News of our company

On 18.11.2013 a meeting of the working group on coordination, scientific, technical and organizational support of work on the implementation of the federal target program "Development of civil marine engineering for 2009-2016" took place in the Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transport. The meeting was held under the supervision of the Deputy Head of Rosmorrechflot Viktor Vovk.
 
The general director of Marine Engineering Bureau, professor, doctor of technical sciences Gennadiy Egorov reported during the meeting about results of technical projects designing for river cargo passenger vessels' for local lines with the ice category of Ice 40, as follows:
 
• cargo passenger vessel of RPF14 project with capacity of 200 persons plus 2 "Kamaz" type trucks;
• cargo passenger vessel of RPF15 project with capacity of 50 persons plus 1 "Kamaz" type truck.
 
The problem was solved taking into consideration the basic conditions of the Arkhangelsk region.
 
The work was carried jointly with the Central Research Maritime Fleet Institute (modeling, economic calculations), in conjunction with specialists from the Transport Agency of Arkhangelsk region.
 
1. About 50 crossings and about 20 transport operators work in the inland waterways of Arkhangelsk region; they transport approximately 1.2 million passengers per year in Arkhangelsk only. The JSC "Arkhangelsk River Port" transports 90% of passengers.
 
It should be paid attention on the name of "Intercity island river passenger lines" company, because the special role of the water transport in Arkhangelsk citizens transportation is based on presence of numerous Northern Dvina islands without bridges to the city berth or another islands.
 
More than 20 thousand of citizens of Arkhangelsk city and Primorskiy municipal district, which live at the Northern Dvina delta islands, are in need of constant river intracity and suburban transportations.
 
River transportation in Arkhangelsk city is very popular for citizens, because it is the single way between some island parts of the city during summer time.
 
Municipality gives more than 42 million of rubles per year for supporting river passenger transportation.
 
During ice formation and ice drifting (1-3 autumn months and 3-4 spring weeks) the situation becomes catastrophic because starting from the 70-s of former century passenger transportation is provided by tug boats with sufficient ice category; there are no passenger vessels with corresponding ice category. Tugboats transport people until the moment of appearing of strong ice cover of the river.
 
Such transportations are carried out with the violation of the "Rules for the rendering services for transportation of passengers, baggage, cargoes for individual by inland waterways transport ", approved by the resolution No. 72 of RF Government dated 06.02.2003 and the requirements of the RRR rules; up to 100 passengers are often accommodated onboard of a tug.
 
During ice shifting tugboats owned by the JSC "Arkhangelsk Marine Trading Port" and "Ecotech-Bunker Ltd." are used for servicing intracity island passenger crossings.
 
During rush hours tugboats fulfill additional voyages as to passenger accumulation on the berth. Except citizens' transportation tugboats are used as duty vessels; they stay at islands at the nighttime for urgent delivery of ill people, helping for police or emergency situations, for providing urgent delivery of meal or medicaments for islands population.
 
Citizens' transportation is free of charge during the freeze-up and an ice drift periods (for example, 170 thousand of persons, more than 5 thousand of persons per day were transported by tugs in 2011 year).
 
Problems exist even when the ice drift has stopped.
 
On the one hand, ice pedestrian and transport crossings are created every winter, but on the other hand, cargo vessels, entering the port, destroy ice cover of the Northern Dvina River, create ice channels and hummock and destroy ice crossings over the river.
 
Finally, in 2012 the Northern Dvina didn't freeze until December, and ice pedestrian and transport crossings were opened only in the third decade of January 2013, thus, passengers have to be transported by tugs for 2.5 months because of ice formation.
 
The Arkhangelsk feature is that except tugboats with ice-breaking class there are no other river vessels that can provide transport connection with the islands during the freeze-up period. So creation of cargo-passenger vessels (200 passengers and two "Kamaz" type trucks) that can operate in such conditions (with Ice 40 category and with relatively deep draught up to 2.40 m), is an important and urgent task.
 
2. About 50 river crossings are operated in the upper reaches of the Northern Dvina. Vessels that operate at the crossings, physically and morally got old, that either results into the absence of transportation at all or into disturbances, that is unsafe.
 
As an example, it is possible to consider the Bereznik-Osinovo crossing (Vinogradovskiy district). It works 7 times per day from 07.15 to 19.00 (at Bereznik side) in summer.
 
1414 people live in the Osinovo village; during the summer period population here doubles by visitors. "At the Bereznik-Osinovo crossing worked ferry "SP-17 ". Vessel's cargo capacity was 60 t, capacity was 77 persons. Ferry was built in 1979. During 30 years of operation there was no general repair of the vessel. Preliminary estimated repair cost was 14.5 million of rubles. In 2012 after a regular survey of this ferry, Russian River Register prohibited her usage. As a result, in the spring of 2013 about one and half of thousand of Osinovo village citizens were cut off the "big land". Passenger and food transportation between mainland and the island villages was stopped.
 
