Monday, October 24, 2016

Float-On/Float-Off Ships (Semi-Submersibles)

Wired, US Navy: MV Blue Marlin carrying USS Cole back to US for repairs

The Marine Buff posted
The ship that ships other ships, Blue Marlin, is a semi-submersible heavy lift vessel owned by Dockwise Shipping of the Netherlands, designed to transport very large cargo like oil rigs and decommissioned naval vessels. It measures 224.6 meters in length and 63 meters in width, with a gross tonnage of 51,821 and a deadweight of 76,061 tons. It is powered by a MAN B&W 9S90ME-C8 engine producing 12,640 kW (16,950 hp) and has a cruising speed of 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h). The vessel has a unique ability to submerge its deck to load large structures, and then raise the deck for transport.
Blue Marlin is equipped with 38 cabins to accommodate 60 people, along with amenities like a workout room, sauna, swimming facilities, and a secure citadel for protection against pirate attacks. It has been involved in significant projects, such as transporting the USS Cole after the 2000 terrorist attack and carrying the oil platform Thunder Horse PDQ, weighing 60,000 tons, to Corpus Christi, Texas.
This vessel has a total lift-off capacity of 100 tons from a single crane, emphasizing its capability in heavy-lift transport. The innovative design and engineering of Blue Marlin have set new standards in the industry, making it a reliable choice for challenging assignments in maritime logistics.

MiracleTechnical Works posted
Blue Marlin is more than 700 feet [213m] long and has 38 cabins that can accommodate 60 people. The ship also has a sauna, swimming and workout facilities. In July 2005, the Blue Marlin took this gas refinery (above) on an 11 days journey from where it was built near Cadiz in southern Spain to Hammerfest in Norway.
Daewoo Shipbuilding constructed the Thunder Horse offshore platform in South Korea. This monstrous creation weighs around 60,000 tons and needed to be moved all the way to Texas in early 2004:
The Blue Marlin sailed via the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and 61 days and 16,000 miles later, the mighty ship arrived at its destination (left image below). Only a year later, the Thunder Horse platform was badly damaged by Hurricane Dennis
Janny de Jong: This is a semi submersible exploratory drilling rig!!
 
The Ocean Buff posted
The MV Blue Marlin is a massive semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel, designed for transporting extremely large and heavy equipment, including offshore drilling rigs, ships, and other oversized cargo. Built in 2000, it is operated by Dockwise and measures 224.8 meters in length with a beam of 63.1 meters. This makes its deck area over 11,000 square meters, capable of carrying loads up to 76,000 metric tons.
One of the most innovative features of the Blue Marlin is its ability to partially submerge itself, allowing cargo to float onto the deck before being lifted back out of the water. This technique has made it invaluable for transporting heavy structures that would otherwise be too difficult to load using cranes.
The Blue Marlin is also notable for having transported high-profile cargo such as the damaged USS Cole after the 2000 terrorist attack, as well as large oil platforms. Additionally, it is equipped with 38 cabins, a gym, sauna, and a citadel for protection against piracy.

Wired, DockwiseVanguard carrying an oil rig
These are just 2 of the 20 semi-submersibles owned by Dockwise. The 900x230-foot Vanguard can fill its ballast tanks and submerge the ship by more than 50 feet. It can also move the ballast tanks along the side of the ship to help balance a load. It can carry up to 110,000 metric tons. It can also function as a mobile drydock lifting a structure out of the water for repairs where the structure is deployed. [Wired]

Christopher Globa Alrifed posted
What is the most powerful heavy lift submersible vessel in the world?
Boka Vanguard is a semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel capable of carrying cargoes up to 117,000 tonnes. Built by Hyundai Heavy Industries and delivered in 2012, it is the largest vessel of its type ever built. The vessel has a length of 275 meters [902'] and a beam of 70 meters [230']. Its deck space measures 275 x 70 meters, and it can accommodate a crew of 40. The vessel's draft when submerged is 31 meters [102']. Boka Vanguard operates under the flag of Curacao and is used for transporting large offshore structures such as floating oil rigs, ships, and other heavy equipment.
The vessel features a unique bow-less design, providing an open-end deck space that allows for versatile cargo accommodation. It also functions as an offshore dry-dock facility, enabling ships and floating oil rigs to be raised out of the water for inspection or maintenance without a break in production. Boka Vanguard has been employed in various significant projects, including the transport of Chevron Corporation's Jack/St. Malo oil platform, the Goliat FPSO, and the Aasta Hansteen spar platform. Recently, it was used for transporting the cruise ship Carnival Vista for dry dock repairs.
copied

The jaw-dropping image I saw on Facebook that got me researching this topic is more properly copyrighted and explained by DailyMail. It makes you wonder what kind of cranes they used to stack those ships onto the Blue Marlin. The article said they were floated on. But they are stacked much higher than the Blue Marlin is tall. The ship is a semi-submersible, not a submarine. Maybe the ship pulled up to a dock of the same height as the deck and then they used "house moving equipment" to move a barge with its stack from land onto the ship with continuous adjustment of the ship's ballast as more of a barge was wheeled onto the ship's deck. And as the first barge was wheeled across the ship's deck.

Update: they are prestacked into two stacks that are floated onto the Blue Marlin, the largest of the Dockwise fleet. And then supports are welded between the barges and ships.
10:00 video @ 3:27

Port stack:
@ 1:16

Starboard stack:
@ 2:23

Mariner Mahbub posted
Blue Marlin: The Giant Ship That Ships Other Ships
The MV Blue Marlin is a semi-submersible heavy-lift ship operated by Dockwise Shipping of the Netherlands. It's equipped with luxurious amenities like cabins, workout room, sauna, and swimming facilities, and has a secure citadel for protection against pirate attacks. The ship has a long history, including ownership by Offshore Heavy Transport and being hired by the US Navy to transport the USS Cole after it was damaged in a terrorist attack.
The Blue Marlin has transported a variety of cargo, including oil rigs, aircraft carriers, and other ships. Its capacity and maneuverability have been improved through modifications, such as retractable propulsors. The ship's specifications include a length of 712 feet [217m], width of 138 feet [42m], and deadweight of 76,000 metric tonnes. It's powered by a diesel engine and can cruise at 26.9 km/h and reach a range of 46,000 km.
The Blue Marlin's unique feature is its ability to partially sink its deck to create an open area for other boats to float and be secured for transport. This remarkable capability has earned it the reputation of being a "ship that ships other ships."
Lloyd Scott Hardin shared
 
Bert Klanderman commented on the above post
Rotterdam

2:06 video @ 1:34
Dockwise Vanguard

MaritimePhoto posted
"Blue Marlin"
Sea based X-Band radar on board of heavy lift and transport vessel
Photo: U.S. Navy / Journalist 2nd Class Ryan C. McGinley
Instagram: @maritimephoto1
Instagram: @cruise_vessel_ayvazovskiy 


No comments:

Post a Comment