[QUOTE=+A465B;190731]You know Ombugge, none of that fancy wind power stuff would exist in the EU, North Sea or Baltic absent some serious guv’vermint intervention to subsidize and/or mandate it. That’s a serious fact, so don’t get too high on that “competetion” horse stuff.
We’re a little short of that subsidy type of thing in the USA nowadays, unless by chance it comes wrapped in a “defense” or “homeland security” wrapper, in which case 4000 million dollars for a destroyer absolutely makes perfect sense.
By what I can see, that ain’t the only thing we’re short of, but that is another story for another place and day. Just sayin’
Is wind power a great idea? … Yes, I happen to think so on multiple levels, but I worked in the N Sea and understand the benefits, I have a job and my electric bill is already 0.48 per kW-hr. Absent that, I’m not sure I’d be for it, especially if my job depended on not understanding it.[/QUOTE]
Yes the European Governments have the foresight to help new industries getting started, especially when it comes to anything that can claim to be “Green” and help the environment.
Soon Offshore wind will be able to stand on it’s own feet, hence the interests from major investors.
I agree that there are other thing the US is short of, such as foresight and long term planning by your politicians. How can you do any planning when the private industry cannot see past next quarterly report and your politicians cannot agree on the time of day. If they didn’t spend all their time campaigning for the next election, they MAY have been able to do something useful.
[QUOTE=ombugge;190761]Yes the European Governments have the foresight to help new industries getting started, especially when it comes to anything that can claim to be “Green” and help the environment.
Soon Offshore wind will be able to stand on it’s own feet, hence the interests from major investors.
I agree that there are other thing the US is short of, such as foresight and long term planning by your politicians. How can you do any planning when the private industry cannot see past next quarterly report and your politicians cannot agree on the time of day. If they didn’t spend all their time campaigning for the next election, they MAY have been able to do something useful.[/QUOTE]
10% of the electricity produced in Texas is wind generated. Several massive wind farms, all subsidized. I’m curios to see how they’ll fare after it runs out.
That is the kind of windmills we would prefer to have around but that is something from the past… They were used to pump out the excess water to keep our feet dry in the low Dutch landscape. Now it is a well visited tourist attraction.
And this is our present situation. Nice. A government unwilling, because of the cost, to install such farms further out into the North Sea. In the mean time a lot of depreciation of house value has occurred. Well, a consolation is that this will not happen off the coast of Long Island…
Windmill life in an erosive and aggressive environment as the North Sea is short, sometimes less than ten years and they need a lot of maintenance. However, fish like it because it provides shelter which is scarce in this area
Is this the start of a boom in the offshore wind industry in the US? Looks likely.
If so, will this be a significant sours of jobs for mariners in the near future? Any opinions to be offered here???
What about crew boats in the GoM based on this design?? At 35-40 kts. would it be possible to reduce/eliminate helicopter transport, even for the deep water fields far off the coast?
What about crew boats in the GoM based on this design?? At 35-40 kts. would it be possible to reduce/eliminate helicopter transport, even for the deep water fields far off the coast?
