As part of its continuous review of its marine lubricants logistics offering, Shell Marine has expanded its distribution network into New Zealand, also adding three new key locations to its delivery options – in Indonesia, Spain and Chile.

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. said Sunday it will use robots to build ships for the first time in the industry to improve efficiency and cut costs.

The world's largest shipbuilder has recently completed a year of testing of a robotic system that automatically shapes a vessel's 3-D curved surface at its shipyard in Ulsan, located 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

The unmanned system is based on the Internet of Things and automation technologies, and is equipped with a high-frequency inductive heating system and a multi-joint arm, the company said.

Hyundai Heavy plans to add artificial intelligence and more sophisticated technologies in the future.

The system will increase productivity by three times compared with man-made work, as well as improve the quality of the end product, the company said. The company expects the robot will save costs from 100 billion won ($ 92.3 million) to 200 billion won for the next 10 to 20 years depending on its lifespan.

The Korean shipbuilder is one of the industry leaders in robotic adoption for efficiency, work safety and cost reduction.

Robots can substitute for skilled labor in welding, blasting, painting, heavy lifting and other tasks.

Source:  (Yonhap)   || March 05, 2018   |||

Feb 15, 2018  -Boat handling technology from Vestdavit is playing a central role in The Royal New Zealand Navy’s drive to operate Realistic Working Environments (RWE) at its new Devonport Naval Base training facility, Auckland, which is set to open in March. 

Feb 14, 2018  -  Environmental organisation WWF-New Zealand is deeply concerned by suggestions from the new Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash that he might “scrap” plans to put cameras on fishing boats.

Dec 5, 2017  -  The grounding of one of the world’s biggest container ships off Southampton was caused by pilot error, an investigation has concluded.  In a report, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch found standards of navigation, communication and use of electronic charting aids “did not meet the expectations of the port or the company”.

The 399m Vasco de Gama, at the time the largest ship under a UK flag, ran aground in August 2016 as it attempted a tricky turn to enter Southampton docks.

Continue here to read the full article ||  December 5, 2017   |||

Nov 28, 2017  -Christchurch apps design company LWA Solutions is launching a world-first virtual reality pilot training app with the Ports of Auckland early next year. Maritime pilots people guide ships safely into harbours all around the world. As part of their job, they have to get on and off moving cargo ships by means of a rope ladder – a demanding and risky job. The LWA app uses virtual reality to safely simulate the experience maritime pilots go through when getting on and off ships. LWA chief executive Atta Elayyan showcased the virtual reality training solution at the recent New Zealand Maritime Pilot Association’s 30th anniversary annual conference in Christchurch and it received overwhelmingly positive feedback from pilots and trainers. “It’s a highly cost-effective training method, safely simulating highly variable conditions making it superior to current training methods,” Elayyan says. “We believe virtual reality training will become an industry standard in the very near future. It provides a risk-free way to prepare trainee pilots for the tasks they will need to undertake during their job and can also efficiently vet out those who may not be cut out for the role. “We understand there are no solutions like this anywhere in the world using virtual reality headsets. Our simulation is targeting the ‘embarkation training’, which is the physical process of safely maneuvering outside the pilot boat and climbing a nine metre ladder to board the ship, while both the pilot boat and ship are under way. “Some ports overseas use ship bridge simulators, which are very costly to set up or hire. We are using a highly cost-effective virtual reality training system which requires minimal physical space and is portable. We can see this disrupting bridge simulation in future.” LWA Solutions has also produced a special app for the Ports of Auckland which is significantly helping in the improve piloting of ships into the harbour. Their app is the first fully digital piloting application of its kind in Australasia. It has increased the efficiency and reduced potential human error by consolidating multiple processes into a single app highlighting ship schedules, tidal calculations and manouvre drawings. The Ports of Auckland has about 1500 shipping arrivals a year.

