VESSEL REVIEW | AM-Voyager & Johannes Sr – Netherlands' Amer Shipping to deploy new cargo vessels on European inland routes
Amer Shipping, a Netherlands-based shipping company that operates mainly along inland waterways in northern Europe, recently took delivery of two new dry cargo vessels built locally by Ruijtenberg Shipyard.
AM-Voyager (formerly named Adriana Maria) and Johannes Sr will be operated alongside the other vessels in the Amer Shipping fleet, transporting raw materials for construction purposes as well as other types of bulk and breakbulk cargo.
The ships' routes will encompass the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland.
Greater capacity but with similar overall dimensions
Each vessel has a length of 110 metres (360 feet), a beam of 11.45 metres (37.57 feet), a summer draught of 2.5 metres (8.2 feet), a depth of 3.76 metres (12.3 feet), a gross tonnage of 3,250, and a cargo hold measuring 80.4 by 10 by eight metres (264 by 33 by 26 feet).
The hull is of an advanced design that helps reduce surface resistance, thus allowing each vessel to sail at higher speeds even at lower fuel consumption.
The vessels each boast a low profile thanks in part to a wheelhouse that can be hydraulically lowered, thus allowing for passage underneath bridges that sit 4.25 metres (13.9 feet) above the water. When not fully loaded, the vessels can navigate in waters as shallow as 1.15 metres (3.77 feet).
Although not the first 110-metre vessels in the Amer Shipping fleet, the two newbuilds can each transport an additional 200 tonnes of cargo at the same draught compared to the company's earlier ships.
Propulsion configured for faster and more efficient inland transits
Each ship’s propulsion arrangement includes two EU Stage V diesel engines (two Scania engines for AM-Voyager and two MAN engines for Johannes Sr), a battery pack, two EcoGenDrive shaft generators for charging the batteries, and a Veth CJ-1200 jet-type bow thruster driven by a dedicated Scania 474kW engine.
Trials showed that the propulsion can deliver speeds of up to 10.7 knots with fuel consumption set at 230 litres (51 gallons) per hour.
The batteries can meanwhile provide enough power for cargo loading and unloading operations of up to 36 hours, thus eliminating the need for an external power supply while berthed.
A De Waal rudder system is fitted on both ships. The rudders on each ship are set up so that water will flow along the inside of each rudder much faster than on the outside. The resulting difference in pressure is converted by the rudders into additional thrust.
Stainless steel tanks are also fitted for post-treatment of emissions from the main engines.
The crew facilities on each vessel include individual cabins and shared sanitary facilities. The interior spaces feature upholstery from Dik den Hollander and panelling from Hoogendoorn 1961.
