General News

The Touchstone 3 is a combined ultrasonic and paint thickness gauge which can simultaneously measure and display the thickness of both steel and coatings using only the first back echo, says Class…

Radio Holland Marine and SAIT Marine have developed a compact bridge console. Called Triple Sea, the companies say it provides unobstructed lookout, internal and external communications, systems monitoring, speed and course control…

Known until now purely as a charterer of container ships, Contship Containerlines has dipped its toe into the newbuildings market for the first time with an order for three 4,115 TEU container…

Berendsen has introduced a new 3/8 BSP monoblock hydraulic directional control valve designed for flows up to 50 litres/min and pressures up to 350 bar. The valves can be operated by lever,…

Marine electronics company Raytheon has signed an agreement with Thrane & Thrane to add the Inmarsat Mini-M maritime telephone system to its High Seas range which includes the ?B, ?C, MF/HF, VHF…

Two years ago, the Spanish orderbook looked very healthy, but the situation is a lot less rosey today. In early 1998 Spanish shipbuilders were boasting a collective orderbook at a 15-year high,…

Carnival, the cruise ship operator, has awarded Fincantieri?s Monfalcone yard an order for a single 110,00g cruise ship, and has instructed the yard to lengthen two similar vessels it already has on…

MicaMarine?s LSM21 has been approved by the MCA as a laminate-on-laminate decorative material. The company says it is fire resistant, vandal and graffiti resistant, easy to maintain and clean and will not…

Raytheon Marine has signed an agreement to integrate components of its bridge system into Samsung?s Naru 2000 ECDIS-based navigation system. Raytheon products to be integrated include the Standard 20 gyro compass, the…

Generating electrical power at sea imposes challenges on prime mover, alternator and system designers. Electrical power demands on ships were traditionally met by auxiliary diesel gensets running on marine diesel oil. Higher…

Emeraude Lines in France has awarded the Fjellstrand shipyard in Norway a contract for a single example of its well-known JumboCat design. The 60m fast ferry is the first newbuilding contract awarded…

Rockwool says its Universal Pipe Section insulation weighs up to 40 per cent less, occupies up to 30 per cent less space, and saves on installation time. The product is MED certified…

Skanti and Marconi Marine have agreed a new sole UK distribution agreement for Skanti communication products, replacing former Scanti distributor Nera Satellite Services. Contact: Jorgen Mikkelsen Fax: +45 4474 8401.

The role of class is again under intense scrutiny, particularly in Europe, where pressure for ever-higher standards of shipping is the result of the Erika sinking. Casualties and financial problems aside, Class…

Fosen Mekaniske Verksteder is to build a new ropax ferry for operator Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap. The newbuilding is scheduled for delivery in early 2002, and will replace an existing Hurtigruten ferry vessel,…

Richards Technical Services (RTS) says its database of shipboard machinery failures is compiled from thousands of incidents covering the full spectrum of marine machinery. It includes 15 fields of information, which for…

STN Atlas Marine Electronics has extended its range of survey echosounders with the introduction of the Deso 300, a portable unit designed for operation aboard small survey vessels and inflatable watercraft. The…

The latest Motor Ship Propulsion Conference in Amsterdam was attended by over 200 people and touched on some controversial subjects. Germanischer Lloyd?s Hans Jacob Gatjens chaired the conference and introduced speakers giving…

SeaAmerica has formalised its plan to build a pair of 1,000 passenger cruise ships for operation in US waters, and has agreed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Ingalls Shipbuilding division of…

SKF has produced a catalogue called ?Stock`N`Roll to publicise its capability of delivery slewing bearings within 48 hours directly from stock to the nearest SKF distributor. Stock`N`Roll covers standard dimensions and application…

The new version of the TSS Deck Motion Monitor has been chosen for shared use on three icebreakers to be operated out of Norway by Hayvard. The units will monitor movement of…

The order for the 185m long vessel also includes an option for a second ship. With a breadth of 28m, the newbuilding will be the largest in the Sea France fleet to…