British shipbuilder signs contracts to design new craft

Stockbridge-based shipbuilder FISH Marine Design | Composites recently signed new contracts with CMI offshore group subsidiary, Penteli Marine. 

The company is a global provider of both logistics and transport services for the maritime and offshore oil sectors. The new contracts will see FISH design a 40-metre-long composite surface effect vessel (SES), along with several air-cushion vessels (ACVs), which travel over water and land on a cushion of air.

The British shipbuilder will be part of a collaborative engineering team, working alongside EMS (Engineered Marine Systems) and UK naval architects M2ED to support construction of the SES. 

The new ship will be constructed at a recently built waterside facility sited in Malaysia, created to specialise in large vessels and ACV technology.

A long range and high-speed, the Dynamic Positioning Class 1 (DP1) vessel being built is designed for crew transport and features a spacious deck with a capacity of up to 80 passengers and seven crew members. Boasting a modern design, it includes composite materials and is engineered to deliver fuel savings and facilitate long-term maintenance.

In maritime applications, materials and component selection is a key element of engineering design that directly impacts the maintenance needs and longevity of mechanical systems onboard. Custom springs and components like wave spring washers for marine applications are specifically engineered to endure varying pressure depths, highly corrosive saltwater and intense mechanical fatigue. 

With contracts now complete, an 18-month cycle will start, which will culminate in the vessels being operational and entering active service.