The main problems of river passenger transportations at the local Arkhangelsk lines are, as follows:
 
• outdated passenger fleet for local lines (average age is of 37 years);
• prices constantly rise for fuel and energy resources;
• seasonality character of the work of enterprises that operate the local passenger fleet;
• an absence of lighting condition at the basin internal waterways during the period of dark nights, twice reducing using of fleet;
• limited budget financing for passengers transportation losses that prevents the full repairs and the development of infrastructure used for passengers transportation at the local lines;
• destroyed quay walls mean an impossibility of mooring for local passenger vessels;
• competition with the road transport in some cases; there are lines with road connection between initial and destination points, and sometimes road voyage is several times faster than water way one.
 
Analysis has shown, that the new small draught cargo-passenger ferry for 50 passengers and 1 Kamaz type truck is recommended for usage at the local crossings of Arkhangelsk region (instead of existing similar by the parameters vessels of 774, M-105 and DO-57 projects).
 
3. Considered river passenger and cargo- passenger vessels for local lines belong to the group III of Sanitary Standards for Inland and Mixed (River-Sea Going) Vessels (SanPin 2.5.2.-703-98) due to their purpose and voyage duration. There are inland vessels of intracity and suburban lines that actually anybody can conclude basing on set of characteristics, as follows: vessels' architectural and structural type, availability of special compartments, compartments' capacity requirements, lighting requirements, requirements to the water supply, ventilation and air conditioning systems, etc.
 
Typical crew consists of:
 
• captain - mechanic;
• able seaman;
• cashier (woman, as a rule).
 
Vessels can stay at the islands at night in the conditions of Arkhangelsk region. Therefore, compartments for crew relaxation should be provided with separate compartments for the cashier and food warming.
 
Local lines vessels may be constructed with simplified hull form (different simplification levels are depended on operation conditions). The extreme simplified pontoon type hull form is suitable for low-speed cargo-passengers ferry boats that serve short shallow water lines from one river berth to opposite one with the speed of 10-12 km/h. Medium simplified hull form (with bilge breaking line and absence of two-directional curvature of the bottom aft end) is suitable for ferry boat with he speed of 15-24 km/h.
 
Cargo-passenger ferryboats of shuttle type have symmetrical forms of above water fore and after ends in order to provide unified loading/unloading conditions for fore or aft operations.
 
Stem of the passenger vessels are foreseen inclined at above water part and with bottom rise at the underwater part in order to provide fore mooring schema for unequipped berth with following passengers embarkation/disembarkation through fore end.
 
Cargo-passenger ferryboats have fore and aft transoms at above water part for providing ramps mounting in order to ensure fore- and aft mooring schemas to the places of loading/unloading.
 
Aft hull underwater contours (especially for extreme restricted draught) have character tunnel forms for providing propellers work conditions.
 
Engine Room (ER) and crew cabins are located aft in order to provide suitable crew access to the ER and bridge, and to provide optimal arrangement of the passenger zone.
 
Closed wheel house from one side to another is foreseen for "north" variants of the vessel taking into consideration climate conditions.
 
At the cargo-passenger ferryboats of shuttle type (with fore and aft ramps) the following is foreseen:
 
• saloons (saloon) for passengers, if possible, are single-tier and are located within side deck-houses of one or both sides;
• central part of the main deck is assigned for arranging automobiles and other vehicles while fore-aft thoroughfare is provided (loading/unloading with help of fore and aft ramp);
• wheel house is placed on the bridge at the middle vessel's part; all-around view possibility is ensured for easy passengers and cargo areas control, providing unified observation conditions while entering to the berth or mooring by bow or by stern.
 
Cargo-passenger ferryboats are smooth-deck, as a rule, with small cargo deck sheer in the ends (near ramps).
 
Wholly closed wheel houses are equipped by roofs with sheer from side to side in order to provide rain water runoff.
 
Such vessels have diesel power plant. As a rule there are two main engines and twin-shaft propulsive system with propellers and rudders/ nozzles. Such propulsive system provides sufficient propulsive properties and suitable manoeuvrability for these vessels with big breadth-draught ratio.
 
4. Arkhangelsk port rules stipulate that during freeze-up only vessels with RS Ice 1 class (or RRR class "Ice 40") are allowed for work at Arkhangelsk region; these ice classes permit sailing through 40 cm rare ice brush.
 
Water areas within Arkhangelsk city at the Northern Dvina delta and Northern Dvina River itself upper Arkhangelsk city are of "R" sailing type. So our river vessels should be of R 1,2 RRR class (1% probability wave height of 1.2 m).
 
Thus, vessel for work within Arkhangelsk region should require R 1.2 (Ice 40) RRR class. For working at non-ice situation RRR class of R 1.2 may be recommended for Arkhangelsk local lines. But if it is necessary to operate vessels during ice drifting then first recommendation is valid.
 
5. Investigations of vessels' working conditions at Arkhangelsk region shows that depth of the main sailing way is about 4 m, and it decreases near coast down to 2.5 - 3.0 m. Accordingly draught of the city vessels should be not more than 2.4 m. From the other side, sailing condition will be of heavy ice brushed type, so vessel's draught isn't recommended to decrease because propellers will be clogged and vessel's moving will become weaker.
 
