marine.com
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p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 10
However, Murray said that the hook is not
the end of the problem, as often seafarers
become confused by its complexity. To help
alleviate this, colour codes and controls need
to be standardised, he said.
As for type approvals, there are different
lifeboat hooks available, which also pose
problems for trainers. An OEMs training
manual could be carried on board for training
purposes. Murray said that this consideration
was at an early stage of development.
ECDIS concerns
Moving on to ECDIS, MSC 86 also mandated
its approval for all tankers of 3,000 gt and
above built on or after 1st July, 2012. Other
types have to have ECDIS fitted after this date.
China has led concerns about ECDIS
implementation, while the ICS has said that
sufficient ENC coverage was still needed
from the worlds hydrographic offices. It was
claimed that some hydrographic offices were
publishing ENCs with errors embedded.
Somewhat surprisingly, there was also one
flag administration still insisting on the use of
paper charts.
Murray said that the industry was concerned
that the ECDIS infrastructure, cost and
availability was not sufficiently proven and
that there was a need for a feasibility study on
the installation of ECDIS on existing vessels.
Problems surrounding equitable licensing
agreements have also been thrown up recently.
The ICS maintained that specific training
should also be linked to type approvals.
Murray said that he was worried that ECDIS
had been sold to the IMO on the basis that it
would improve safety.
Inert gas concerns
The third cause for concern inert gas
systems - is also a headache. The ICS has
participated in industry working groups on
tanker explosions as outlined in MSC 81
(identified human factors issue in tanker
industry).
The organisation led an industry human
factors task group and provided draft
amendments to the STCW revision.
At MSC 86 as an extension to the IG
requirements, the committee said that the
fitting of new oil tankers of below 20,000 dwt
should be discussed while for new chemical
tankers, separate requirements may need to be
developed. At the 13th Fire Protection (FP)
sub-committee meeting in February, it was
agreed that fitting inert gas system would
minimise fires and explosions.
In another move, the Marine Accident
Investigators International Forum (MAIF) is
to report on enclosed space entry incidents to
the Flag State Implementation (FSI) and FP
sub-committees.
Among the points raised by Murray on the
IG question were training, failure to follow
procedures, competence issues, extra CO2
emitted by using an IG system, fuel
consumption, safe access to enclosed spaces
and fatigue. These all play their part in
eliminating the threat of fires and explosions
on board, he said.
Finally, he appealed to the industry to send
the ICS appropriate and current reports of
operational experience in the three fields
covered.
TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY
TANKEROperator

October 2009 46
At the February FP meeting, the
sub-committee agreed that IG
systems would minimise risk of
tanker explosions.
It was agreed to continue discussions on
measures to prevent explosions on oil and
chemical tankers transporting low flash-point
cargoes, taking into account the different
operational demands on chemical tankers and
essential data submitted by IMO member
governments and international organisations.
It was agreed that the fitting of
appropriate IGS to new oil tankers below
20,000 dwt and new chemical tankers
carrying low flash-point cargoes would
minimise the risk of fires and explosions,
and draft amendments to SOLAS should be
developed to address this.
These should take into account that, since
chemical tankers presented much more
complex problems than oil tankers, separate
requirements may need to be developed to
cover them. The lower size limit for new oil
tankers, to which any new regulations would
apply, needed further consideration.
It was also agreed to invite the sub-
committee on standards of training and
watchkeeping (STW) to consider proposed
enhanced training requirements regarding
tank entry and cargo-operating procedures,
in the context of the ongoing revision of the
STCW Convention. It was noted that
relevant training and experience of
surveyors and other shore personnel may
also need to be considered.
The sub-committee said that any tank
entry was always hazardous, whether tanks
had been inerted or not, and that an empty
tank did not equal a safe tank, and stressed
the importance of following established
procedures for entering enclosed spaces.
Industry guidance was readily available -
but not always complied with.
It agreed that further debate on measures
to prevent explosions on oil and chemical
tankers was needed and invited the
committee to extend the target completion
date of the work programme item to 2011.
TO
February FP meeting IGS proposals
Lifeboat hooks operation is becoming a growing concern.
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 11
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p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 12
TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY
TANKEROperator

October 2009 48
ISM guidelines being updated
The ICS/ISF Guidelines of the
Application of the IMO Safety
Management Code (ISM) is
currently being updated.
The third and last edition was published in
1996 and since then we have had the ISM
Phase 1 deadline of 1st July 1998 and the
Phase 2 deadline of 1st July 2002. In 2005,
the IMO conducted a survey into ISMs
implementation.
