Page 59: of Marine News Magazine (November 2015)

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Senner also told MarineNews in

October, “Once the unit is integrated into the vessel design, Karl Senner and

Steerprop technicians analyze shafting arrangement options, and evaluate water? ow into the unit. Even small hull changes to optimize water? ow and hydrodynamics can greatly de- crease fuel consumption and increase performance.”

Karl Senner touts the 15 year ser- vice time between overhauls for Steer- prop units as opposed to the typical, more frequent overhauls of other op- tions. In fact, the ? rst Steerprop units put into operation in 2001 have been running as scheduled, 14 years later.

Performing as designed, with only routine maintenance based around regulatory 30-month dry-dockings, these Steerprop units have required no major work throughout their 14 years in operation. And, when service or repairs need to be done, the standard- ized Steerprop product reduces costs as well as the number of parts needed to be stocked to get that done.

When it comes to inland propul- sion, geography can mean everything.

And because Steerprop (Finland) has signi? cant experience in ice, these thrusters promise to be especially ro- bust in inland waters that can be heavy with debris (and sometimes ice) in the northern U.S. rivers at the beginning of each navigation season. Separately,

Steerprop thrusters have also seen much service in the demanding inland waterways of South America, where de- manding performance regulations can only be met with the use of z-drives.

O S SNE TOP HOPPING

Competition is a good thing, and there are other propulsion packages on the market. A recent trade show had three or four offerings on display, some with as many as ? ve involved parties in the installation. In contrast, www.marinelink.com

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