Page 25: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (July 1994)

The Open-Top Containership Arrives

Norasia Fribourg Is Germany's First; Three More On The Way

TheNorasia Fribourg is the first cell guide frames' bulkheads, which apen top" containership from lead the water off to the side of the lowaldswerke-Deutsche Werft AG ship. In spite of the shelters, HDW

SDW) of Kiel, Germany — report- did not reduce the lavish pumping dly the first in all of Germany, and plant prescribed for the ship. There ne of the first in the world — and are drainage channels along the sides ; is also what HDW deems a sue- of the cargo holds. The bilge pumps' essful beginning for a new genera- capacity corresponds with the upper

Ion of ships. According to the values of International Maritime ompany, the ship is based on ideas Organization (IMO) regulations. The t developed in the seventies, but pumps, equipped to handle 5.9 in. he difference between HDW's open (150 mm) of rainfall, were installed op ship and the few comparable in the engine room as well as in the hips built so far, says the com- foreship. The watertight subdivi- lany, lies in the various material sion of the ship complies with IMO lovelties: regulations as well. The first three

The HDW lightweight shelter: holds are fitted with hatch covers, ffers protection from tropical rain- They will be used to carry dangerous torms and — combined with the cargoes. Two layers of containers

Leckhouse tower's small area of can be carried lashed onto these vind pressure and the hatch covers. vindbreaking front hood—reduces • Flexibility. With regard to stow- vind drag, resulting in four per- age, HDW placed special emphasis ent less power consumption. on the ship's flexibility, which re- > The engine plant: fitted com- (Continued on page 32) )actly as far aft as possible to con- orm to the consumption aftership.

The main engine juts into the skeg gondola, which forms the end of the iftership. This design offers a good lompromise between propeller in- lux and the broad waterlines which ncreases stability. » The one-man bridge: fitted out as i ship's operation center. Its equip- ment reportedly complies with the most modern technological stan- lards and permits ship operation lay and night by one person. Tower and integrated stack arrangement jffer the greatest possible all-around view. • Reduced loading and discharge :osts, optimum ratio of the number af containers to the propulsive power, optimized arrangement of the main engine with its low fuel requirements, and the ship's very good lines reportedly make the ves- sel one of the most economical of its size in the world.

Special Features of the HDW

Open Top Containership

Usually containerships have four to five layers of containers on the hatch covers. On an open top ship, hatch covers no longer need to be stored on land during loading and discharging and the containers no longer need to be lashed to the deck.

The molded depth was increased and the cell guide frames for the containers were raised to the up- permost layer. Of the 11 container layers, eight are in the hold and three jut out topside.

HDW conducted extensive seakeeping tests with a model in order to counter possible dangers caused by breaking seas in heavy weather. In order to prevent water collecting in the holds during mon- soons and to protect the containers from water, the ship was fitted with lightweight rain shelters, each cov- ering one container bay, laid on the drainpipes on the upper edge of the

July, 1994

The Norasia Kiel, sistership to the Norasia Fribourg, both part of a series of open-top containerships to be built by Howaldswerke-Deutsche Werft.

IVf^Ylr JLTJLCA.JL1 e u '£11 PI anned For Innovative Ferry

By

Kathleen Gleaves, contributing editor

The recent flurry of NAFTA de- bates has sparked a renewed inter- est in Mexican ports by American travelers. Cadenza Marine and

Maritime Transport of San Diego are planning on capitalizing on the new, less-restrictive borders. They are working together with the

Hydrolance company to manufac- ture a futuristic, 149-passenger cata- maran for passenger-only ferry ser- vice between San Diego and North- ern Baja. A passenger service to this area—quickly becoming a tour- ist hot spot — is deemed necessary to help develop tourism in the face of inadequate roads, bridges and airports.

According to Ken Brody, man- ager of Cadenza Marine, its newest project, Liberated Lady, is the first in a new class of SSHARP ferries designed to fill this need.

The initial port of call will be a small harbor south of

Rasarita Beach. Expan- sion plans include Puerto

Salina where construc- tion on a new harbor and marina should be com- plete by late 1995.

Hie Liberated Lady will have a cruising speed of 35 knots, able to make the trip in about an hour and a half. A second-generation vessel still in the planning stage will cut travel time to under an hour. Further, the vessel will feature wave-piercing rails to mediate adverse sea state, ultra- quiet engines and first-class ameni- ties to further enhance passenger comfort.

Mr. Brody and Maritime

Transport's CEO, Gordon

MacDonnell, are excited over the technological features of the new vessels. The Hydrolance Wave

Piercer rails — 160-ft. (49-m) nar-

An artisfs rendition of a 350-passenger version of the Hydrolance ferry.

A two-rotor, Wankel engine which will be used on the SSHARP ferries. row pontoons — are designed to produce nearly no wake. Skin resis- tance of the Hydrolance rails is re- duced using a proprietary system which produces a layer of bubbles along the surface of the pontoons. A proprietary Ram Jet water drive provides vessel thrust.

Another unique approach is the

SCORE (Stratified Charge Omnivo- rous Rotary Engine) engines. Ca- denza will purchase Wankel rotary engines, a type used in experimen- tal military tanks, and refit them for marine use. The modified two- rotor, series 20 engines weigh 1,700 lbs. and produce 1,250 hp at 3,600 rpm. "The weight savings over, say, a similar powered (diesel) engine, equals the total passenger weight," said Mr. Brody.

The engines also reportedly offer fuel saving advantages, and feature relatively few moving parts, while (Continued on page 29) 27