Speaking at the ICS conference, Phil
Anderson of ConsultISM explained that the
new 4th edition would be restructured,
expanded and brought up to date.
Since the last edition was published,
several regulations and guidelines affecting
ISM have passed into the statute books, or
will be soon, including MARPOL annexes,
STCW revision and code, ISPS Code,
Garbage management, Ballast management
and not forgetting the forthcoming Maritime
Labour Convention.
The problems with the role of the
designated persons on board (DPA) have
meant that Safety Management System (SMS)
has suffered accordingly, Anderson said. MSC
has issued guidelines on the qualification,
training and experience necessary for taking
on the role of a DPA under ISM.
The new editions commentary is being
expanded to include developing and
implementing an SMS, measuring compliance.
A list of references will be included as will a
glossary of terms and eight annexes.
Anderson listed the major new issues that
needed to be addressed within the bounds of
ISM that will be covered in the expanded
commentary section. These were
Accident causation.
Safety culture.
Role of the DPA.
Guidance to companies.
Near miss reporting - A problem due to
the blame culture.
Risk assessment- permit to work.
Maritime Labour Convention health &
safety issues.
What next for the ISM Code?
We need to try to make it work, he said. He
though that some sectors of the industry still
have some way to go to achieve any benefits
from compliance. All too often the shipping
industry deals with the symptoms instead of
digging out the root cause, he said.
Tanker operators and vetting inspectors
often discover how the vessel is operated. By
just dealing with the symptoms, problems
will reappear.
Some of the problems often flagged up are
to with manning where seafarers are
inadequately trained; leadership coming from
the top must be in place and personnel must
believe in it; buying into SMS including
everyone in the company. Another situation is
empowering the master as too often personnel
attempt to contact the DPA.
Anderson said that an SMS that is working
well can affect a companys bottom line by
producing cost savings.
Tel: +47 56 32 68 50
Fax: +47 56 32 68 60
Email: sales@sotra.net
Web: www.sotra.net Vindenes, 5363 Aagotnes, Norway
ANCHORS & CHAINS
One of the largest stockists of anchors and chains with
approx. 10 000 tonnes of brand new and second hand
anchors and chains in our yards in Norway, Scotland, The
Netherlands and China.
Seafarers need to become involved in ISM at a very early stage.
TO
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 13
October 2009

TANKEROperator 49
TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY
A sea anchor has been developed
by Miko Marine of Norway, that
the company believed could
provide tankers with a valuable
safety margin in the event of a
loss engine power.
Although the principle of the sea anchor is
well-known, this is the first time that one has
been developed that is big enough to slow the
drift of a large, modern ship.
Calculations now confirm that a parachute-
shaped sea anchor made from heavy duty
nylon fabric and webbing and measuring 45 m
in diameter would have the ability to turn a
ship of up to 100,000 dwt into the wind and
thus slow its drift by up to 50%. This could
make the difference between a ship rolling
uncontrollably in a beam sea or grounding
before rescue tugs could reach it.
Miko Marine recently completed trials off
the far-North of Norway when the
effectiveness of the anchors design was
proved. The use of a 70 m anchor handling
vessel made it possible to confirm the
calculations of the Ship Stability Research
Centre and demonstrate the viability of a
tanker-sized version.
The sea anchor was developed as a
component of the European Ship Arrestor
project (www.shiparrestor.com) but Claus-
Christian Apneseth, Miko Marines project
manager, believed that a sea anchor could now
be routinely carried by any ship with a
dangerous or potentially polluting cargo.
It has been suggested to me that ships such
as the Erica, the Prestige and the Braer might
have survived if they had not been allowed to
drift and roll uncontrollably, he said.
Although I do not know the details of those
incidents, I do know that heavy-lift ships and
any with a large deck cargo can be in danger
if they are lying beam-on to the sea following
a loss of power.
Last October a jack-up platform was lost
from a heavy-lift vessel under just these
circumstances and is a typical example of the
dangers arising from excessive roll when a
ship cannot turn into the wind. Similarly, by
slowing the movement of a tanker towards
land, the use of a sea anchor could provide
more valuable time for the ship to be reached
by rescue tugs before grounding with
disastrous consequences, he explained.
The Miko Sea Anchor is designed to be
stowed with its tow line in a compact
container on the tankers foredeck where it
can be kept ready for immediate use. It could
be launched over the bow by the crew, or
installed with an automatic deployment
system, said Apneseth. Because it can be a
self-contained unit, the sea anchor could be
moved from ship-to-ship in a fleet to suit the
cargo being carried and to meet any
instructions from insurers. We already have a
preliminary design for a launching system but
detailed engineering must be done in co-
operation with a potential client to incorporate
the needs of the individual ship.
