Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2021

1 1 3 Protecting vessels from leaks and hull breaches Coltraco Ultrasonics’ new Portascanner Watertight Touch solution enables shipowners to minimise the risks associated with water leaks and maintain the structural integrity of their vessels Hull breaches and water leaks from doors, bulkheads, hatch covers and cable transits and other critical seals on ferries and naval vessels can potentially lead to capsizing, putting the lives of passengers and crew at risk. Hence, Coltraco Ultrasonics has developed Portascanner Watertight Touch, a new first-of-its-kind solution designed to help crew members rapidly and non-invasively identify leak sites and quantify their leakage rates to calculate how much of a risk they pose to the vessel. Using Portascanner Watertight Touch, the user can photograph the seal, annotate the image with the location of each leak site, measure the cross-sectional area of the leak, and automatically calculate the total leakage rate for the seal. The results can then be exported to help the shipowner efficiently plan repairs based on the risk to the vessel, saving lives and preventing critical damage. Smarter shipping Carrier is rethinking its business strategy to provide shipowners with solutions needed to operate efficiently and keep passengers and crew safe and secure Carrier is well-known for supplying the passenger shipping industry with heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. But there are many more famous brands under the Carrier umbrella, such as Autronica fire detection solutions and Marioff Hi-Fog fire suppression systems. Since the pandemic, Carrier has shifted its focus to become a solutions provider for shipowners and shipyards, aiming to offer the tools and technologies needed to make ships smart and keep passengers and crew safe and healthy. To achieve this goal, it has combined various subsidiary brands and using automation technology for system integration. For example, Carrier’s HVAC solutions can be turned into smart systems with Automated Logic’s WebCTRL technology platform, allowing shipowners to optimise energy use throughout a ship and actively measure and analyse indoor air quality. Meanwhile, Carrier OptiClean, a portable high-efficiency particulate air filter system, can be used to supplement the HVAC systems and clean the air to minimise the spread of airborne viruses. Another smart solution for the Covid-19 era is the Onity keyless door lock, which can be configured as an online system with mobile phone access to offer pre-check-in options and reduce unnecessary physical contact during embarkation.