Page 106: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 1998)

SHIP REPAIR & CONVERSION

Finnlines Vessel Undergoes Ballast System Conversion

At the end of 1997, Finnlines

Ltd. acquired a 6,100-dwt RoPax vessel built in Indonesia in 1996.

The vessel which was then called

M/S Gotland and now sails under the name of M/S Finnarrow was intended for use in the growing truck ferry service of Finnlink Oy between Naantali in Finland and

Kapellskar in Sweden.

In order to adapt the vessel for the quick loading and unloading required in truck ferry service, she was converted to facilitate through-driving. Originally, the vessel was equipped with one stern ramp and two internal ramps: after the conversion, both the main ov>a«y 0iatr/6

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FinnLink deck and the upper deck provide a through-drive facility. The bow is equipped with a main deck ramp and doors, and an upper deck door.

The stern is provided with a main deck ramp and an upper deck ramp.

As the capacity of the original ballast system was found to be too low for quick cargo handling, the ship owner decided to install entirely new ballast systems with a considerably higher capacity, separately in the stern and in the bow. Deltamarin Ltd. was chosen as the designer of the ballast sys- tem, and ACOMARIN Engineering

Ltd. as the equipment supplier.

The contract of the equipment deliveries was closed in April 1998, with deliveries scheduled for May and June.

The capacity of the ballast pumps (two pieces) was set at 1,200 cu. m./h/pump at a counter pressure of 1.5 bar. Electro- hydraulic actuators were used, eliminating the need for external pipelines which would have been difficult to install through existing accommodation spaces. Each high- torque actuator has its own built- on power unit that houses all the required hydraulic components, such as a bi-directional pump, a tank, safety and lock valves, as well as the electric components, such as position transmitters, limit switches, pressure switches and relays. By utilizing individual power units, the system does not require a central- ized power unit or a magnetic valve center.

The new ballast system can pump the required bal- last in approxi- mately 20 minutes.

The delivery included all equip- ment required for instrumentation, such as pressure measuring compo- nents, level trans- mitters, and float switches.

Finnarrow was docked at the

Helsinki Repair Yard Oy's ship- yard in Helsinki in May 1998 and delivered to Finnlines in early

July.

M/S Finnarro's new ballast system

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