water

Australian ship seeks out whalers
An Australian patrol ship tasked with monitoring Japans whaling fleet has departed from the western city of Perth for waters off Antarctica. The Oceanic Viking, a customs vessel, left Stirling Naval Base on Tuesday night on a 20-day surveillance mission. It will collect photographic and video material for a possible legal challenge against the whalers, Australian officials have said. Japans fleet began its annual whale hunt in mid-November. It plans to kill about 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales by mid-April 2008 as part of what it calls a scientific research programme. But it has suspended plans to kill 50 humpback whales, amid a storm of international criticism. Legal challenge Acting against the whalers was one of the new Labor-led Australian governments election pledges. An Airbus A-319 will also conduct surveillance flights over the fleet. Evidence from the vessels would be used to help Canberra decide if it could take action against the whalers in international ...

Moonen To Launch Two Yachts In New Series
s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands: Moonen Shipyards—builders of a full range of Displacement, Semi-Displacement, and Explorer models, will add two new 97-foot “pocket-size superyachts” to its growing fleet this year. The Moonen 97 is the latest model in the shipyard’s acclaimed Displacement Series. It is handsomely shaped by René van der Velden Design, with a round-bilge hullform drawn by naval architects Diana Yacht Design. Both yachts will have interior styling by Art-Line. With steel hull and aluminium superstructure, they also feature Caterpillar engines and zero-speed stabilizers, and are built to Lloyd’s Register Class and MCA Certification. The Moonen 97 is an evolutionary design, derived from two recent yachts by Moonen—the custom Moonen 96 Clementine launched 2005, and the shipyard’s most successful model, the Moonen 84 the eighth will be launched this year. The strong attraction of the Moonen 84 has been its ideal four-cabin layout. The equally strong attraction of ...

Moonen 85 refit requires temporary parking-lot structure
Parking At A Premium At Moonen Shipyards: With the shipyard order book quite full, Moonen had to erect a temporary heated structure adjoining its older hall to complete the work over the winter. With mast top removed, Moonshadow Noa was moved into the heated, protected environment, where painting could be accomplished with outside temperature as low as 0O Celsius. ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands: Moonen Shipyards is pleased to announce the completion of a major five-month refit of one of its original “pocket-size superyachts,” the fifth Moonen 85 Moonshadow Noa ex Moon Shadow, launched in 1991. The Moonen 85 was designed by Diana Yachts in the early 1980s, with a graceful flared bow, canoe stern, and classic superstructure. The model is credited with putting Moonen on the world map as a leading quality builder of efficient, comfortable, long-range offshore cruisers. At her launch in 1985, the first Moonen 85, Cassiopeia S, attracted many serious clients; by 1992 the shipyard had ...

CONTEST YACHTS EXPANDS RANGE WITH 40-FOOTER
The design of the Contest 40CS is distinctive from other Contest yachts due to its aft cockpit. This reflects the yard’s conviction that such a cockpit makes optimal use of the available space both above and below deck on yachts of this length. It also gives the 40CS a sporty look, which is exactly what designer Georg Nissen and Contest Yachts had in mind for this model. “The entire design is aimed to make the yacht perform at its best in all weather conditions and offer a multifunctional character,” Contest director Arjen Conijn comments. “The large cockpit provides plenty of room for the crew to move around. The reef genoa drum has been placed below deck and the fore deck kept free and orderly. “Sail trimming and other actions can be performed quickly and effectively thanks to the smart arrangement of winches and lines. And, naturally, we equipped this performance cruiser with fractional rigging and angled spreaders.” Space and light Birgit Schnaase was responsible for the ...

Vripack goes Solar
Whilst the daily activities of Vripack® consist of designing and engineering interiors and exteriors of luxury yachts, Vripack® has decided to take a dive into the innovative waters of alternative propulsion by use of Solar Panels. The pinnacle of this state-of-the-art research and development project is the 2008 Frisian Solar Challenge. This project is focussed on designing and constructing an ultra light and fast boat which is strong enough to endure the torments of the long distance race. The solar boat built by the Vripack Solar Team will prove its excellence during the international Frisian Solar Challenge 2008. A 220km race over water passing the famous 11 cities of Friesland. This Solar powered experiment is based on the use of durable energy for powering use. Vripack attaches great value to the preservation of a healthy environment and is proud that an enthusiastic in-company team is performing this development. The boat is driven only by electric power from five solar ...