Miko Marine is a salvage company with
expertise in naval architecture and it also
markets a range of magnetic patches for
emergency use by ships. The company is
leading the European Ship Arrestor Project for
which the sea anchor is a key component.
This project is aimed at developing a
technique that can enable a tow line and sea
anchor to be attached by helicopter to an
unmanned ship that has lost power. A
consortium of eight European organisations
was formed to develop the idea and
companies from Norway, France, Germany,
Netherlands and Austria have joined. Others
include the Norwegian Institute of Technology
and the UKs Ship Stability Research Centre.
We are still exploring different fabrics and
lines that will reduce the anchors overall
weight for helicopter deployment for the Ship
Arrestor Project, explained Apneseth.
However, the trials have confirmed the
present viability of the sea anchor and I am
now available to talk to tanker operators and
discuss how it could be fitted onto their ships.
The cost of any anchor will vary according
to the size of ship and the nature of the
installation. However, because it is a fairly
simple construction using low-cost materials,
we expect prudent ship operators to consider
them very inexpensive, especially when
compared with the potential cost of the
incident they are designed to avert. There has
already been some discussion among maritime
authorities about making their carriage
compulsory and although they have said
nothing about reducing premiums, some
insurance clubs have also recognised the
benefits they might derive from specifying the
carriage of a sea anchor, he continued.
Need anchors and chains?
www.wortelboer.nl
Safety anchoring aid for tankers
A parachute could turn a 100,000 dwt
tanker into the wind.
TO
THE SHIP ARRESTOR PRINCIPLE
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 14
TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY
TANKEROperator

October 2009 50
S
ince then, the company has grown
steadily in developing several
titles aimed principally at the
tanker sector.
KARCO has jointly developed several titles
with reputable shipmanagement companies
and shipowners to cater for their company
specific requirements, as well as marketing
the videos to the marine industry as a whole.
Among the partners are Thome
Shipmanagement, Singapore and Unix Line,
Singapore.
The company has also approached several
flag states to review the projects and have
received a couple of acknowledgements saying
that they recognise the potential this technique
has in the effective promulgation of training.
KARCO claimed that the unique and novel
computer-based training (CBT) version of the
safety videos, ensures 100% candidate
training, in addition to providing the usual
features available with CBT programs.
Certificates of completion can be printed on
individual company templates. A very low per
head cost of $5 is aimed at providing
shipowners/managers with a very economic
training option for seafarers during todays
downturn, the company said.
A very positive market that KARCO has
identified is the re-creation of marine
incidents and casualties using the 3D
animation platform for the purpose of
presentations and training. The company said
that it was very active in this sector.
KARCO claimed that the 3D animated
safety videos enjoyed several benefits
compared with conventional videos. These
include:
Allows the creation of ship models
resembling the subject vessel.
Vessel name, funnel logo, IMO No, etc
can be readily depicted.
Hazardous/blind activities, for example,
tank atmosphere, tank cleaning machine
operations can only be depicted by
graphics.
Company mascot can be created to give
safety a face and form, rather than it just
being treated as an abstract concept.
3D Graphics prove to be more effective in
conveying correct/easy interpretation of
rules and regulations. This is particularly
relevant with ship staff who are at a
disadvantage due to lack of proficiency in
the English language.
The results of wrong actions can be shown
very effectively to highlight their
consequences.
Graphics prove to be more effective in
conveying training information rather than
circulars.
Changes/upgrades can be readily
incorporated.
The voice over can be in language of
choice.
Meanwhile, turning to the company specific
videos, according to KARCO they have the
following advantages:-
1) Company policies and procedures can be
incorporated.
2) Company forms can be highlighted.
3) Strengths/weaknesses of the company
system as identified by audits, vettings,
PSC inspections, superintendents visits etc
can be included. This forms an integral
part of CIP - Continuous Improvement
Process as required by ISM/TMSA.
4) Training subjects of choice can be
developed.
5) Accidents/incidents can be recreated as
a means for internal office briefing to
management leadership, board members,
stockholders, P&I clubs, underwriters,
ship staff training or any interested party
- for example, the Hebei Spirit incident.
6) Close interaction throughout the
development stage for company specific
projects allows accurate details to be
incorporated delivering a very superior
product.
TO
Animated videos
the way ahead?
