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THE TROUBLED SAMSØ AND HER UNUSUAL FEATURES

Before the vessel is put into operation on the designated route, the new ferry, SAMSØ, has undergone a series of tough trials and deliberations. The process of building this new tonnage has been nothing but problematic, especially considering that the shipyard is now in receivership. The vessel is not yet in service. Her only voyage record so far consists of the ones completed during the trials. At the time of writing this report, she was berthed at the wharf at Norderwerft, Hamburg, awaiting instruction from the Danish company that had ordered this newbuild.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BENT MIKKELSEN

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Despite the seemingly insurmountable stum-bling blocks along the way from her incep-tion to her eventual and inevitable Danish

inauguration, SAMSØ is in every way a ground-breaking ship in terms of design and technology, built by a shipyard with a proven track record; the same shipyard that had recently delivered another marvellous ferry.

In the past 25 years, J J Sietas Schiffswerft of Neuenfelde, west of Hamburg, has distinguished itself by becoming one of the world’s leading build-ers of container feeder vessels. Unfortunately, the recent global financial crisis virtually killed off the demand for this type of tonnages. To survive, the ever innovative minds behind this shipyard decided to switch its expertise onto building ferries and installation vessels for wind farms. Besides SAMSØ and her two sisters, Sietas has so far only built two other ferries: WISCHAFEN in 1988 and UTHLAND in 2010.

The newbuilding No. 1295, also known as SAMSØ, is the yard’s first ferry order from Scandina-via. Moreover, it will be the first of the new genera-tion diesel-electric propulsion ferry in Demark since the delivery of SUPERFLEX in the late 1980s. In the intervening years, the diesel-electric system has been greatly improved. This improvement was brought about through experiences in intensive operation of this type of propulsion on offshore vessels. This sys-tem is flexible and extremely fuel-efficient, in that it shuts down machinery that is not needed and turns on additional ones when required, such as when manoeuvring at the port.

The SAMSØ project was originally linkd to Samsø-Linien A/S, which, in 2009, transferred the operation of a route between Samsø and Zealand, from Kolby Kaas to Kalundborg, to Nordic Ferry Services (Færgen). SAMSØ is one part of a three-ship order. The vessel was intended for a bareboat charter on the island service, replacing the Greek-built KANHAVE on the crossing between Sælvig and Hou.

In order for this operation to be effective, both ferry ports need to be upgraded to accommodate the new vessel. The owner of the Port of Hou, the Odder

Municipality, has already signed an agreement with the ferry operator on the conversion of the terminal at the expense of the latter. It has also been agreed that the investment will be recovered through a levy over a period of several years. The ferry company attempted to come to a similar agreement regarding the port modification with the related authority on Samsø island, but without success so far. With only three years of concession left, Færgen is understand-ably reluctant to spend money on this project with-out securing an extension on the operation right. The island authority refuses to spend the estimated three million dollars required to adapt its port to the new service.

“We think it is unreasonable to ask us to pay for the new berth, since we cannot take it with us if we do not win the next concession. We can take the ferry if the next operator do not use our vessel,” said Per Gullestrup, the chairman of the Færgen board.

As part of the vessel structure, KANHAVE was built with gangway flaps. To facilitate her operation, land-ramps were erected and used. This has been proven to be less efficient, as the hydraulic system is significantly slower. This means that several min-utes are added to loading and unloading. In a short crossing, these minutes are precious. To save time, the new ferry has in-built ramps, instead of relying on the old land-ramps. This is where the controversy arises. For one reason or another the authority on Samsø does not appear wanting to change the status quo in relation to this arrangement.

In this connection, both Samsø-Linien and Fær-gen have been forced to change their plans. Instead of switching tonnages, KANHAVE continues on her present route. She has in the meantime become very reliable on the Sælvig-Hou crossing. Originally, KANHAVE was to be moved to Bøjden-Fynshav route when SAMSØ was delivered. Now it is decided that SAMSØ and one of her sister vessels, No. 1296, will be deployed on the Spodsbjerg-Tårs route, a route much in need of a tonnage renewal. There has been no new ship deployed to this line since 1984, when the then newbuilding FRIGG SYDFYEN was brought in from Svendborg Shipyard.

Nowithstanding these obstacles confronting the ferry operators, aside from the new ship being of the first class product, Sietas also has a reputation for its “beautiful finish” on all newbuildings, a quality largely goes unnoticed by most. During a recent visit by ShipPax to Norderwerft, a term of experienced shipyard workers were onboard busily putting finishing touches to SAMSØ. Both the visitors and the ferry com-pany site team commented on the excellent finish of the vessel. Moreover, the team representing Færgen was de-lighted with all aspects of the project.

