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THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ARCHITECT Journal of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (Australian Division) Volume 16 Number 3 August 2012 Cover Photo: CONTENTS The RAN’s second LHD, the future HMAS 2 From the Division President Adelaide, enters the water for the first time at her launching by Navantia on 4 July 2012 2 Editorial (Navantia Photograph) 3 Letters to the Editor 4 News from the Sections The Australian Naval Architect is published four times per year. All correspondence and advertising should be sent 9 Classification Society News to: 13 Coming Events The Editor The Australian Naval Architect 16 General News c/o RINA PO Box No. 462 37 Education News Jamison Centre, ACT 2614 40 The Profession AUSTRALIA email: [email protected] 41 Vale Frank Last The deadline for the next edition of The Australian Na- 43 Defence Capability Plan Reform val Architect (Vol. 16 No. 4, November 2012) is Friday 26 October 2012. 45 Commission of Inquiry into the Sinking of Articles and reports published in The Australian Naval MV Rabaul Queen Architect reflect the views of the individuals who prepared them and, unless indicated expressly in the text, do not neces- 46 Industry News sarily represent the views of the Institution. The Institution, its officers and members make no representation or warranty, 50 The Economic Importance of expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or Submarine Cables correctness of information in articles or reports and accept 52 The Internet no responsibility for any loss, damage or other liability arising from any use of this publication or the information 53 Membership which it contains. 55 Naval Architects on the Move The Australian Naval Architect 56 From the Archives ISSN 1441-0125 © Royal Institution of Naval Architects 2012 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 August 2012 1 From the Division President The purpose of the Division is to further the objectives of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects in a practical and meaningful way throughout the length and breadth of Australia, to promote and support the profession and professionalism of naval architecture in all its varied guises. These guises are many and seem to be ever increasing, with the rapid growth of offshore exploration and development, specialised defence work, the challenges of the Single National Jurisdiction — the list is endless and varied. While the Division Council plays an important role in coordinating and focussing this support, we are generally one step removed from the membership — it is the Sections which undertake this vital function and the Section committees that put in the “hard yards”. Without them we would effectively have no Division. The objectives of the Sections are “to promote the learned society activi- ties through holding technical and other meetings for the presentation of papers and/or lectures and to increase the membership of the Australian Division of the Royal Institu- tion of Naval Architects and, through it, membership of the Section”. It is primarily through these “technical and other” meetings that members and colleagues can get together for cross-fertilisation of ideas and for their own continuing pro- Jim Black President, RINA Australian Division fessional development. I cannot emphasise strongly enough how important it is for members to do their best to attend these meetings and to encourage others to do so. Editorial I am well aware that attendances can be low at Section Once again that remarkable occasion, the Olympic Games, technical meetings and I invite everyone stick their oar is over. Despite some people’s dire predictions, particularly in with new ideas for these meetings, be it timing, venue, about the weather, London put on a great event full of colour format, content or any other relevant thought that could and emotion. encourage increased participation and improved outcomes for members. One such “innovation” is the imminent revival One unfortunate feature of the Olympic Games is of the Walter Atkinson Award to encourage the presentation the extraordinary expectations placed on the athletes, of papers at technical meetings — watch these pages for particularly by the media. I find it hard to understand why further details. missing out on first place at that level by a mere fraction of a second can be regarded as a failure. Perhaps that is just For those of you recording your CPD, putting in some the Olympics — certainly in Sydney the pressure on all volunteer work for the profession can add significantly to Olympic athletes was very evident which made the following your recorded hours and I know that all Section committees Paralympics, in many ways, more relaxed and fun. would welcome your contribution. There are almost always vacancies on Section committees and currently we are also Those of us with a maritime bent must have been very looking for additional professional review interviewers happy to see the gold medals won by the sailors, in the in some areas, an advertising manager for The ANA, a sport regarded by many as ‘boring’ and which is so seldom representative on the Standards Australia Shipbuilding televised. Gold in Weymouth? Fancy that. Congratulations Committee, and an additional Division Council member to our sailors and, indeed, to all Australian Olympians. It is — we look forward to being overwhelmed with volunteers! a great achievement to be selected to compete at that level with the rest of the world. On a completely different note, I was in Irvine, Scotland, last week and had a look at the clipper ship City of Adelaide The Olympic Games is an expensive show when there are which will hopefully be rescued from her present exposed many other demands on resources, but it is far better to enjoy location before deteriorating any further and shipped to Port that kind of international competition than suffer the strife Adelaide for permanent conservation. I wish Peter Roberts which besets the world every other day of the year. and his team the very best for the mammoth task they have Only four short years to Rio 2016! ahead of them. John Jeremy Meanwhile, I am always available for discussion and comment on any topic of relevance to Australian naval architects, by email at [email protected] or telephone (0418) 918 050. Jim Black The Australian Naval Architect 2 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir, Dear Sir, I am interested in the current usage of design software in I would like to draw the attention of naval architects to the different shipyards, ship design consultancies and countries, aesthetic part of design. and have briefly researched the usage in my home country, Every day, marine engineers and naval architects design China, with some interesting results. lighter, faster and more energy-efficient ships which let Tribon software is an excellent integrated system and a large sailors dream of science fiction. I think that, as engineering database as well, and it has advantages that many other improves, the aesthetics should play a greater role. I’m not systems do not have. The major companies using Tribon only talking about the good looks of a yacht, but how naval in China are Guangzhou Shipyard International Co. Ltd. architects could better differentiate themselves from others and Jiangnan Shipbuilding (Group) Co. Ltd. However, this by improving their own aesthetic style, which is also how a software has some shortcomings, in that there is not enough buyer can gain his first impression of a vessel when he sees open-source data, the database systems are self-contained it. Thinking about it more deeply, we can ask ourselves how sets and lacking in standard formats for data interchange would it be if every boat looked the same? It is similar with with other software. other machinery, such as cars: could you imagine a world FORAN is one of the world’s most widely-used shipbuilding where all cars looked the same? When walking along a professional software programs, and is used by more than street we see that there are only a few cars which really look 120 design firms and shipyards. In recent years, its use has different –– and that’s the point, you remember these cars. been growing fast. Compared to Tribon, FORAN provides a The company Wally Yachts is known worldwide for its series of interface formats for data exchange with a variety great combination of technology and aesthetics, and they of software systems, including IGES, DXF, DWG, STEP, clearly stand out by getting race results and by cultivating XML, etc. and the Oracle database is completely open to their own artistic style. users. Many naval architecture consultancies require the help of CADDS 5 consists of several modules for hull design, designers to provide good aesthetics for the ship they just including piping systems, outfitting, electrical systems, air designed but, often, the ideas of the designer don’t match conditioning and ventilation systems, etc.