Karishma Consultancy Services (KARCO) commenced operations in Mumbai during
2004. It became a producer of high ended 3D animated marine safety videos in mid-2007.
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 43 Page 15
www.smm-india.com www.smm-india.com
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keeping the course
mumbai
12 14 nov 2009
shipbuilding machinery & marine technology
international trade fair
phone: +49 40 35 69-21 48
diana.haagen@hamburg-messe.com
phone: +91 124 45 24 230
smm.india@interads.in
phone: +1 301 493- 55 00
rosenberg@ejkrause.com
p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 44 Page 16
TECHNOLOGY - GOAL-BASED STANDARDS
TANKEROperator

October 2009 52
A
t MSC 86 earlier this year, the
committee approved international
goal-based ship construction
standards (GBS) for bulk carriers
and oil tankers.
Proposed amendments to SOLAS Chapter II
to make their application mandatory is to be
consideration at MSC 87 with a view to their
adoption.
The proposed SOLAS regulation II-1/3-10
on GBS would apply to tankers and bulk
carriers of 150 m in length and above.
Once mandated, the amendments would
require new ships to be designed and
constructed for a specified design life and to
be safe and environmentally friendly, in intact
and specified damage conditions, throughout
their life.
The ship should have adequate strength,
integrity and stability to minimise the risk of
loss of the ship or pollution to the marine
environment due to structural failure,
including collapse, resulting in flooding or
loss of watertight integrity.
MSC also approved, in principle, guidelines
for verification of conformity with GBS for
adoption at MSC 87. Draft guidelines for the
information to be included in a Ship
Construction File were considered and will be
further developed at the next MSC session.
GBS has been developed on the basis of a
five-tier system.
Tier I - Consists of goals.
Tier II - Functional requirements.
Tier III - Verification of conformity.
Tier IV - Rules and regulations for ship
design and construction.
Tier V - Industry practices and standards.
The proposed goal-based standards reflect
Tiers I to III.
Italian class society RINA chaired IACS
when the discussions started and was involved
in the forming of Tier 1.
As for requirements, it was a matter of
moving goal-based standards into prescriptive
rules, which became an IMO issue. However,
the ship technology and structural rules must
be continually updated.
There were discussions on whether the
tanker rules in Tier III were sufficiently clear
by a panel of experts, including IACS
specialists. IMO became more familiar with
IACS Common Structural Rules (CSR) and
thus developed GBS Tier III.
At the IMO meeting, attended by the class
societies, one of the major discussions centred
on audits or verifications needed to assess Tier
III and the cost of such an undertaking in
terms of the numbers of auditors needed.
Practical matters, such as the procedures for
the maintenance of the rules, were also
discussed. The class societies maintained that
they were able to keep the rules updated. They
admitted that the IMO would take too long as
every amendment would have to be endorsed
at an MSC meeting.
RINAs technical director Roberto Cazzulo
posed the question; What happens if a new
ship has to be verified. The new structure may
take up to five years.
Next year, the MSC is due look at the
practicalities. IACS needs support at that
meeting as although there arent many new
contracts being paced at present, this situation
could change. Something practical is
required, Cazzulo said. Shipyard newbuilding
design teams are constantly developing new
designs, necessitating the authorities to act
quickly.
By and large RINA said that it was
supportive of IMO safety levels with GBS,
but standards need to be improved and the
initiative should not become weighed down by
bureaucracy.
The Ship Construction File could become a
delicate issue as they could be deemed the
shipbuilders intellectual property rights.
TO
Goal-based standards
become closer
Class societies are worried that goal-based standards will get bogged down in
IMO minutae resulting in new designs taking years to get verified.
RINAs Cazzulo class societies should be
allowed to keep the rules updated.
What happens if a new ship has to be verified.
The new structure may take up to five years....
Something practical is required
Roberto Cazzulo, technical director, RINA

p36- 52: p39- 50. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 44 Page 17
7-11 June 2010
Hellenikon Exhibition Centre, Athens, Greece
Posidonia 2010
Organisers: Posidonia Exhibitions SA, e-mail: posidonia@posidonia-events.com
Tel.
+
30 210 428 3608, Fax
+
30 210 428 3610
The I nternational Shi ppi ng Exhi bi tion
www.posidonia-events.com
Your opportunity
The biggest gathering in the shipping calendar
with the owners of the world's largest fleet.
Welcome to the home of shipping
I BC: OBC. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 10: 59 Page 1
www.classnk.or.jp
Please visit
us at Stand
1J01
OBC: OBC. qxd 02/ 10/ 2009 11: 01 Page 1