Captain’s Log: Eurodam’s Azipods

Our Azipod-drive vessels are the Vista-class ships, including “Amsterdam”, “Eurodam” and the soon to be added to the fleet, “Nieuw Amsterdam”.

The “Amsterdam” is slightly different in concept, in that the Captain has to chose beforehand which pod he is going to use as his ‘maneuverable’ one, the other stays fixed in the fore-and-aft line.

Below is a picture of the ‘E’s” starboard pod. It always amazes me that something so small in diameter can drive so large a ship through the water.

Azipod is the registered brand name of the ABB Group for their azimuth thruster. Originally developed in Finland by Wärtsilä dockyards, these are marine propulsion units consisting of electrically driven propellers mounted on a steerable pod. The first cruise ship fitted with this system was “Carnival Paradise”, way back in 1998. Since then the system, after some initial teething challenges, has become the norm for our Carnival group of companies.

The pod’s propeller faces forward, (the propeller is more efficient oriented that way). In addition, because it can rotate around its mount axis, the pod can apply its thrust force in any direction. Azimuth thrusters allow ships to be more maneuverable and enable them to travel astern nearly as easily as they can travel forward. In fact, almost 70 percent of my dockings involve going astern down waterways or into dock slips.

In the traditional azimuth propulsion system the electric motor is located inside the ship’s hull and rotation is transferred to the propeller through a gearbox. In our Azipod system the electric motor is installed inside the pod. The propeller is connected directly to the motor shaft. No gearbox is required, thus providing greater efficiency.

Electric power for the Azipod motor is conducted through slip rings that allow the Azipod to turn through 360 degrees. Because fixed-pitch propellers are used in Azipods, power for the pod is always fed through a variable-frequency drive that allows speed control of the propulsion motor.

When the ‘E’ is at full speed, the Azipods act just like a ‘powered’ rudder and have conventional characteristics, with a maximum rudder angle of 35 degrees, however, because it is ‘powered’ (and therefore very responsive), when at full speed, only 2 or 3 degrees of rudder are required.

The Azipods have an output of 24,000 horse power (or 17.6 mega-watts) each when at full speed, or ‘open sea’ mode. When maneuvering and rotational, they are stepped down to 10 MW or 13, 500 hp each.

We have three bow thrusters, each of 2,500 hp or 1.9 MW each

With the combination of these thrusters forward and the Azipods aft, the ‘E’ becomes an extremely maneuverable ship. In fact, the combination has drastically changed established ship-handling maneuvers and captains can think ‘outside the box’ when finding themselves in awkward or unconventional situations.

They are not infallible, of course, and the ‘E’, like our Vista class, has far more power available from her Azipods than forward in the thrusters. As a consequence, in higher wind situations, control of the bow will be lost long before control of the stern. The ‘E’ is unique, (for the time being), in that we have additional superstructure and as a result, more ‘windage’ (the area which acts as a sail), and I am always wary of wind direction and speed. Having sailed on other Vista-class ships, I know they will push bodily upwind at wind speeds of 25 knots on the beam. The ‘E’, with its additional ‘sail area’, will manage 20 knots, and those 5 knots of wind can be make or break when docking, or conversely, getting off a pier.

Westfalia Separator Supports ‘Green’ Goals

Engine Cadet Philip Mullens with the Westfalia Separator.

The following explanation of how Eurodam’s oily bilge water system operates was submitted by J. Rowland, 3rd Engineer.

One new piece of equipment that has been installed on Eurodam is the Westfalia Centrifuge with a self-cleaning bowl. This is the first time Holland America Line has incorporated such a design in to its Bilge Water System and since the ship has been sailing, the results have been very positive. The device separates oil and contaminants from bilge water (water that collects at the bottom of the engine room deck) so that the cleaned water can be discharged overboard.

In our cascade system we use the Westfalia as the first of our two bilge-water separators, but rather than process 50 parts per milliion to the intermediate tank we process only 15 ppm. The piping system installed also gives us the versatility to use the Westfalia as the second separator, which is used to process water overboard.

The Westfalia works by using the influence of centrifugal forces to separate liquid mixtures or liquid solid mixtures. The purifier bowl splits up the mixture to a light and heavy phase. The heavy phase is the clarified liquid which transfers to the intermediate tank, and the light phase is the sediment, which transfers to the sludge tank.

One of the biggest advantages of this equipment is the capability to process the oily bilge tank 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Incorporated into the control program is a function called Tank Cleaning. This activates a three-way valve during the heavy phase, thus preventing the flow of water to the intermediate tank. We therefore recirculate the oily bilge tank through the separator. The benefit of this operation is that the centrifugal field of a separator is considerably more effective than the gravity field of a settling tank, and a great deal faster. The oil content of the oily bilge tank decreases greatly while in the tank-cleaning mode.

When we are ready to discharge the oily bilge tank to the second stage of our cascade system, we switch the control from Tank Cleaning to Discharge mode. Now the three-way valve on the heavy phase will change position, the discharging liquid will pass through an absorption filter then the OCM will take a sample then another three-way valve governed by the OCM will determine the direction of discharge.

We at Holland America Line are very aware of correct bilge waste management, so having a reliable piece of equipment like the Westfalia Separator is of great benefit, not only to the condition of the Eurodam’s engine room, but more importantly, the environment.

What Does the Pilot Do?

Global Pilotage
Most ports in the world require pilotage, the practice where a pilot comes on board near the entrance of the port and then assists the ship’s captain with bringing the ship into port, and docking or anchoring in the designated anchorage. The pilot also helps provide safe passage when the ship departs.