(Free business idea)[/QUOTE]
No need to reinvent the wheel. These have been around a while, in your backyard no less, and can travel at 60 knots:
Yes indeed, Surface Effect Ships are not new. Development of this type started already in 1982 and a number of HSCs of this type were built in the 1990’s. Here is a list those built by Br. Aa:
SES/ACC Aircussion Catamarans / Luftputekatamaraner
delivered from/levert fra Eikefjord Marine AS and/og Brødrene Aa AS
Y.No: Year Name of Vessel: Type: Pax: Yard: Owner:
170 1984 ULSTEIN SURFER CIRR 105P 264 Br. Aa Ulstein Shipping AS
184 1986 EKWATA CIRR 115P 290 Br. Aa Cabo Cat
190 1988 WIGHT QUEEN CIRR 120P 330 Br. Aa Arabian Owner
198 1988 HARPOON CIRR 60P 85 Br. Aa Br. Aa /Test-vessel
199 1988 EXPRESS LA PAZ CIRR 120P 330 Br. Aa Condemed in Mexico
200 1989 SAN PAWL CIRR 120P 330 Eikefjord KS Mednor
201 1989 WIGHT KING CIRR 120P 330 Br. Aa Svenska Finans
202 1989 SAN PIETRO CIRR 120P 330 Eikefjord Ulstein Shipping AS
210 1989 SAN FRANGISK CIRR 120P 330 Br. Aa Sescat Invest/Virtu Ferries,Malta
211 1990 CATAMARAN II CIRR 120P 330 Eikefjord Piraiki Naftiliaki, Greece
212 1990 LA VIKINGA CIRR 120P 330 Br. Aa Swiss Owner
213 1990 PERESTROIKA CIRR 120P 368 Eikefjord Semo, South-Korea
218 1990 NISSHO CIRR 120P 320 Br. Aa Yasuda , Japan
219 1990 FJORDKONGEN CIRR 120P 320 Eikefjord TFDS, Tromsø Norway
204 1991 SEA FLOWER CIRR 120P 349 Br. Aa DAE-A Kwae Sok Ferry
226 1991 CATAMARAN I CIRR 120P 330 Eikefjord Condemned in Greece
208 1992 OCEAN FLOWER UT 904 350 Br. Aa DAE-A Kwae Sok Ferry
205 1992 SANTA ELEONORA UT 904 342 Eikefjord Misano Alta Velocita
209 1993 Hull UT 904 350 - -
The special with the new one is it’s ability to use the air cushion to stabilize the boat while under way and even when stationary, transferring personnel to/from fixed structures.
This may be as valuable for Offshore workers in the GoM as for Wind Turbine technicians in the North Sea.
Chevron made an attempt at eliminating helicopter flights to a field in the Gulf of Thailand by using large fast Crew/Utility boats on a six hour run from Sattahip. In the NE Monsoon season that trip was a"killer", causing the crew to arrive in no shape for work.
Even at the best of times the 3 hrs. bus ride from Bangkok, with start at 0100 hrs. in the morning, followed by an alco test before boarding the crew boat 0530 hrs. and the six hour on the boat, with basket transfer to the rigs/platforms, was no pleasure, I can assure you. (I did that several times)
[QUOTE=injunear;191727]Interesting vessels. I sailed on them in Mexico in the early '80s.[/QUOTE]
You sailed on WHAT in Mexico in the early '80s??? Not the Skjold class for sure, they are Norwegian Naval vessels, built after 1998.
The civilian version of SES NORCAT only appeared in 1984, but not in Mexico.
Could you confuse this with ordinary Catamarans, without air cushion?
[QUOTE=ombugge;191741]You sailed on WHAT in Mexico in the early '80s??? Not the Skjold class for sure, they are Norwegian Naval vessels, built after 1998.
The civilian version of SES NORCAT only appeared in 1984, but not in Mexico.
Could you confuse this with ordinary Catamarans, without air cushion?[/QUOTE]
Bell Textron built the 100B late '70s. Bell Halter built the SPEED COMMAND '81(?) then the SPRINT SWIFT and STRIDE were '83 and '84. They were SES and yes, I know the difference. I spent 2 years on them. At the time they had SACM mains and 8-92 lift engines. The navy bought them, added 40 ft and put souped up 16-149s. The CG operated them for a while.
I stand corrected in as much as there being civilian SES boats in existence before 1980’s.
What is new about the one that feature in post #1 of this thread is the ability to adjust cushion pressure to reduce roll, pitch and heave to reduce seasickness and even when stationary.
Jim might have embellished the performance a little. We ran in 10 ft seas hooked up light boat but it wasn’t comfortable. We were allowed maintenance time but seldom exceeded it. We changed bow finger seals and stern bladder using a volkswagen rabbit and come-a-longs. Several other miracles along the way that Bell-Halter techs said couldn’t be done.
If you wanted a glimpse of what hell looked like, our first trip carrying passengers was about 150 hungover Mexican rig and production hands herded onto us for a bouncy ride in 6 ft seas. There were only 2 turd-burner toilets for the lounge area. It took 3 days to clean it up.
