OCEANS CONTINUED… Launched in 1872, the Cutty Sark was named after an
undergarment worn by Nannie, a young witch in Robert Burns' poem Tam O'Shanter. Her record, fully laden with a cargo of wool from Sydney to London, was just 72 days. In the newly opened drydock display at Greenwich in London, the entire ship sits supported by a series of struts which transfer her weight evenly into the ground around her, making her fragile framework now almost stressless. Visitors are able to see her from aboard, but can also walk completely beneath the ship for a fishes-eye view of her copper sheathed hull.
AUSTAL JOINT HIGH SPEED VESSEL USNS SPEARHEAD COMPLETES SEA TRIALS
USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), the innovative high-speed catamaran transport ship under construction by shipbuilder Austal in Mobile, Alabama, successfully completed builder's sea trials on April 19 in the Gulf of Mexico. The trials encompassed over 50 demonstration events enabling the shipbuilder to rigorously test the ship and all of its systems in preparation for final inspection by the United States Navy before delivery.
Notable achievements during the trials included a demonstration of major systems along with first-of-class standardisation and manoeuvrability trials and reaching a top speed in excess of 35 knots. A series of high-speed ahead and astern manoeuvres in the Gulf of Mexico demonstrated the effectiveness of the ship's four steerable water jets. In the course of repeated high speed turns the ship demonstrated the stability and agility of her catamaran hull form, with the JHSV exhibiting virtually no heeling motions
throughout the radical turns. R eturning from the full-power trial, Joe Rella, President and Chief Operating Officer of Austal USA, remarked: "I have never witnessed a more problem-free Builder's Sea Trial than USNS Spearhead's."
Austal is currently under contract with the US Navy to build nine 103 metre JHSVs under a 10 ship, US$1.6 billion contract and five 127 metre Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship class vessels, four of which are a part of a 10 ship, US$3.5 billion contract. For the LCS and JHSV programs, Austal, as prime contractor, teamed with General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics. As the ship's systems integrator, General Dynamics is responsible for the design, integration and testing of the ship's electronic systems including the combat system, networks, and sea frame control.
The best service and product range for load handling solutions…bar none
FOR SALES ENQUIRIES North Island Ash McKnight 029 957 9024 ash.mcknight@cargotec.com
South Island Barry Munro 021 288 3466 barry.munro@cargotec.com
FOR SERVICE ENQUIRIES Auckland service Brian Parsons 027 392 0174
Christchurch services Phil Sharples 03 348 5462
www.cargotec.com www.zepro.co.nz 68 Professional Skipper July/August 2012 VIP.S88
