Earlier this month the second of three Sigma Class frigates, the Sultan Moulay Ismail (#614), was handed over to the Royal Moroccan Navy by the builders, Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS), Netherlands. The first frigate, the Tarik Ben Ziyad (#613) was commissioned in September 2011, the third ship (#615) is due for delivery later this year. The second and third ships have an LOA of 98 mand displacement of 2,075 t. Propulsion is by twin Pielstick 20PA6B STC diesel engines each rated at 8,910 kW at 1,094 rpm. Maximum speed is 28 kn, at the economy speed is 14 kn giving a range of 4,800 nm. Sigma offers a flexible series of variants described as corvettes or frigates. The program has attracted several export orders. [More]

Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), UAE, recently launched their third Baynunah Class corvette, hull number four of a fleet of six. The Baynunah program is due for completion for the UAE Navy by 2014. The hull of LOA 234 ft (71.3 m) displaces 915 t and is constructed of steel with an aluminum superstructure. There is an unusual CODAD propulsion system comprising four diesel engines driving three waterjets The four engines are MTU 16V595 TE90 rated at 4.2 MW. Maximum speed with all four engines running is 32+ kn: at the cruising speed of 15 kn the range is 2,400 nm. The Baynunah class corvettes have a design endurance of 14 days. [More]

Rolls-Royce’s Promas integrated propeller and rudder system claims to offer gains in propulsive efficiency of between five to fifteen per cent for new builds and retrofits. The resulting benefit in practice depends on a number of factors, so each vessel needs to be considered on its merits however in most cases the payback period lies between 18 to 24 months.. Improvements can be made to FPP and CPP systems with single and multiple propellers. A Promas Lite system can be installed during a scheduled drydocking and can normally be fitted within a week. [More]

Austal’s Auto Express 113 Class catamaran ferry Leonora Christina was handed over this week to her Danish owners Færgen A/S (formerly Nordic Ferry Services). The main dimensions are: LOA 370 ft (112.6 m), beam 86 ft (26.2 m) and maximum draft 16 ft (4.85 m), maximum deadweight 1,000 tonnes. The vessel is one of the world’s largest high speed ferries and has the highest vehicle-passenger capacity of any Austal-built vessel. Propulsion is provided by four MAN 20V 28/33D diesel engines driving four water jets producing a maximum speed of 40 kn. [More]