The Australian Naval Architect

THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ARCHITECT Volume 12 Number 4 November 2008 The Australian Naval Architect 4 THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ARCHITECT Journal of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (Australian Division) Volume 12 Number 4 November 2008 Cover Photo: CONTENTS Built by Aluminium Marine, the 400-passenger ferry Bo Hengy 2 recently completed trials in 2 From the Division President Brisbane before delivery to her owners, Baha- 2 Editorial mas Ferries (Photo courtesy Oceanic Yacht Design) 3 Letters to the Editor The Australian Naval Architect is published four times per 5 News from the Sections year. All correspondence and advertising should be sent to: 19 Coming Events The Editor 22 General News The Australian Naval Architect c/o RINA 34 Classification Society News PO Box No. 976 EPPING NSW 1710 35 Education News AUSTRALIA email: [email protected] 45 The Profession The deadline for the next edition of The Australian Na- val Architect (Vol. 13 No. 1, February 2009) is Friday 48 MV Doulos visits Australia 23 January 2009. Articles and reports published in The Australian Naval 49 l’Hydroptère Aiming for Absolute Sailing Architect reflect the views of the individuals who prepared Speed Record them and, unless indicated expressly in the text, do not neces- sarily represent the views of the Institution. The Institution, 50 Book Review its officers and members make no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or 50 Industry News correctness of information in articles or reports and accept 54 Membership no responsibility for any loss, damage or other liability arising from any use of this publication or the information 55 Naval Architects on the Move which it contains. The Australian Naval Architect 56 From the Archives ISSN 1441-0125 © Royal Institution of Naval Architects 2008 Editor in Chief: John Jeremy RINA Australian Division Technical Editor: Phil Helmore on the Print Post Approved PP 606811/00009 World Wide Web Printed by B E E Printmail Telephone (02) 9437 6917 www.rina.org.uk/aust November 2008 1 technical meetings. I would encourage you all to attend the From the Division President Section meetings and, when traveling home, to consider the Since my last column in The Australian Naval Architect, benefits which you gained from the meeting. I have conducted a number of Professional Review in- A further important aspect of the CPD is Institution involve- terviews for members who wished to gain both corporate ment. Many members at the start of their career consider the membership of RINA and chartered-engineer status with the Institution as an organisation that guides them through their Engineering Council. All candidates presented themselves career. It provides the mechanism for gaining chartered-en- very well — they summarised their careers succinctly and gineer status, it organises technical meetings and provides could address many of the questions posed to them. This is the journals you read as part of your development. At some probably because they are proud of their achievements and stage the tide turns and it is time to think about what you wished to explain how they had contributed to the profes- can contribute to the Institution to help other members. This sion. However, in my opinion, when the interview changes may include contributing to The Australian Naval Architect, direction to consider the future, many of the candidates are standing for a position on a local committee or offering not as well prepared. As soon as a professional reviewer yourself for election to the Division Council. mentions the words ‘continuing professional development’ If you are not too sure of the exact requirements for continu- the enthusiasm stops and candidates start to lose a little ing professional development then take the time to investi- direction. Exactly why this occurs is difficult for me to ex- gate the documents that describe them. These are available plain. During my early career development I found myself on the RINA website. Also, I would encourage you all to a mentor who accepted the challenge of making sure that attend Section meetings and perhaps offer your services as a I achieved the requirements for chartered membership and mentor to junior members who are starting to develop their prepared me well for the review. My mentor discussed with careers. Hopefully, the outcomes will be noticed when the me my continuing professional development and I outlined time comes for the professional review and all will leave my plan at the review in what seemed a confident approach. the event feeling very satisfied. When I look back and reflect on the process that I followed, it becomes evident that this approach is not used by many Stuart Cannon potential members today. My mentor was not employed by the company for which I Editorial worked. In fact, he had retired about a year before I met him The recent announcement by the Minister for Defence of at a local technical meeting. Each month, where possible, funding for the first stage of Project SEA 1000, the future I would attend the technical meeting and meet up with my submarine of the Royal Australian Navy, marks the start mentor to discuss the activities I had carried out that would of another ambitious project for the RAN and Australian contribute towards my professional review documentation. industry. To some of us, it seems like only yesterday that Once he believed that I had achieved the required standard the project began which resulted in the six Collin-class for corporate membership, the discussions focused on the submarines, but time flies and the start of planning for the continuing professional development. I was encouraged, replacement of the Collins class is none too soon. often over a beer, to discuss the activities that could be The future submarine was the focus of discussion at accounted for if I was required to justify my CPD. The the Submarine Institute of Australia’s fourth biennial relationship we achieved was similar to that between a conference in Canberra in early November. Attended by student and their final-year research-project supervisor. over 200 submariners (past and present), Australian industry This was incredibly useful and I could discuss my future representatives and naval and industry representatives career ambitions outside of the work environment. Each from the United States and Europe, the conference was, month I would list the activities under generic headings. understandably, full of enthusiasm for the project. However, These included formal education and training, informal many expressed some frustration at the time likely to be learning, conferences and meetings, presentations and pa- taken by the decision-making process of government. The pers and, finally, Institution activities. The allowances for life of submarines is not easily extended, and the first of each of these groups were known and time was allocated the new submarines needs to be completed in about fifteen to each. To this day I often sit down with a pen and paper years if there is to be a smooth transition from the present and add up my CPD hours under each of these headings to submarines as they reach end of life, and work needs to move verify that I meet the requirements. First and foremost on ahead smartly if that deadline is to be met. my list is the informal learning — something that you are currently doing now. The reading of The Australian Naval The role of the new submarines, and the likely number to Architect clearly falls into this category and therefore can be be acquired, remains somewhat speculative as we await the credited. The key question is how many hours can we claim new White Paper on defence to be released early next year. and what proportion of the total CPD hours to attribute? It is clear, however, that the government supports Australian The attendance at a technical meeting also contributes to construction, and this was affirmed by the Parliamentary the CPD. It did not concern me what the presented subject Secretary for Defence Procurement, Mr Greg Combet, in matter was — I always found that I learnt something at the his speech at the conference dinner. The submarines will meetings. This learning is often through discussion with be built in Adelaide but, despite their obvious advantage other members, before the meeting, on topics that are of in resources, experience and facilities, ASC will have to mutual interest or where I needed some assistance or advice compete for the contract to build the new boats. Whilst on a particular problem I was trying to resolve at work. It is this process of competition will frustrate many who see it for this reason that I place importance on the attendance at as unnecessary, others will emphasise the importance of The Australian Naval Architect 2 achieving value for money in what is likely to be the most possible loss of keel etc? It all gets quite difficult to assess. costly defence project so far. Thankfully, I am not in the yacht design business! Past experience suggests that the process of competition Martin Grimm for such a large, high-profile project brings with it the risk of dilution of scarce resources as firms compete to build up Dear Sir, credible teams for the project. Australia’s new submarines I received an interesting query the other day concerning are likely to be unique — designing and building them will the assessment of the lifting loads exerted on davits and be a considerable challenge. The development of Australian the like when lifting boats from the water. The concern is capability during the Collins-class project was remarkable how to account for the hydrodynamic effects acting on the and the hard-won skills we now have must be preserved and boat as it is lifted.

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