The role of a pilot is that of an adviser. Contrary to common belief, the pilot does not take over command of the ship from the captain. The captain stays in command and is ultimately responsible for the ship. A pilot may assume the conduct of the ship, but only with permission of the master. As both the harbor pilot and captain have the same goal — the safety of the ship — the relationship is mutually courteous and professional.

Pilots are usually licensed master mariners and have years of experience in guiding ships in and out of a specific port. They have a wealth of knowledge about the local currents, piers and docks, water depths, communication procedures and regulations, and local users of the waterway. As no two ports in the world are the same, this knowledge can be indispensable for a ship’s captain who may be visiting a port for the first time or under adverse weather conditions.

The Pilot Ladder
On arrival at the breakwaters or fairway buoy, the ship is met by a pilot boat. The speed of the ship is adjusted to 8 to 15 knots, depending on the capabilities of the pilot boat. Often, a course alteration also is necessary to provide the best possible lee against wind and seas to ensure a safe and efficient pilot transfer from the pilot boat to the ship.

The pilot boat will match the speed of the ship and come alongside near the pilot ladder which is connected to an opening in the hull called a shell door. In port, Eurodam uses these same doors to allow guests and crew to go ashore by means of a gangway. But when the pilot transfers from the boat to the ship, it’s by means of a rope ladder suspended from a shell door.

The pilot is met at the top of the pilot ladder by a licensed deck officer who is in radio communication with the bridge. After the pilot’s ID has been checked he is then escorted to the bridge by the officer. Upon arrival on the bridge the pilot is introduced to the captain and, usually over a cup of coffee, the two discuss the ship’s arrival plan.

Upon departure the same happens, but in reverse.

Pilot David Smith from Bar Harbor, Maine, leaves Eurodam cautiously down the ladder to the pilot boat as both the Eurodam and the boat sail side by side at a speed of 8 knots.

Surf’s Up — Catch a Bulb!

That’s our correspondent Pam hangin’ ten on Eurodam’s bulbous bow, thus fulfilling a dream she has harbored for years. For Pam, this was the apogee of her correspondenthood. She has been talking about “surfing the bulb” since way back in June, and we figured it was just so much hoo-hah, but Pam proved us wrong.

So, what does the bulbous bow do?

The bulbous bow, a standard feature of most large modern ships with displacement hulls, is a protruding bulb at the bow (or front, pointy end) below the waterline. The bulb modifies how water flows around the hull, reducing drag and increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency and stability. Ships with bulbous bows generally have 12 to 15 percent better fuel efficiency than similar vessels without them.

Bulbous bows have been most effective when used on hulls of at least 45 degrees and especially to those greater than 60 degrees. They have been used to greatest effect on large ships with long, narrow hulls such as freighters, navy vessels and various passenger ships. They are less commonly used on short, wide hulls and recreational boats designed for wide speed ranges and planing.

The Answer to ‘What Are Those Guys Doing?’

Nearly 40 blog visitors answered the question of what Bosun Alex Kenayette and one of his mates were painting on the pier in Quebec. Many of you had the correct answer, and because we received so many savvy answers, we’re giving the first five correct responses a Holland America USB drive.

A Eurodam bridge-position marker is painted on the pier to identify where the ship is to dock alongside the berth each time it returns. The marker on the dock is lined up with a marker on the bridge wing so Captain van Donselaar knows he is in the right spot. The ship must dock in the same position within 12 inches of the marker, as the passenger gangway that connects to the ship does not move horizontally, only vertically, to adjust with the tides.

The first five readers who got the right answer were Steve, Karla (who resourcefully found an explanation that HAL provided somewhere), purplenorway, oceanic and nik953. Thanks to everybody who participated in our impromptu sweepstakes.

One last little piece of trivia about the bridge-position marker: if it’s green, the ship docks on the starboard side and if it’s red, it docks port side in.

As you can see, the red lines painted on the catwalk outside the starboard side bridge wing are aligned with the green Eurodam marker on the dock.

What Are Those Guys Doing?

Why is Bosun Alex Kenayette and one of his sailors painting “Eurodam” on the pier in Quebec?

If you think you know the answer, leave a comment. The first person to give us the correct answer will receive a 1 gigabyte USB drive embossed with Holland America Line’s logo and loaded with an electronic copy of the Eurodam press kit.

Video: The View Astern

Pam shot this interesting video from Eurodam’s stern as the ship was sailing from Warnemunde, Germany, to Arhus, Denmark, at a speed of 13 knots. Note that the wake shows the characteristic twin spiral patterns made by the ship’s Azipod podded propulsion units.

It Takes a Team to Back Up Eurodam

What does it take to maneuver a 935-feet-long ship in reverse? Captain van Donselaar explains:

“I have eyes all over to assist me. There are officers forward and aft to relay the distances to me from the ship to shore, as well as an officer on the opposite bridge wing. With my own visual observations and radar, all of these combine to assist me to ensure a safe maneuver in reverse.

“Wind, currents and other ship traffic are all factors that I also have to consider to determine the safest time to turn around and proceed forward. Twenty years of experience doesn’t hurt either!”

Captain van Donselaar stands on an observation window set in the deck of the bridge; there is a window on each bridge wing. These 22 millimeter-thick (.87 inch) glass windows enable the captain to monitor the ship’s position when docking.

First Lifeboat Drill Conducted Today

Navigation Second Officer Sean Gill conducted Eurodam’s first lifeboat drill today. While all crewmembers have been through extensive safety training, such drills are performed once a month in compliance with Safety of Life At Sea, or SOLAS, regulations.

The video shows Lifeboat 1 being lowered today for the first time with the boat commander and crew at their stations.

Fire Pump Testing Produced a Rainbow of Results

Yesterday they tested the fire pumps on board Eurodam and Pam captured this great image.