178 | TRADEABOAT.COM.AU
Italian company Boat Lift’s first amphibious
transporter for the Australian marine market
will primarily be used for commercial work.
Shell Point Marina on Botany Bay in Sydney,
has taken delivery of the transporter, which
can lift and move monohull and catamaran
vessels weighing up to 100 tonnes.
The manufacturer’s local representative,
Richard Williams of Meridian Projects, said
the initial focus of the application is for
commercial vessels. “Shell Point Marine
currently performs the maintenance and
survey haul-outs for some 24 vessels in the
fleets of My Fast Ferry and Fantasea Cruising
in Sydney,” he said.
Shell Point Marina is on a former oyster
farm at Taren Point. While it can operate
around-the-clock, water depths at the site
restrict launch and haul-out to short windows
of opportunity around high tide.
Owned by Ian Ford, the facility has a
number of travel lifts but believes the Boat
Lift ‘Croc’ will enable launch and recovery
to be completed faster, thereby enabling
greater utilisation of the facility.
“The unit is 28m long overall, but can
be divided to create a 17m long section
that is better suited to smaller vessels.
The transporter has a range of removable
attachments that enable the trailer to be
configured for the specific requirements
of the various catamaran ferries,” Williams
explained.
The trailer runs on rubber wheels on
land but converts to use a more traditional
rail system for the slipway portion of the
transport task.
For this the transporter’s rail bogeys
are lowered onto the slipway track and the
rubber wheels retracted. When the vessel is
out of the water, the wheels are deployed
and bogeys retracted enabling the vessel to
be moved off the slipway to other parts of
the facility.
The wheels can be turned through 90
degrees, enabling precise manoeuvring in
confined areas including the ability to move
vessels sideways.
The wheels are also self-levelling to ensure
the vessel remains flat.
Williams said this manoeuvrability provides
the Croc with a number of advantages.Italian Transporter
Give Ferries a Lift
The latest iteration of Volvo Penta’s D8
engine sees it given a heavy-duty 1-2 rating,
allowing it to power heavy duty applications
such as pilot boats and tugs.
The D8 was first introduced in 2016
for marine high performance and leisure
applications. This was followed by a new
variant that boasted a 3-4 rating, making it
suitable for commercial light duty, planing and
semi-planing boats. The new heavy-duty rating
opens up more commercial vessel applications.
The Volvo Penta D8 MH is an in-line six-
cylinder, 7.7L diesel propulsion engine. It has
common-rail fuel injection, double overhead
camshafts and twin-entry turbo. Volvo Penta
says a stand out feature is high torque at
low speeds, ensuring strong manoeuvrability
and acceleration. Rated power is maintained
below rated speed for increased load-
carrying capability and ability to maintain
a high cruising speed, irrespective of load
or sea state.
Volvo Penta D8 MG based gensets will
deliver power in 50Hz and 60Hz in a range
from 136kWe to 250kWe and come with major
classification societies certificates.
The first D8 will be for the IMO II, US EPA
Tier 3 and China 2 will be available in early 2020.D8 GETS HEAVY-DUTY RATING
First OPV Keel
Laid in Adelaide
The keel of the first of the Royal
Australian Navy’s new Arafura Class
offshore patrol vessels has been laid at the
Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide.
Chief of the Royal Australian Navy,
Vice Admiral Michael Noonan AO, RAN
positioned a coin to commemorate the
laying of the keel for the first vessel to be
named Arafura.
“The keel laying ceremony represents a
great naval tradition and I am honoured
to be joined today by the two youngest
shipbuilders in the Osborne shipyard in
placing the commemorative coin under the
keel,” Noonan said.
This project will see the delivery of 12
OPVs to replace the current Armidale Class
Patrol Boats.
Prime contractor Luerssen Australia
along with shipbuilding sub-contractor ASC
commenced construction of the first vessel
on in November 2018. The first OPV will
be launched in 2021, with the second to
be launched from the Osborne shipyard in- Construction of the third vessel will
commence in Henderson, Western Australia
in 2020 where the remaining 10 vessels
will be built.
“Compared to a traditional travel lift it makes
it much easier to move boats around a yard.
They can also be placed closer together,
making greater use of available hardstand
area,” he noted.
“With the addition of an exhaust extension,
it is even possible for Crocs to be completely
submerged.”
Steering and other controls are all
remotely controlled, and the wheels and
supports are hydraulically operated.
Williams said the Crocs could handle a wide
range of vessel sizes and displacements, with
an upcoming installation in the USA to be
rated to 300 tonnes.