Hull design is becoming very important in the race towards better fuel efficiency, and a number of new bow designs have been appearing on ships recently, including the ‘Cross-Bow’ developed by Holland’s Groot Ship Design and recently applied to a series of 8,500dwt cargo carriers completed by Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding for Carisbrooke Shipping.
Known as Super Green 8500 series, the 8,000dwt single-hold newbuildings, christened Vectis Eagle, Vectis Falcon, Vectis Harrier and Vectis Osprey, measure 110m by 17.4m and sail on a loaded draught of 8m. A service speed of 12 knots is provided by a single 3,200hp (2,400kW) MAK 6M32C low emission engine driving a 4.29m diameter controllable pitch propeller set in a nozzle. At 12 knots, and in good weather conditions, fuel consumption is only about ten tonnes of IFO 380 cst daily, dropping to about eight tonnes at a speed of ten knots.
The uniquely shaped wave-piercing bow, specifically designed to reduce pitching and slamming, has proved suitable for sailing in ice under Swedish Ice Class 1A classification. A larger class of 10,000dwt two-hold ships, the Super Green 10000 series, will also feature the Groot Cross-Bow and are also being built for Carisbrooke.
