Displaying items by tag: Viking Grace

2nd May 2018

Baltic Ferry Becomes First Passenger Ship in the World to Use Rotor for Wind-Assisted Propulsion

Baltic Sea cruiseferry Viking Grace with newly installed 'rotor' sail, the first passenger ship to have this sail-assisted feature in the world. Afloat adds at time of writing the 57,565grt cruiseferry is on the final (eastbound) leg of the routine Stockholm (Sweden)- Åland Islands-Turku (Finland) service. The cruiseship was built in the west Finnish port.

#FerryNews - Scandinavian operator, Viking Line based in Finland, has announced that its LNG fuelled cruiseferry M / S Viking Grace has become the first passenger ship in the world to utilize wind power through mechanical rotor driving.

The rotor sail developed by Norsepower, Finland, saves fuel and reduces emissions. The Viking Line will enter the sailing on the ships routine Turku-Stockholm route with the help of winds.

M / S Viking Grace's 24-meter-high and four-meter wide rotor cask is based on the Magnus phenomenon. When the sail spins, its surface pulls air on one side at less pressure than on one side. The differential pressure generates thrust that moves the ship forward. The sail functions automatically, and the system stops if the direction or intensity of the wind changes to the ship as unfavorable. With rotor dinghy, the ship's emissions are reduced by up to 900 tonnes per year depending on wind conditions.

The introduction of rotor dinghy reflects the green values of Red ships. For the Åland shipyard, the sea and the archipelago have been a heartbeat and a prerequisite for livelihood for decades. M / S Viking Grace, which started operations in 2013, is already the world's most environmentally friendly ship: it moves with liquefied natural gas and is low in emissions and low noise. Thanks to the new sail, the Turku archipelago is sailing even more environmentally friendly.

This is a great day for us. As an Ålandian shipping company, we live in the sea, so promoting our well-being is of great importance to us. We want to be the forerunners in utilizing solutions that reduce environmental loads. Norsepower, a Finnish manufacturer of mechanical rotor cranes, is the world's leading solution to reduce fuel consumption and it is immensely great for us to introduce this innovation to M / S Viking Grace as the first passenger in the world, "says Jan Hanses, President of Viking Line .

Norsepower, a Finnish cleantech company, has developed its rotor blade for five years. The idea of a rocket sailor is already about a hundred years old, but as the environmental requirements become more intense and as material and technology solutions develop, the solution has become very topical and interesting. Norsepower has been in the development for many years ahead of other players.

In addition to the M / S Viking Grape-mounted rotor crane, Viking Line's new, 2020-ready vessel will benefit from wind propulsion technology. Two Norsepower mechanical sails will be installed on a passenger ship built in China, and thus the potential for wind power will be doubled.

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.