MILESTONE FOR DARWIN SHIP LIFT
A Project Development
Agreement (PDA) has
been signed between
the Northern Territory
Government and the
Paspaley Group to deliver
a ship lift and marine
industries project that it is
hoped will help consolidate
Darwin’s position as a hub
for marine maintenance
and servicing.
The NT Government
is investing $100 million
towards the developmentof the facility at East Arm.
When complete it will
enable the maintenance
and servicing of Defence
and Australian Border
Force vessels, along with
commercial and private
vessels, including from
the oil, gas and marine
industries.
The proposed facility will
include:- A ship lift, capable of
lifting vessels more
than 90m in length,
including the RAN’s
proposed new off shore
patrol vessels, out of the
water for dry docking
and maintenance
works, and;- A common user area,
being a hardstand
area available and ship
repair and maintenance
works.
The PDA sets out the
next steps for the design,
development, construction
and operation of the Ship
Lift Facility. This includes
a commitment for the
parties to undertake a nine-
month program of detailed
technical site specific
works.
The NT Government
provided $10 million from
Budget 2017 to service land
adjacent to the ship lift and
for project due diligence.
This funding comes from
$100 million committed
over the next four years to
building the ship lift.Diesel outboards for RAN boats
Mercury Marine says the
Royal Australian Navy’s six
new 7.6m rigid infl atable
boats, each powered by
a pair of 175hp Mercury
OptiMax DSI diesel
outboards, are the fi rst of
their kind.
Built by Britton Maritime
Systems from a proven
design, the six new BMS DSI
760 Ship Boats have been
allocated to the Navy’s Cape
Class patrol boats. They will
provide general support and
act as interceptors when
the patrol boats have to
investigate or seize other
vessels. Designed to carry up
to eight people along with
200kg of cargo, the three-
tonne RIBs can reach 40kts
at 5750rpm in a fl at sea.
Mercury Marine says the
fact that they are powered
by outboards makes them
special, citing a traditional
reluctance to use outboards
within the RAN because of
fi re safety concerns related
to traditional petrol fuelled
engines.
These concerns, Mercury
says, meant the Navy had to
rely on diesel inboards, even
at the cost of performance in
smaller vessels. An enabler of
change has been Mercury’snew three-litre DSI (Diesel
Spark Ignition) outboard
which has been specifi cally
engineered to address the
needs of military and other
specialised commercial
applications.
Based on Mercury’s
OptiMax technology, the DSI
outboard differs signifi cantly
from a normal diesel engine
which uses compression to
cause the fuel to combust.
DSI motors, much like petrol
engines, use a spark plug
to ignite the fuel which has
been fi nely atomised by a
small charge of compressed
air.Claimed advantages of
replacing inboards with
outboards include making
the new boats easier
and cheaper to service;
reducing displacement by
about 500kg; and better
performance characteristics
including a tighter turning
circle.
International Maritime
Consultants (IMC) was
contracted by Britton
Maritime Systems to provide
a suite of design engineering
to enable the existing 7.6m
RIB design to take full
advantage of the diesel
outboard engine technology.tradeboats.com.au 107