Vessel's length should not be greater than 40 m in order not to block the main sailing way because ferryboat will be moored across the river at city region. Vessel's breadth should be restricted by 10 m by requirements to manoeuvring at streamline ability.
 
Side port hole is needed for passengers embarkation when there is lack of automobiles loading.
 
Fuel autonomy for 5 days and other supply autonomy for 2 days should be set
 
taking into consideration operational habits (vessels may stay at islands at the nighttime for urgent delivery of ill people, helping for police or emergency situations, for providing urgent delivery of meal or medicaments for islands population) and due to manager company recommendations.
 
As a result, cargo-passenger vessel of RPF14 project with capacity of 200 persons plus 2 "Kamaz" type trucks was designed. She is attended for operation between island territories of Arkhangelsk city at the Northern Dvina delta and at other local lines of northern Russian Federation regions where ice condition work is needed.
 
Accepted architectural-structural type is as follows: steel self-propelled double-screw vessel with transom fore and aft ends, with excess freeboard, with side superstructures made from AMg5 alloy, with fore and aft ramps, with wheelhouse located amidship, and with engine room located aft.
 
Passengers' arrangement is foreseen at sitting places in two passenger saloons and at open parts of the walking deck. Passenger toilets are foreseen onboard the vessel.
 
Arrangement of tip-up baby cradles (8 pcs.) are foreseen on the bulkheads of the passenger saloons near the extreme sitting places.
 
Crew consists of 3 persons; there is duty compartment assigned for food keeping and warming and for crew short relaxation.
 
The principal dimensions of ferry of RPF14 project are, as follows:
 
Overall length is of 39.60 m;
Length between perpendiculars is of 38.22 m;
Overall breadth is of 10.20 m;
Maximum breadth is of 10.00 m;
Depth amidship is of 4.20 m;
Overall height from BL to nondetached parts is not more than 15.70 m;
Design draught is of 2.40 m;
Deadweight for 2.40 draught is of 349 t;
Stores autonomy is of 2 days;
Cargo deck area is of 190 sq.m.;
Cargo deck length is of 35 m.;
Passenger capacity is of 200 persons;
RRR class notation is of R1.2 (Ice40) A;
ME maximal capacity is of 2 x 479 kWt;
Propeller-rudder unit consists of 2 FPP plus 2 rudders;
Diesel-generators are of 2 x 130 kWt;
Emergency diesel-generator is of 28 kWt;
Crew is of 3 persons;
Speed on the deep water for fresh painted hull (without fouling) is of 20.0 km/h at draught of 2.4 m and 85% of ME capacity.
 
6. Ferryboat for local region lines is foreseen foe crossings with shallow water parts, with shallow water parts depth of 0.7-0.8 m.
 
Free deck of about 20 m length is needed (for truck or automobile train arrangement). Permissible axle load is of 15 t.
 
Number of sitting places is of 40. Excess number of people can be transported n the standing position.
 
Fore ramp of 5 x 5 m is needed in order to provide automobile unloading onto unequipped berth. All kinds of autonomy is recommended for 2 days taking into consideration operational conditions.
 
As a result cargo passenger vessel of RPF15 project with capacity of 50 persons plus 1 "Kamaz" type trucks was designed. She is attended for operation at Arkhangelsk regional crossings and at other local lines of northern Russian Federation regions where shallow water condition and ice condition work are needed.
 
Accepted architectural-structural type is as follows: steel self-propelled double-screw vessel with inclined stem and transom aft end, with excess freeboard, deck-house and engine room located aft, without forecastle, with poop, with fore ramp.
 
Passengers' arrangement is foreseen at sitting places in passenger saloon on the main deck (40 persons). Excess number of passengers can be transported n the standing position.
 
Arrangement of tip-up baby cradles (4 pcs.) are foreseen on the bulkheads of the passenger saloon near the extreme sitting places.
 
Crew consists of 3 persons; there is duty compartment assigned for food keeping and warming and for crew short relaxation.
 
The principal dimensions of ferry of RPF15 project are, as follows:
 
Overall length is of 37.68 m (ramp is in voyage position);
Overall breadth is of 8.614 m;
Clear hull breadth is of 8.50 m;
Depth is of 1.40 m;
Overall height from BL to nondetached parts is not more than 12.06 m;
Design draught is of 0.75 m;
Deadweight for 0.75 draught is of 75.8 t;
Stores autonomy is of 2 days;
Passenger capacity is of 50 persons;
RRR class notation is of R1.2 (Ice40);
ME maximal capacity is of 2 x 148 kWt;
Propeller-rudder unit consists of 2 FPP plus 2 rudders;
Diesel-generators are of 2 x 30.6 kWt;
Crew is of 3 persons;
Speed on the deep water for fresh painted hull (without fouling) is of 15.0 km/h at draught of 0.7 m and 85% of ME capacity.
 
Thus, 2 technical projects of river cargo-passenger ferryboats with Ice 40 class for local lines of city and region of Arkhangelsk are issued, as follows:
 
• cargo-passenger vessel of RPF14 project with capacity of 200 persons plus 2 "Kamaz" type trucks;
• cargo-passenger vessel of RPF15 project with capacity of 50 persons plus 1 "Kamaz" type truck.