Page 26: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 1997)

23,700-gt vessels. Whereas the ini- tial 27.9-knot pair came from

Schichau-Seebeckwerft in

Bremerhaven, the latest two are under construction at Kvaerner

Masa-Yards in Finland.

Regulatory Requirements

Drive Innovation

Refinements in passenger ship design and outfitting often follow new regulatory requirements. One clear example of this theory is demonstrated 101,350-gt Carnival

Destiny, which incorporates a sys- tem which meets the amended

SOLAS stipulations concerning location of lifeboats, without impinging on passenger space.

The new regulations dictate that all survival craft have to be stowed within 49 ft. (15 m) of the water-

Kvaerner Masa-Yards Inc. - the experienced builder of successful ships

Kvaerner Masa-Yards Inc.

Marketing and sales, Helsinki, P.O.Box 132

FIN-00151 HELSINKI, Finland

Tel. +358-9-1941, Fax. +358-9S50 051

Tlx 121246 masah fi

Marketing and sales, Turku, P.O.Box 666

F1N-20101 TURKU, Finland

Tel. +358-2-2666 111, Fax. +358-2-2667 488

Tlx 62356 masat fi

Piikkio Wmks, F1N-21500 PIIKKIO, Finland

Tel. +358-2-474 300, Fax. +358-2^72 6000

Technology, P.O.Box 666,

FIN-20101 TURKU, Finland

Tel. +358-2-2666 111, Fax. +358-2-2666 700

Tlx 62228 masat fi

Kvaerner Masa-Azipod

Munkkisaarenkatu 1

P.O.Box 132

FIN-00151 HELSINKI, Finland

Tel. +358-9-1941,

Fax. +358-9-194 2480

Kvaerner Masa Marine Inc.,

Suite 207-1525 West 8th Ave.,

VANCOUVER, B.C., V6J 1T5, Canada

Tel. +1-604-736 8711, Fax. +1-604-738 4410

Kvaerner Masa Marine Inc.,

Power Technology Center 201 Defence Highway, Suite 202

Annapolis, MD 21401, USA

Tel. +1-301-970 2226, Fax. +1-301-970 2230 Kvaerner Masa-Yards

Circle 314 on Reader Service Card line for safety reasons, thereby rul- ing as unacceptable the earlier custom of carrying the boats as high as possible on the upper decks. Compliance with the new edict can mean that valuable cabin space on passenger decks is sacri- ficed to accommodate lifeboats.

Engineers from Utrecht-based

Schat-Harding, part of Norwegian- owned Umoe Schat-Harding, developed an under-deck stored power (UDSP) davit in a bid to pro- vide a solution to suit both regula- tory and commercial needs aboard

Destiny.

In combination with specially- designed, 150-person lifeboats, the davit enables the total craft instal- lation to be neatly fitted between decks, leaving the underneath promenade deck obstruction-free.

Basically, the UDSP davit consists of a fixed support arm welded to the underside of the superstruc- ture, and a traveling beam from which the lifeboat is suspended.

As the system is operated hydraulically and has a telescopic arm, far less space is required to stow the lifeboats than is the case with conventional gravity davits, according to the Dutch producer.

It is contended that savings in deck height can in some cases be sufficient to enable an extra pas- senger deck to be installed, depending on the vessel design.

An important operational and safety attribute of the UDSP sys- tem is that it facilitates embarka- tion irrespective of vessel list and trim. Besides the requirement for open and uncluttered deck areas, and ease of operation of the boats in combination with the davits, the designers have taken into account a range of other owner demands, for instance, a minimization of the traditional practice of holding lifeboats against shipssides by means of wire ropes or belts to allow embarkation.

Owners also favored a covered or sheltered muster and direct embarkation area, and additional- ly called for davit steel structures to form an integral part of ship structures as far as possible. A demand for large openings in life craft in the interests of rapid embarkation was also acknowl- edged by Schat-Harding.

In addition to its important refer- ence in Carnival Destiny, delivered by Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard,

UDSP has reportedly been speci- fied by Holland America Line,

P&O Cruises and Celebrity

Cruises for recent and current newbuildings.

SUP6RFAST 26 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News