Outboard engines - 2 Stroke or 4 Stroke
There are two types of outboards available, 2 stroke and 4 stroke. Each has its good and bad points, depending on what you want the engine to do. Weve put together a handy guide to help you decide which is the best outboard motor for your boat. 2 Stroke Outboards 2 stroke engines are lighter and faster so when speed and acceleration are required, this would be the engine of choice. They are also more affordable and have a higher resale value. As 2 stroke engines have been around for almost 80 years, parts are readily available, making repairs easy. Also, the design on these engines is less complex than a 4 stroke, meaning problems are less likely to arise. There are some disadvantages to the 2 stroke engine. 2 stroke outboards are not as environmentally friendly as 4 strokes as they produce far more pollution. Their engines are lubricated by the oil that is mixed into the gasoline, meaning the exhaust is smoky and contains unburned oil, which in turn pollutes the water. With new ...

Sealine SC35 wins Best Sports Cruiser of the Year
Sealine wins Best Sports Cruiser at the Motor Boat of the Year Award 2008. At the awards ceremony the new Sports cruiser was announced as the super cool SC35 - the range of practical and innovative features plus an exhilarating on water performance showed how it lived up to the name. The SC35 clearly showed the best combination of fun, style, practicality and price - she certainly exceeded all expectations since the launch in Sept at Southampton boat show. The event was held in January at a London hotel. The spacious 35 foot sports convertable was awarded the top prize for best sports cruiser under 45 foot. The award was voted by the editorial teams of the UKs leading Motor Boating titles and seen as the outstanding winner of its category. Managing Director, Steve Coultate said “We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award which firmly underpins our commitment to producing the very best in British design and for stretching the boundaries to create a truly innovative product ...

Greenpeace heads off whale ship
Greenpeace conservation activists say they have disrupted the Japanese whale hunt near Antarcticas coast by chasing a factory ship out of the whaling zone. Crew from protest ship Esperanza said they were maintaining the chase as the whalers cannot hunt at the same time. A spokesman for Japans whale hunt said Greenpeaces actions were illegal and people should not treat them as heroes. Japans whaling fleet plans to kill about 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales by mid-April. The hunt is part of what it calls a scientific research programme, permitted under a clause in International Whaling Commission rules. But Australia and other nations say the same research goals could be achieved using non-lethal methods, and call the research programme a front for commercial whaling. The hunt has suspended plans to kill 50 humpback whales, amid a storm of international criticism. Hunting the hunters A number of ships are in southern waters on the trail of the hunters, including an ...

Bow thruster control panels sport
The VETUS programme of bow thruster accessories has recently been extended with a new range of control panels designated SPORT. These new control panels for bow and stern thrusters are ideal for external installation on the flying bridge or in the cockpit. The range consists of a push button panel, a joystick panel, a twin joystick panel and the intuitive “Easy Dock” control for both bow and stern thruster. The main features of these beautifully shaped panels are: • Protection against accidental or unauthorised operation • Panel power on indicator • Warning LED and buzzer in the event of continuous running for more than 2 minutes • Control circuit overload protection • Watertight to IP65 Older VETUS bow thruster panels can be replaced with the new models using an optional adaptor plate. The panels are pre-wired and installation is facilitated with a simple plug connection to the wiring ...

What happened to the Branscombe booty
In January 2007, scavengers swarmed to Branscombe in Devon in search of plunder. But what happened to the booty they took away? A year on, the MSC Napoli still casts a shadow over Branscombe - literally. Half of its stern, still waiting to be removed by salvagers, is still visible from the shore. When it ran aground off the coast of Branscombe, the villagers could not have predicted what the wreck would bring them. Containers washed from the stricken vessel delivered BMW motorbikes, pet food, anti-wrinkle cream, empty wine barrels, copies of the Bible in Xhosa - and a horde of scavengers eager for booty. Most were disappointed. Only 17 motorbikes - by far the most valuable item of cargo - came ashore, and most beachcombers could only fill their pockets with soggy cosmetics. But a select few were lucky. Contrary to portrayals of them as lawless looters, the Receiver of Wreck has been informed, as the law requires, of the whereabouts of 13 bikes. Two undocumented bikes were ...