[QUOTE=injunear;191766]Jim might have embellished the performance a little. We ran in 10 ft seas hooked up light boat but it wasn’t comfortable. We were allowed maintenance time but seldom exceeded it. We changed bow finger seals and stern bladder using a volkswagen rabbit and come-a-longs. Several other miracles along the way that Bell-Halter techs said couldn’t be done.
If you wanted a glimpse of what hell looked like, our first trip carrying passengers was about 150 hungover Mexican rig and production hands herded onto us for a bouncy ride in 6 ft seas. There were only 2 turd-burner toilets for the lounge area. It took 3 days to clean it up.[/QUOTE]
The new design from UMEO Mandal claim to have a much better performance in rough weather, based on the controlled air cushion pressure first developed for the Skjold class.
[QUOTE=ombugge;191767]The new design from UMEO Mandal claim to have a much better performance in rough weather, based on the controlled air cushion pressure first developed for the Skjold class.
I enjoyed working with the SES boats. The SACM engines not so much but there was so much potential for growth of technology. When the oilfield started down in the '80s, the SES program was the first to get shitcanned. There were plans to build 180 ft SESs to replace the failed hydrofoil run between Port Everglades and Freeport.
I’m on a vessel at an offshore windfarm across the Atlantic in the North Sea. Client reps here telling us “off the record” that offshore windfarm are a total waste of money with their 25 year life span (lots of maintenance, installation and protection costs), they never reimburse to investors their capital. Thank subsidies for giving us work and all the crooked game behind it supporting it!!! Don’t get fooled by EU experiment. EU Members paying bags of money if they’re unable to follow union’s green directives. there was this CPH green summit 20-20-20 back in 2010, which was decided all EU countries must have by 2020 reduce their emissions by 20% and their consumable energy resulting from renewable sources to be at least 20%. On the other hand onshore wind gens are a total different perspective in terms of development and installation. Every aspect is in favor except maybe tourists’ and dwellers’ ruined view on slopes, hills or mountains. Cuz in industrial areas such as Rotterdam port, windmills exist more than 3 decades and don’t bother. Energy makes the world go round … time for new players to demand their slice from the pie. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t say it’s necessarily good.
Is this the start of a boom in the offshore wind industry in the US? Looks likely.
If so, will this be a significant sours of jobs for mariners in the near future? Any opinions to be offered here???[/QUOTE]
Here is an answer to the question of whether this is the start of a boom in offshore wind in the US: http://www.popsci.com/future-energy-is-blowing-in-wind#page-6
It does not answer the question if this will create significant jobs for US Mariners, however. For that to happen there must be enough work to justify building (or buying) the type of vessels required to construct and service the wind farms.
[QUOTE=Jimmah;191803]I’m on a vessel at an offshore windfarm across the Atlantic in the North Sea. Client reps here telling us “off the record” that offshore windfarm are a total waste of money with their 25 year life span (lots of maintenance, installation and protection costs), they never reimburse to investors their capital. Thank subsidies for giving us work and all the crooked game behind it supporting it!!! Don’t get fooled by EU experiment. EU Members paying bags of money if they’re unable to follow union’s green directives. there was this CPH green summit 20-20-20 back in 2010, which was decided all EU countries must have by 2020 reduce their emissions by 20% and their consumable energy resulting from renewable sources to be at least 20%. On the other hand onshore wind gens are a total different perspective in terms of development and installation. Every aspect is in favor except maybe tourists’ and dwellers’ ruined view on slopes, hills or mountains. Cuz in industrial areas such as Rotterdam port, windmills exist more than 3 decades and don’t bother. Energy makes the world go round … time for new players to demand their slice from the pie. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t say it’s necessarily good.[/QUOTE]
Nobody claim that wind alone will supply all energy need 24/7/365, but with a mix of wind, wave, current, hydro and solar power, it will be possible to supply all [U]electric [/U]power requirements from renewable sources in some places sometime in the future. When is still unknown, but were can be predicted. (Norway already gets 100% of it’s electricity from Hydro)
