Damen Marine Components completes series supply of rudders for 1,750 teu feeder container vessels

Damen Marine Components (DMC) has completed the supply of nine Atlantic rudders to Cosco Guangdong Shipyard over a two-and-a-half-year period. These have been installed on nine 1,750 TEU Feeder Container Vessels built for a UK-headquartered ship owning and management company.

The supply took place in three stages with a first contract signed by DMC and Cosco Guangdong in March 2017 for the immediate supply of three Atlantic rudders, plus an option on a further three. In June 2017 those options were exercised and a further three contracted by the shipyard, taking the total to nine. In November 2018 the outstanding options were also exercised and the last three rudders have now been delivered to Guangdong.

The Atlantic rudder is a no-nonsense, ultra-reliable, conventional spade model. The version supplied to Cosco incorporates a bulb and DMC’s ART™ feature. This introduces a special layout that modifies the profile above and below the centreline of the propeller in such a way that the effects of the rotation of the propeller slipstream are mitigated. This expands the cavitation-free rudder angle and so reduces drag. This results in enhanced fuel economy and reduced cavitation.

Other benefits include a water-lubricated synthetic bearing that is long-lasting and requires minimal maintenance, and the rudder is designed for easy dismounting when inspections and repairs are needed.

“There are many rudder configurations on the market that can meet the guidelines for turning circles and zig zagging,” says Mr. Bogdan Mocanu, Area Sales Manager for DMC, “but are still not necessarily optimum for a given operational profile. For ships like container vessels, where the majority of steaming involves course-keeping, our Atlantic rudders (ART™ design) have exactly the right characteristics to ensure smooth, economical and reliable handling.”

A statement issued by the Cosco Guangdong Shipyard management added; “The supply of the rudders has been a smooth and trouble-free experience. The cooperation has been excellent and the end-client is very happy with the performance of the vessels. We look forward to cooperating with DMC again in the future”. Delivery of the innovative, 164-metre, feeder container vessels began in Q1 2019. They are designed to meet the evolving needs of the container market where the increase in ultra-large container carriers together with the growth of specific regional markets means that there is a need for more feeder vessels.