“We are involved fully with all the detail preparation of the vessel and co-operated very well with the shipyard,” said Mads Juul Jensen. “There is a good understanding between us. Within 24 hours, the workmen of the yard would implement changes we’d agreed on during site meetings. There is a very pleasant collaboration between us and them.”

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Mads Juul Jensen is one of the three-person team made up to oversee the construction of the ships on behalf of Færgen. He is from Aalborg Logimatic Company, which since 1990 has been involved in developing interfacing electronics and data onboard ships. He works closed with Ricky Bay Andersen, the chief engineer on FRIGG SYDFYEN. The team is headed by Lars Bjørvig, a naval engineer of OSK-ShipTech, a company contracted by Færgen’s technical department to supervise the construction in Germany.

“We are a relatively small organisation and had no capacity to send three people full time to Hamburg; we therefore chose the external solution,” said Hans-Henrik Simonsen, Færgen’s technical chief. “This also meant that we are not bound by the limits of our staff. Should any problem arises, ASC-ShipTech would be able to find the best solu-tion from among its pool of professional talents and contacts.

For the passengers and the crewOn board the ship, all passenger services and enter-tainment are provided on the passenger deck. The entrance ramp to the vessel is on the port side, con-nected to the hall area, from there passengers can go directly to seating zones on both sides of the ferry or, if they so wish, to the seating area at either ends

of the deck. Along the two sides of the ferry there are solid oak tables and benches, all with direct sea views. In the salons at both ends of the deck there are solid round tables in the middle with movable chairs. The bistro is located at the centre of the deck. It serves tea, coffee, light meals, snacks, cakes, and other kiosk products appropriate for a short cross-ing.

Though there are provisions for foot passengers, the Spodsbjerg-Tårs route has a relatively smaller number of this type of travellers. Most passengers travel in their own vehicles or on public transports. Bus passengers do not use the gangway, as in the case of bus number 800, which connects Odense with Maribo via Nakskov. The bus drives onto the ferry with passengers onboard.

Although designed for short crossings, this double-ender vessel has onboard catering facilities that prepare hot meals that are normally served on longer routes. There are also sufficient refrigerator and freezer capacities for longer services. The bistro service area is designed with duel counters, one on each end, which enables the service to be car-ried out quickly on a short crossing. There are also outdoor, open-deck areas on each end of the vessel, with hardwood tables and benches. These areas are relatively small when taking into account the total passenger capacity of the vessel.

From the passenger deck, there are direct ac-cesses to the three large evacuation stations. In the event of an emergency, passengers can slide into the life-rafts using ramps provided. This arrangement effectively means that passengers can stay indoors, under cover, while waiting for their turn to evacuate, thus not being exposed to wind and rain.

The crew deck is spacious for the vessel of this size. Its provision includes locker rooms and show-ers. There is a combined lounge and recreation room for off-duty crewmembers. The deck also includes a spacious conference room with a capacity for 12-14 delegates around a large table. Four rooms are dedicated to crew relaxation purposes. These are not rooms in the traditional sense of the word. They do not meet the standard required for normal overnight accommodation. The rooms have only one bunk each; they have no space for a sofa, chair or desk. Private toilets, though, are provided.

On the Spodsbjerg-Tårs route, so far the crew sail on a 24-hour shift with a break at noon. Some crewmembers live near the ports and usually drive home after their last crossing. Replacement crew would already be onboard before the on-duty crew departed.

SAMSØ is designed for a compliment of seven crewmembers that are needed during peak seasons. This number can be accommodated in the crew quarters comfortably. The vessel is certified to carry up to 600 passengers in the summer and 450 in the winter.

The wheelhouseThe wheelhouse is located above the accommodation area. Controlled by a single console, it is designed to manoeuvre the vessel in either direction. There is an almost panoramic view of the vessel from this location. The few blind spots are covered by cameras. Besides the electronic charts and the radar, the duty navigator is aided by a number of TV surveillance screens, which also provide video images of the en-

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tire ferry, including the car deck.This is the ferry’s command

centre when the vessel is in operation. From the wheelhouse there are accesses to all opera-tions and functions onboard. During port calls it is usually the master who sits in the chair and takes control of the ma-noeuvring. He is seconded by an officer who take control on the opposite side and, at the same time, plans the return trip using the electronic chart, etc. The master normally communicates his instructions and requests via VHF, UHF, and the telephone.