Ports of Auckland Senior Pilot John Barker says they we are always looking for ways to do more with less. “We use a crane and straddle simulator to train our crane and straddle drivers, a move which has improved our efficiency and saved $3 million dollars in training costs. “Our pilot app, developed with LWA Solutions, has made the master-pilot transfer safer and more efficient. Now we are introducing the virtual reality pilot training app, which aims to enhance safety by improving training for one of the most-risky manoeuvres in port operations. It is another step in our journey to becoming a world-class sustainable port.” Elayyan’s LWA team recently produced a cool app to help courier drivers in the Middle East, for multi-billion Dubai-based company Aramex. With 13,900 employees at 354 locations across 60 countries, Aramex is the largest logistics and transport services company in the Middle East. Last year, Aramex bought New Zealand courier firm Fastway, which has an annual turnover of $500 million. For further information contact LWA Solutions chief executive Atta Elayyan on 021 1453358 or Make Lemonade editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 0275 030188

| An LWA Solutions release with MakeLemonade  ||  November 28, 2017   |||

Nov 21, 2017  -  An exciting new era in America’s Cup racing has been unveiled today as the concept for the AC75, the class of boat to be sailed in the 36th America’s Cup is released illustrating a bold and modern vision for high performance fully foiling monohull racing yachts.

The Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa design teams have spent the last four months evaluating a wide range of monohull concepts. Their goals have been to design a class that will be challenging and demanding to sail, rewarding the top level of skill for the crews; this concept could become the future of racing and even cruising monohulls beyond the America's Cup.

The AC75 combines extremely high-performance sailing and great match racing with the safety of a boat that can right itself in the event of a capsize. The ground-breaking concept is achieved through the use of twin canting T-foils, ballasted to provide righting-moment when sailing, and roll stability at low speed.

The normal sailing mode sees the leeward foil lowered to provide lift and enable foiling, with the windward foil raised out of the water to maximise the lever-arm of the ballast and reduce drag. In pre-starts and through manoeuvres, both foils can be lowered to provide extra lift and roll control, also useful in rougher sea conditions and providing a wider window for racing.

Although racing performance has been the cornerstone of the design, consideration has had to be focused on the more practical aspects of the boat in the shed and at the dock, where both foils are canted right under the hull in order to provide natural roll stability and to allow the yacht to fit into a standard marina berth.

An underlying principle has been to provide affordable and sustainable technology ‘trickle down’ to other sailing classes and yachts. Whilst recent America's Cup multihulls have benefitted from the power and control of rigid wing sails, there has been no transfer of this technology to the rigs of other sailing classes. In tandem with the innovations of the foiling system, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa are investigating a number of possible innovations for the AC75's rig, with the requirement that the rig need not be craned in and out each day. This research work is ongoing as different concepts are evaluated, and details will be released with the AC75 Class Rule before March 31st, 2018.

The America's Cup is a match race and creating a class that will provide challenging match racing has been the goal from the start. The AC75 will foil-tack and foil-gybe with only small manoeuvring losses, and given the speed and the ease at which the boats can turn the classic pre-starts of the America's Cup are set to make an exciting comeback. Sail handling will also become important, with cross-overs to code zero sails in light wind conditions.

A huge number of ideas have been considered in the quest to define a class that will be extremely exciting to sail and provide great match racing, but the final decision was an easy one: the concept being announced was a clear winner, and both teams are eager to be introducing the AC75 for the 36th America's Cup in 2021.

The AC75 class rule will be published by March 31st 2018.

Continue here to read the full article with supporting images and video and video

| An Emirates Team New Zealand release  ||  November 20,  2017   |||

The Balex System solving common pain points felt with loading and unloading boats into the water through technology at a push of a button.

Elly Strang in her article for Idealog quite rightly wrote that  anyone who's owned a boat or been out for a ride on one knows it's a bit of an awkward process actually getting a vessel into the water. But last year, Balex set out to change that with its invention of an hydraulically-powered automated boat loader that helps launch and retrieve boats from the water with the click of a button, while being three times as fast as an electric winch.

