Page 98: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1998)

Botnica (Continued from page 97) engines which are lighter and much more flexible than alternative solutions."

By employing a 92 percent efficient diesel electric system and housing the propulsion motors in the azi- pod units themselves, the significant weight, space and maintenance penalties associated with larger, slower speed engines, gearboxes and drive shaft sys- tems are eliminated. This multi-pack approach also means that the vessel has two, fully watertight and fully capable engine rooms which is a much safer and a much more balanced approach as well. Caterpillar won the contract against tough competition from a number of other engine manufacturers, none of whom however were recommending a multi-engine diesel electric system. According to Mr. Haijula, price was a significant factor, as well the fact that the

FMA has had good experience in using Caterpillar engines on other pilot, passenger, cargo and safety vessels around Finland. The FMA has also received outstanding support service from Wihuri Oy Power

Products, which is vital in a country which depends so heavily on its maritime industries.

Circle 21 on Reader Service Card

VESSEL FOCUS: CONTAINERSHIPS

Sea-land: Darning To Ae Beat (I lis Own Drummer

Leading containershipping company completes technologically challenging "shortening" of ships

Sea-Land Service, Inc. has a reputation for innovation, a reputation which was recently proven in the quest to meet a com- petitive challenge through the ingenious modification of existing ships, coupled with a recently-completed newbuilding program.

In the maritime industry, it is fairly com- monplace to make a ship bigger so that it may better serve a growing market. It is highly unusual to make one smaller for that same purpose. And it is even more unusual to do so at a time when the competition is addressing that same purpose by building ever bigger ships of ever-greater capacities.

Nonetheless, one of the world's largest container carriers, Sea-Land Service, has done just that. It has met a competitive chal- lenge by taking three large ships and shrink- ing them.

Length 317 ft. (96.7 m)

Breadth, molded 78.7 ft. (24 m)

Draft (icebreaker) 23.6 ft. (7.2 m)

Draft (offshore) 27.8 ft. (8.5 m)

DWT (icebreaker) 1,000 tons

DWT (offshore) 2,850 tons

Main engines Caterpillar 3512

Engine output 15MW

Propulsion (2) 5 MW Azipod

Speed open water 15 knots .6mice 8knot 1.2mice 4knots

Bollard pull 105 tons

Free deck area 1,000 sq.m.

Deck crane 120 tons

Classification DNV

Steel plate Rautaruukki

Compound plates Creusot-Loire

Paints International

Cathodic protection Savcor

Deck and Service cranes Hydromega

Anchor and Mooring winches, capstans

Aquamaster Rauma

Towing winch Aquamaster Rauma life and Rescue boats Fassmer

Davits/Life and Rescue boats & rafts

Davit International

Life rafts Viking

Watertight bulkhead doors Tebul

Sliding fire doors Saajos

Person lift MacGregor

Proviant lift Norent

Helideck Marine Aluminum

Central vacuum cleaner system

Protekno-Puzair

ACAentilation Kojo

Refrigeration machinery Bitzer

Kitchen Fonsen

WC Units Parma Metals

Laundry equipment Miele

Windows (general spaces) Dalmas

Windows (bridges) TUT Rokenne 100

Bolnita Main Particulars

A60 windows Teamtec

Main generators ABB

Azimuth thrusters Azipod

Electric propulsion system ABB

Emergency genset Caterpillar

Purifier Units Alfa Laval

Hot water boiler Aalborg Industri

Centrifugal pump Iron

Screw pumps Allweiler

Plate heat exchangers APV

Starting air compressors Sperre

Working air compressors Atlas Copco

C02 fire extinguishing system Heien-Larsen

Sewage plant Format

Vacuum WC system Evac

Fresh water generator Alfa Laval

Incinerator Teamtec

Tunnel thrusters Brunvoll

Stabilizer/anti-heeling Intering

Electric switchboards ABB Palko

SPS Kongsberg Simrad

Frequency converters Hitzinger

Uninterruptable power systems

Exide Electronics

Lightning transformers Muuntolaite

Lighting fittings Glamox

Navigation system Kongsberg Norcontrol

Searchlights Norselight

Navigation lights Aqua Signal

Automatic telephone system

Hedengren/Matra

UHF Basestation systemMotorola/Hedengren

Wireless telephone system Ascom Tateco

Central antenna system Naval

Fire and Gas detection Salwico

Radar Kelvin Hughes/Norcontrol

Compass Anschutz

Speed log Consilium Marine

Echo sounder Skipper

DGPS Trimble

Loran-C Furuno

Whistles KockumSonics

Radio communication system SP Radio

Sat/Com system Nera/Fhrane & Throne

The large ships were part of Sea-Land's 12-vessel Atlantic class. These were 4,354-

TEU "Jumbo Econships" (known popularly as "Econships," shorthand for "economical operation"), originally built for U.S. Lines by

Daewoo, and delivered in the mid-eighties.

With a top service speed of just 18 knots, they proved uncompetitive in the eastbound around-the-world service for which they were built. USL went out of business in 1986. The ships were purchased by Sea-Land two years later and assigned to the North Atlantic trade.

From the start, the ships were part of unusual strategies. "We did something oppo- site to what you would normally do: we designed a service to suit the ships," says

Rod Vulovic, vice president, Ocean

Transportation Services for Sea-Land. The ships became part of a vessel sharing agree- ment with P&O Nedlloyd. "We needed 19- knot ships, so we decided to operate the ships at a nine-meter draft to gain the extra knot," he recalls. This strategy worked well in all but one route. So Sea-Land began to consid- er alternate use for the three vessels in that service. At first, the ships were considered for a Pacific service involving a line-haul ves- sel of 3,000 TEU and smaller feeder ships.

This changed in 1993, when the need for two classes of ships for distinct services devel- oped. The company determined that one ves- sel class would have a capacity of 3,600 TEU and a speed of 24 knots, the other a capacity of 2800 TEU and a speed of 21 knots.

The company sought alternatives to two newbuilding programs. Here was an oppor- tunity to employ the Atlantic class vessels, provided the power could be boosted. More than 30 different proposals were considered.

The one chosen was known as "cut and paste."

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