"SHIPS OF THE FUTURE" ATTRACT MUCH INTEREST [NORASIA SAMANTHA, NORASIA SUSAN]

Two 1654 TEU German container ships, the Norasia Samantha and the Norasia Susan, currently trading on international routes, are attracting a great deal of attention among worldwide shipping interests. Both ships were built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG at Kiel. The Ship of the Future programme has considerably improved the economics of ship operation and has had two highly beneficial results: It enabled German shipyards to climb from fourth place in the world's annual tonnage league to third position behind Japan and Korea. In addition, it has given substantial economic advantages to the German merchant fleet over its international competitors - so much so that some of its highly sophisticated vessels have been chartered by owners in countries like Japan, Canada and Brazil. The Ship of the Future programme was inspired by the reality that handicapped by high crew costs, and competition from subsidised foreign ship building and ship operating, the only way that the German industry could improve its competitive position was to increase the overall efficiency and economy of its vessels. The programme concentrated on improvements in ships' control, navigational and safety systems, and on propulsion, machinery and electrical installations. Singly or in various combinations, these technical advances have been built into many German vessels. But what makes the two Norasia vessels so special is that almost all the technical improvements have been incorporated into them. Both vessels are also equipped with the latest propulsion systems, including the Grim vane wheel - a small-bladed, free-running wheel fitted behind the propeller on the shaft. The Ship of the Future project also produced other means of improving propulsion efficiency, including the asymmetric stern spoilers and equalisation nozzles. The well-known skewed propeller was developed outside the programme, and reduces cavitation. See also Abstract No. 70.458 (Feb. 1987) and other Abstracts cited therein.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Canadian Shipp. Mar. Engng., 58 (1987), p. 17 (Jan./Feb.) [3 pp., 1 fig., 2 phot.]
• Authors:
  • Mau, R
• Publication Date: 1987

Language

• English

Subject/Index Terms

• Old TRIS Terms: Norasia samantha; Norasia susan
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00691917
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: British Maritime Technology
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 14 1995 12:00AM