The chief engineer is situated opposite the console. From there he operates all the machinery onboard. Under normal circum-stances, his intervention is not needed. SAMSØ’s power-man-agement system is programmed to respond to different require-ment.

The vessel’s computer system has three phases: the manoeuvring, cruising, and extra boost (used when higher than normal speed is required to make up for the delays, for example).

Under normal conditions, an automatic shift of the navigational control means that the system is optimising the performance: for example changing

the speed because of the prevailing sailing condition or shutting down the part of the machinery that is not needed in an effort to regulate fuel consump-tion.

During the planning of SAMSØ, Færgen placed a good deal of emphasis on optimising the onboard

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energy consumption. In fact, it can be said that energy efficiency is the cornerstone for the design of this vessel and her two sisters. A number of meas-ures have been implemented, such as using LED light bulbs throughout the ship, including masthead lights and all other lanterns. These bulbs come with a guarantee of 20,000 hours. Another energy-related design feature is that there is no ladder to the top of the mast. This ladder is normally equipped with a fall protection casing. This policy enables a huge saving during the construction phase. The long life span of the LED bulbs also means that they only need to be changed during a yard stay, therefore the ladder is not required.

The vehicle deckSAMSØ has 600 effective lanemetres in the car deck. It gives the vessel a capacity of 100 ceu on the main deck, where there are three lanes on one side of the casing and four lanes of the other. The overall capacity can be increased by a further 22 ceu on the hanging deck, or the “mezzanine deck” as it is known on SAMSØ. This deck is located below the main accommodation area. The access to this deck is via the direct climb on the outer portion that is lowered before loading.

There are specific guidelines for loading and unloading of hazardous goods on this deck. They are loaded onto a dedicated lane that is marked in red.

A dedicated disabled parking area is marked out in the inner lane. From there wheelchair users and passengers with walking difficulties have an easier access to the lift in the casing.

The enginesSAMSØ’s main technical feature is the diesel-electric propulsion system. It uses five Caterpillar diesel engines to generate electricity for the electric mo-

Bent MikkelsenBent Mikkelsen is 57 years and is a shipping jour-nalist. He has worked in shipping since 1981, with daily activities in particular for a Danish maritime magazine. He started to take photos at the age of 14, and has built up a collection of 175,000 pictures of ships.Beyond his journalistic work he also published books about Danish shipping under the wings of his publishing company Betty Nordgas.He is also the Danish editor and correspondent for Scandinavian Shipping Gazette / Swedish Sjöfart-stidning in Gothenburg. shipmik@mail.dk

tors, which drive the ferry’s four Schottel push-pull type pods; each pod houses two propellers. There is one pod in each corner of the vessel. To cut emission as much as possible, the Caterpillar engines will be fueled by biodiesel. The five machines are located in two separate engine rooms: three in the aft engine room and two in the forward. This arrangement is made with safety in mind. Should one set of engines be damaged and put out of action by accident, the ship could continue its course with the remaining set.

Other security features are also integrated in the hull. A series of symmetrical dry tanks are installed around the machinery space; this means that there is actually a double hook around the vital machin-ery.

Although SAMSØ is run by an effective power-management system that starts and stops the machines as when needed, the captain or his deputy in the wheelhouse can override the pre-programmed operation if it is deemed necessary. The ferry’s nor-mal service speed is set at 16 knots.

SAMSØ has been built with the view of a pos-sible conversion to using LNG as fuel. The engines can be converted to use natural gas.

But for Færgen, as it is for other ferry operators, the problem with LNG is that it is not yet readily available in the form of quayside bunkers. There is so far no tank facility in any harbour Færgen oper-ates from.

Advertising suppliers SAMSØIn this column, references will be made to main suppli-ers on the SAMSØ and on which page in this book further information can be found. Access to these companies’ websites is also available via www.shippax.se

Bohnhoff ..........................Galley equipment .......page 53Jensen & Partner ..........Broker ............................page 9, 47OSK ....................................Naval architect .............page 56

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Classification ......................Lloyds RegisterLength over all ..................99.90mLength between pp ...........95.00mBeam moulded..................18.20mDraft ....................................3.00mDepth to main deck ..........5.40mGross tonnage ...................4,400

SAMSØ

SAMSØ

Tonnage Dead Weight ......750Passengers .........................600Car capacity .......................122Lanemetre capacity ..........600Main engines .....................5 x Caterpillar C32 Propulsion ..........................4 x Schottel twin-screw pods