Automated boat loading company Balex went into liquidation earlier this year, but two Kiwi expat businessmen, Daniel Given and Reon Oak, have come to the rescue. They've relaunched the brand and are rolling out plans to take it global, solving common pain points felt with loading and unloading boats into the water through technology.

Continue here to the full article on Idealog  ||  October 24,  2017   |||

NADI |  Local production drives down costs and gives boost to local economy. Bellingham’s decision to move production to Nadi is a win-win for the island nation and local developers.

Nadi, Fiji – 18 September 2017 – The island nation of Fiji is thriving in its seventh straight year of economic growth. From textiles to sugar, one of Fiji’s fastest growing sectors is manufacturing. The country has now expanded into pontoon manufacturing with the announcement of the partnership between Bellingham Marine and Marine Structures and Consultancy (MSC) Limited.

Two of the country’s best-known marine service operators, Hall Dredging and Bob Oldham recently took control of MSC. Both have worked on Bellingham projects over the years and maintain an excellent working relationship with Bellingham Marine New Zealand (BMNZ).

In the final week of July, the first Unifloat pontoons were manufactured in the Fiji plant under the watchful eye of BMNZ management, who gave the pontoons their stamp of approval.

There is great opportunity in the region. Favorable financial and governmental conditions have opened Fiji’s doors to companies like Bellingham Marine that are looking to set-up operations in the South Pacific.

“Having a production plant in Fiji allows us to provide clients in the region with more competitive pricing,” shared Bruce Birtwistle, General Manager of Bellingham Marine New Zealand. “Transportation and production costs are greatly reduced.”

“Our partnership with MSC not only benefits our clients, but the local community,” added Birtwistle. “The plant bring new jobs to the region and helps further bolster the local economy.”

As the world's leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine specializes in floating dock, floating platform and floating wave attenuation systems for marinas worldwide. The company also produces dry storage systems for the upland storage of boats.

| A Bellingham Marine release  | September 19,  2017   |||

Auckland, New Zealand – FUSION, the worldwide leader in marine audio engineering, announced today its partnership with Sea Pro Boats to offer their industry-leading purpose built marine entertainment systems, Signature Series Speakers and Amplifiers and True-Marine Speakers on all 2018 Bay Series and Center Console Deep V Series boats.

“Sea Pro has been making serious waves with its The Next Wave-branded boats,” said Chris Baird, managing director, FUSION Entertainment. “At Fusion, it’s the next sound wave that we take seriously, and that’s why we are so excited to be able to offer Sea Pro customers our latest and greatest, state-of-the-art stereos and speakers.”

Originally founded in 1987, Sea Pro Boats was purchased by Brunswick Corp. in 2005. In 2015, Jimmy Hancock, one of the original owners of Sea Pro, along with Tidewater Boats’ founder Preston Wrenn, re-launched the company with an all-new incarnation of the Sea Pro brand – ‘The Next Wave.’ The line currently features six models with two new models expected in late 2017/early 2018. Sea Pro Boats are made in America in the company’s 200,000-square-foot Whitmire, S.C., facility.

“We’re pleased to offer our customers FUSION signature sound for our 2018 model year,” said Hancock. “FUSION stereos and speakers are renowned for their exceptional audio quality and True-Marine design, and we’re confident our customers will get maximum enjoyment from them on the water.”

Designed for the marine environment by some of the finest engineering minds in the industry, Fusion systems are built from the ground up with world-class industrial design, high-quality componentry, intelligent and intuitive functionality, and with an unwavering vision of producing exceptional audio systems for those seeking a superior listening experience. With an elegant finish, FUSION systems perfectly blend with the decor of any vessel, are discreet yet refined and suitable for both internal and external installations.

For more information on FUSION or its entire line of marine audio products, visit fusionentertainment.com. To learn more about Sea Pro Boats, visit seapromfg.com.

| A Boating World release  ||  August 29,  2017   |||